Galle [Sri Lanka], January 17 (ANI): Sri Lanka displayed a brilliant performance with the bat on day 4 of the first Test against England but the visitors are looking favourites to win the match as they are just 36 runs away from registering a victory.

England ended Sri Lanka's second innings on 359, with the visitors needing 74 runs to win the match. At stumps, England's score reads 38/3, with Jonny Bairstow and Dan Lawrence on the field.

England did not witness a good start to their second innings as Lasith Embuldeniya dismissed Dom Sibley in the very first over of the innings. In the fifth over, Embuldeniya scalped the wicket of Zak Crawley as well. In the next over Joe Root, who scored a double ton in the first innings, got run out, reducing England to 14/3.

Bairstow was then joined by Lawrence on the field and the duo ensured England do not lose more wickets on the day.

Earlier, resuming the day from 156/2, Sri Lanka got off to a poor start as Lasith Embuldeniya was sent back to the pavilion on a duck. Lahiru Thirimanne was then joined by Angelo Mathews and both played brilliantly, taking the team over the 200-run mark. Also, Thirimanne completed his century.

Thirimanne played a knock of 111 runs before Sam Curran dismissed him, reducing Sri Lanka to 210/4. Dinesh Chandimal then came out to bat but only managed to add 20 runs on the board before Dom Bess took his wicket.

Mathews completed his half-century and kept the scoreboard running but he did not get support from the other end as England kept taking wickets at regular intervals. Mathews too gave away his wicket after scoring 71 runs and with this, Sri Lanka's second innings coming to an end.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 135359 (Lahiru Thirimanne 111, Angelo Mathews 71, Jack Leach 5/122) vs England 42138/3 (Jonny Bairstow 11, Zak Crawley 8, Lasith Embuldeniya 2/13). (ANI)