On the third day, Sri Lanka failed to maintain their strong batting performance and were all out for 263 just 45 minutes before lunch. When England came in to bat for their second innings, they lost a couple of wickets in the first session.
The overcast conditions helped the bowlers make further inroads into the English lineup. While Lawrence was the only batter who seemed confident, Lahiru made a notable impact against the struggling batsmen.
After dismissing Ollie Pope in the eighth over, Dhananjaya de Silva continued to trouble the English batsmen alongside Lahiru after lunch.
Lahiru claimed his second wicket when Lawrence, attempting to drive a good-length delivery outside the off-stump, nicked the ball to the keeper. Following the dismissal, Lahiru, caught up in the moment, exchanged words with Lawrence as he walked off.
— Gill Bill (@bill_gill76078) September 8, 2024
Lawrence, who had replaced the injured Zak Crawley, had scores of 30, 34, 7, 9, 5, and 35, which fell short of expectations. Frustrated, Lawrence was seen angrily tossing his bat as he walked up the dressing room staircase.