Sri Lanka Tour England Tests August–September 2024: England Win 2–1 — Asitha Fernando 17 Wickets Player of Series, Joe Root 375 Runs, Jamie Smith 111 on Debut Manchester, Atkinson Century and 5-Wicket Haul at Lord's, Kamindu Mendis 267 Runs, Sri Lanka Win Oval 8 Wickets

England won the 3-Test series against Sri Lanka 2–1 in August–September 2024 — a competitive home series that produced three different match winners and concluded with Sri Lanka's first Test victory in England since 2014. The series was notable for a remarkable debut (Jamie Smith's 111 at Manchester), a historic all-round performance (Gus Atkinson's century and five-wicket haul at Lord's), Joe Root's twin centuries at Lord's, and Asitha Fernando's 17-wicket series haul that earned the Sri Lankan seamer the Player of the Series award. 1st Test Manchester (August 21–24, 2024): England won by 5 wickets. Sri Lanka posted 236 in their 1st innings; England replied with 358 to establish a 122-run lead. Sri Lanka's 2nd innings of 326 set England a target of 205, which England reached in 5 wickets in a nervy chase. Jamie Smith — making his Test debut — top-scored with 111 in England's 1st innings and added 39 in the chase, and was named Player of the Match for an exceptional debut performance. 2nd Test Lord's (August 29–September 1, 2024): England won by 190 runs in the most high-profile match of the series. England scored 427 in their 1st innings — Joe Root making 143 and Gus Atkinson scoring 118 — before Sri Lanka replied with 196. Asitha Fernando took 5/102 in England's 1st innings, becoming the first Sri Lankan to take five wickets in an innings at Lord's. England's 2nd innings of 251 (Root 103) set Sri Lanka a target of 483; Sri Lanka were bowled out for 292, losing by 190 runs. Atkinson's match — scoring 118 and also taking wickets — made him only the third England player to score a century and take a five-wicket haul in the same Test, a rare all-round feat. Root's 143 and 103 across the two innings were his second consecutive match with two half-centuries-or-more in the series. 3rd Test The Oval (September 6–9, 2024): Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets — their first Test victory in England in a decade. England scored 325 and 156; Sri Lanka made 263 in their 1st innings (trailing by 62 runs) but then bowled England out for 156 to set themselves a target of 219. Sri Lanka reached 219/2 to win by 8 wickets, with their top-order batters dominating England's bowling in the 4th-innings chase. Series statistics: Asitha Fernando took 17 wickets in the series (Player of Series), comfortably the highest wicket-taker on either side; Chris Woakes took 13 wickets for England; Joe Root finished with 375 series runs as England's leading batter; Kamindu Mendis scored 267 runs as Sri Lanka's leading batter; Root and Mendis shared the Player of the Series honours.

Jamie Smith's Debut Century at Manchester

Jamie Smith's 111 on Test debut at Manchester's Old Trafford in the 1st Test was one of the most impressive wicketkeeper-batter debut performances in England's modern Test era. Smith — who had been selected as England's first-choice Test wicketkeeper following Jonny Bairstow's injury absence — faced a challenging baptism in a match where Sri Lanka had posted 236 and England needed to build a significant lead. Smith's 111 gave England a 1st-innings total of 358 — a lead of 122 — and his ability to bat calmly under pressure despite the debut situation impressed observers. Smith's debut at Old Trafford followed England's philosophy of selecting young batters of exceptional county form and trusting them to perform at Test level immediately. His keeping throughout the series was also tidy, suggesting England had found a capable long-term replacement for Bairstow. The Player of the Match award on debut — for both his 111 and his overall contribution — was a confident statement of the quality England were promoting from county cricket. Smith became only the fourth England wicketkeeper to score a century on Test debut.

Atkinson's All-Round Lord's Performance and Asitha's 17 Wickets

Gus Atkinson's 2nd Test at Lord's — scoring 118 and taking wickets in the same match — made him the third England player ever to score a century and take a five-wicket haul in the same Test, joining Ian Botham (who achieved the feat multiple times) and Andrew Flintoff. The rarity of the all-round achievement in the same Test match — requiring the batter to convert to a century standard while the bowler takes at least five wickets — reflects its exceptional difficulty; Atkinson's performance at Lord's only months after his 12-wicket debut against West Indies in July confirmed him as one of England's most talented all-round fast bowlers in decades. Against him, Asitha Fernando's 17 wickets across the series made him one of the most effective visiting fast bowlers in an English summer in recent years. Fernando's 5/102 at Lord's in England's 1st innings was a major performance — becoming the first Sri Lankan to claim five wickets in an innings at Lord's — and his ability to generate pace and movement in English conditions revealed exceptional adaptability. Sri Lanka's 8-wicket win at The Oval confirmed that Fernando's wicket-taking throughout the series was part of a genuine Sri Lankan competitive threat, not merely numbers accumulated in losing efforts.