England vs Sri Lanka live stream: How to watch the 1st Test match online, Jamie Smith stars as hosts take control

England's Harry Brook hits 4 ahead of the England vs Sri Lanka live stream

(Image credit: RANDY BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)

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Watch England vs Sri Lanka 1st Test live stream

After a successful series against the West Indies, England return to face Sri Lanka at what should be a very lively Old Trafford. You can use a VPN, such as NordVPN, to unblock England vs Sri Lanka live streams from anywhere.

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Dates: Weds, August 21 - Sun, August 25

Start time: 11am BST / 3.30pm IST / 8pm AEST / 6am ET / 3am PT

Watch live: Willow TV on Sling (US) | Sky Sports (UK) | Kayo (AUS)

Stream it from anywhere with NordVPN

A maiden test century from Jamie Smith, who was caught on 111, helped England end their first innings with a lead of 122. Things got worse for Sri Lanka as they lost two quick wickets in the three overs they had to face before lunch. However, The Tigers did regroup and fight back as day three went on. Angelo Matthew dug in and got 65 before being caught by Matthew Potts off the bowling of Chris Woakes. Kamindu Mendis ended the day on 56 Not Out. Dinesh Chandimal returned to the crease after originally retiring hurt.

It all means that the visitors start day four with an 82-run lead, but are six wickets down. Ollie Pope’s side are very much in the ascendancy. Ultimately, the morning’s aim is straightforward - get the remaining wickets as quickly as possible. With the Manchester weather always unreliable, maximising the time available to knock off the runs required is crucial. However, they will have to take those wickets without Mark Wood. The paceman will not take to the field today after straining a muscle.

Read on to see how you can keep up with the action and watch England vs Sri Lanka live streams from wherever you are.

Watch England vs Sri Lanka 1st Test in the US

Watch England vs Sri Lanka from outside your country

Below we've got you covered with your official broadcasting options for cricket-loving countries, but if you're overseas you'll soon discover that you can't watch your usual service because of geo-restrictions.

You can get past these blocks, however, by using a VPN which changes your streaming device's IP address to your usual location.

Use a VPN to stream England vs Sri Lanka first Test live from anywhere:

NordVPN – get the world's best VPN
We regularly review all the biggest and best VPN providers and NordVPN is our #1 choice. It unblocked every streaming service in testing and it's very straightforward to use. Speed, security and 24/7 support available if you need – it's got it all.

The best value plan is the two-year deal which sets the price at $3.99 per month, and includes an extra 3 months absolutely FREE. There's also an all-important 30-day no-quibble refund if you decide it's not for you.

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How to use a VPN to watch England vs Sri Lanka cricket

You can get started with a VPN in three easy steps:

1. Download and install a VPN – as we say, our top choice is NordVPN.

2. Connect to the appropriate server location – open the VPN app, hit 'choose location' and select the appropriate server.

3. Go to the broadcaster's stream – head to your home broadcaster's site or app and watch as if you were at home.

Watch England vs Sri Lanka first Test in the UK

England vs Sri Lanka is being shown on Sky Sports and its dedicated Sky Sports Cricket channel in the UK. Play is scheduled to begin at 11am BST across all five days.

Sky Sports subscribers can watch the cricket on the go on mobile devices via the Sky Go streaming service, which has dedicated apps for iOS, iPadOS and Android devices, along with Xbox and PlayStation consoles.

If you want to sign up, you can check out our dedicated guide to Sky TV deals and packages for today's best prices.

Don't fancy being locked in to a long, expensive contract? Consider the more flexible streaming option, Now, (formerly Now TV).

To access your usual streaming service from outside the UK, you'll need to download a good streaming VPN, as detailed above.

Watch England vs Sri Lanka in Australia

You can watch the England vs Sri Lanka 1st Test on a combination of Fox Sports. It can also be live streamed via Foxtel.

Another cost-efficient alternative to Foxtel is the excellent sports streaming platform Kayo Sports.

Kayo lets you stream on one device with its One plan for just $25 a month. Or upgrade to two devices with Basic plan for $35 a month. New customers get a 7-day free trial.

Kayo also gives you access to loads of other sports including the NFL, NBA, PGA Tour golf, NRL, F1... the list goes on! Handy if you don't want to go all in on Fox.

If you're an Aussie abroad, you can access the service using NordVPN.

Watch England vs Sri Lanka 1st Test in India

Charlotte Henry is a journalist who has covered all things tech and media for a number of years for various publications. She reported in-depth as tech companies became media companies and vice versa. In her newsletter, The Addition, she focuses on the ever-changing streaming ecosystem as the likes of Netflix, Apple TV+ and Disney+ fight for supremacy. Charlotte is also a close follower of sport (she’s a Spurs fan…) watching everything from Premier League football to Major League Baseball. Charlotte’s first book “Not Buying It: The Facts Behind Fake News” was published in 2019. Away from work, she can often be found at heavy metal concerts and festivals.