England takes first-innings lead over Sri Lanka thanks to unbeaten 72 by Jamie Smith in first test

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith pushed England into a 23-run first-innings lead over Sri Lanka in the first test on Thursday by hitting 72 not out as his team reached 259-6 before play ended early on a weather-affected Day 2 at Old Trafford.

Replying to the Sri Lankans' 236 all out, England also had 56 from Harry Brook and 42 from Joe Root in between showers that washed out the morning session and then led to the teams walking off the field with more than an hour still to play after tea.

Smith, playing in his fourth test match after being brought in as England's new wicketkeeper for this summer, struck knocks of 95 and 70 during the 3-0 series win over the West Indies last month and now has a third test half-century to his name. He has hit five fours and one six so far and was in the middle with Gus Atkinson (4 not out) at the close of play.

The Sri Lankans are still in the match, though, and that's perhaps more than they could have hoped for when reeling on 6-3 after seven overs of Day 1. They battled to stay in touch with England, with seam bowler Asitha Fernando claiming figures of 3-68.

Rain meant no play was possible before an early lunch was taken at 12:30 p.m. local time (1130 GMT). Play started 45 minutes later.

England resumed on 22-0 and there was early success for Sri Lanka after two DRS overturns in the space of three balls.

Dan Lawrence successfully reviewed an lbw decision to stay in the middle, only for Sri Lanka to review an lbw call off Asitha Fernando that wasn’t given against Ben Duckett and get the left-handed opener out for 18.

England stand-in captain Ollie Pope (6) was bowled by the same pacer two overs later, Lawrence edged behind off Vishwa Fernando for 30, and Root then nicked behind Asitha Fernando to wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal.

Brook and Smith put on a stand of 62 to steady things, with Brook reaching a half-century for the 13th time in 15 tests to continue a strong start to his career in the format.

Smith has also taken an immediate liking to the test arena and carried England past Sri Lanka's total after tea.

It's the first of three tests between the teams.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

England's Jamie Smith hits the ball past Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis for a boundary during day two of the First Test match between England and Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, England, Thursday Aug. 22, 2024. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

England's Jamie Smith, right, in action during day two of the First Test match between England and Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, England, Thursday Aug. 22, 2024. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

England's Ben Duckett, second left, leaves the pitch after LBW by Sri Lanka's Asitha Fernando on day two of the First Test match between England and Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, England, Thursday Aug. 22, 2024. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

Sri Lanka's Asitha Fernando, center, celebrates with teammate Prabath Jayasuriya after bowling out England's Ollie Pope, left, on day two of the First Test match between England and Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, England, Thursday Aug. 22, 2024. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

Sri Lanka's Vishwa Fernando, left, bowls on day two of the First Test match between England and Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, England, Thursday Aug. 22, 2024. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

England's Harry Brook in action on day two of the First Test match between England and Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, England, Thursday Aug. 22, 2024. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

England's Harry Brook celebrates reaching a half century on day two of the First Test match between England and Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, England, Thursday Aug. 22, 2024. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

Umpires inspect the pitch as ground staff remove the rain covers during day two of the First Rothesay Test match at the Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, Thursday Aug. 22, 2024. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

Umpires inspect the pitch as ground staff remove the rain covers during day two of the First Rothesay Test match at the Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, Thursday Aug. 22, 2024. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

Russia’s Federal Security Service on Friday accused six British diplomats of spying and said a decision has been made to withdraw their accreditation.

Russian state TV quoted an official from the security service known as the FSB as saying that they will be expelled. The expulsions come as Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Washington for talks with President Joe Biden that will include Ukraine’s request to use Western-supplied weapons against targets inside Russia.

Starmer said on his way to the U.S. that Britain does not “seek any conflict with Russia.” “Russia started this conflict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia could end this conflict straight away,” he told reporters.

“Ukraine has the right to self-defense and we’ve obviously been absolutely fully supportive of Ukraine’s right to self-defense — we’re providing training capability, as you know. But we don’t seek any conflict with Russia — that’s not our intention in the slightest,” he said.

The FSB said it received documents indicating that the diplomats were sent to Russia by a division of the U.K. Foreign Office “whose main task is to inflict a strategic defeat on our country,” and that they were involved in “intelligence-gathering and subversive activities.”

Based on these documents and “in response to numerous unfriendly steps by London,” the Russian Foreign Ministry withdrew the accreditation of the diplomats, the FSB said, without identifying them. It warned that if other diplomats are found to be carrying out “similar actions,” the agency “will demand early termination of their missions” to Russia.

Russian state TV said in a report that the six diplomats had met with independent media and rights groups that have been declared “foreign agents” — a label the Russian authorities have actively used against organizations and individuals critical of the Kremlin.

The British Embassy in Moscow did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. There was no immediate comment from Britain's Foreign Office.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in an online statement that “We fully agree with the assessments of the activities of the British so-called diplomats expressed by the Russian FSB. The British Embassy has gone far beyond the limits outlined by the Vienna Conventions." She said the diplomats were carrying out “subversive actions aimed at causing harm to our people.”

Expulsions of diplomats — both Western diplomats working in Russia and Russian diplomats working in Western countries — have become increasingly common since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Russian news outlet RBC counted last year that Western countries and Japan expelled a total 670 Russian diplomats between the beginning of 2022 and October 2023, while Moscow expelled 346 diplomats in response. According to RBC, it was more than in the previous 20 years combined.

In May the U.K. expelled Russia’s defense attaché in London, alleging he was an undeclared intelligence officer, and closed several Russian diplomatic properties in Britain that it said were being used for spying.

FILE - The British Embassy building, center, with the Russian Foreign Ministry building, second right, in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)

FILE - Birds fly with the British Embassy building at center in the background in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)