LONDON, Sept 8, 2024 (AFP) - England captain Ollie Pope was dismissed for just seven to leave the third Test against Sri Lanka on his Oval home ground in the balance on Sunday.

Pope, fresh from 154 in England's first innings -- his first Test century as captain since taking over from the injured Ben Stokes -- chopped on to Lahiru Kumara off what became the last ball before lunch on the third day.

His exit left England 35-2 in their second innings -- an overall lead of 97 runs -- with makeshift opener Dan Lawrence 20 not out.

England -- criticised by former captains Michael Vaughan and Alastair Cook for sloppy batting while slumping from 221-3 to 325 all out in their first innings -- had already seen Ben Duckett hole out for seven to mid-on from a mistimed drive off Asitha Fernando.

It had looked as if the morning would belong to England, already 2-0 up in this three-match series.

Olly Stone and debutant Josh Hull took three wickets apiece as Sri Lanka, 211-5 overnight, succumbed to England's quicks as they were bowled out for a 263 after losing their last five first-innings wickets for 52 runs in 16.2 overs.

The injury-plagued Stone took 3-35 in nine overs and towering left-armer Hull 3-53 in 11. 

Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva resumed on 64 not out, with the in-form Kamindu Mendis 54 not out after the pair had rescued their side from a collapse to 93-5.

They were aided by the fact England dare not bowl any of their quicks after tea on Saturday lest the umpires halt play for bad light.
But, in much brighter conditions, both batsmen fell early on the third day against an England attack missing paceman Gus Atkinson with a quad injury.

- Hull strikes -
Hull -- who had dropped a simple catch at mid-on to reprieve De Silva on 23 -- removed the Sri Lanka skipper for 69 when he top-edged a probing bouncer to fine leg, where Shoaib Bashir held a well-judged catch.

The 20-year-old left-arm quick, who had dismissed Pathum Nissanka for 64 on Saturday, now had his second wicket in Tests with Sri Lanka 220-6 after a stand of 127 between De Silva and Mendis. 
And after a brief rain delay, Mendis was out for 64 when he edged Chris Woakes to Joe Root at first slip. 

The 25-year-old left-hander, who has now passed fifty in each of his first six Tests, now boasts an impressively high batting average at this level of 77.22. 

But 233-7 soon became 238-8 when the 6 feet 7 inches (2 metres) tall Hull's excellent inswinger had Vishwa Fernando lbw for a duck.

Stone, who dropped a sitter at fine leg to reprieve Kumara, had Milan Rathnayake caught behind, with Bashir ending the innings when Asitha Fernando gloved the off-spinner to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.

England, who whitewashed the West Indies 3-0 earlier this season, are chasing their first home Test clean sweep since 2004, when Vaughan oversaw seven successive wins.