Mathews was unsatisfied with Test match

Angelo Mathews, the experienced Sri Lankan cricketer, voiced his frustration over the decision to change the ball on the third day of the first Test between England and Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester. At the time of the switch, Sri Lanka had a lead of 24 runs with a score of 146-4, with Kamindu Mendis on 33 and Mathews on 59.

“It felt like they were running out of ideas, but changing the ball threw everything off,” Mathews said in an interview with *Sky Sports*. He added, “We were told they didn’t have an appropriately old ball to replace it with, which shifted the momentum of the game. After working so hard to wear down the shine, introducing a new ball completely changed the situation.” The 37-year-old raised these concerns just before the start of the fourth day, emphasising the need for clearer guidelines regarding ball replacements.

“I don’t know the exact age of the balls,” Mathews continued. “There should be established standards on when and how a ball can be swapped… This can create an unfair disadvantage for the batting side.” England eventually won the match by five wickets.

England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith remarked, “It’s tough to gauge because once the ball was changed, the overhead conditions shifted, and the floodlights came on, which played a big part in the result.”

This isn’t the first time ball changes have stirred controversy in cricket. During the previous English summer, in the Ashes series against Australia, a similar incident occurred in the fifth Test at the Kia Oval. After just 37 overs, the ball was replaced, leading Australian opener Usman Khawaja to question why a newer, harder ball was chosen. Former Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting criticised the move, calling it “a major mistake that warrants investigation.” At that point, England was trailing 2-1 in the series but went on to win the fifth Test by 49 runs, levelling the series 2-2.