Summary

  • Day three, second Test, Lord's

  • Sri Lanka close on 53-2, still needing 430 to win, after bad light ends play early

  • Root catches Madushka and Nissanka to move to 200 Test catches

  • Root brings up record 34th Test century for England

  • Watch highlights on Today at the Test from 19:25 BST on BBC Two and iPlayer

Live Reporting

by Ffion Wynne & Tom Mallows

  1. Eng 72-3

    Lead by 303

    It probably was a fair option for Ollie Pope, with a lead of 300 and a licence to have a swing.

    Harry Brook joins Joe Root in the middle, so this really could get entertaining!

  2. Russel Arnold
    Ex-Sri Lanka all-rounder on BBC Test Match Special

    He's tried to improvise. Sri Lanka had changed the field. He gave himself room becase he was expecting the short ball and he was trying to target the area where the fewest fielders were. But he's thrown it away.

  3. Alison Mitchell
    Commentator on BBC Test Match Special

    Ollie Pope has got out in a strange way.

  4. wicket

    WICKET

    Pope c Jayasuriya b A Fernando 17 (Eng 69-3)

    Well, Ollie Pope tries to kick on. It doesn't end well.

    He goes for a premeditated upper-cut, stepping back towards leg stump to give himself some room and slash a short ball to the boundary.

    He gets hold of it but manages to pick out the one fielder on the boundary out there, with Prabath Jayasuriya taking a simple catch at deep point.

    A strange shot that came from nowhere. Pope looks frustrated as he trudges off.

  5. Eng 69-2

    England are scoring much more freely off the spinner, as Prabath Jayasuriya struggles for a bit of consistency.

    Will we see England hit the accelerator after the first hour? With eight wickets in hand and a lead of exactly 300 now, they've got a bit of a licence.

  6. Get Involved

    #bbccricket via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply)

    When will my Oasis ticket queue position (currently on 90075) overtake the Test match live page viewing figures?

    Appo - Warwickshire

  7. Eng 63-2

    And right on cue, Joe Root smashes a full toss from the spinner for four.

    Have that.

  8. Eng 59-2

    Another steady over from Asitha Fernando. Sri Lanka haven't gifted England too many scoring opportunities this morning - here's a rare boundary from Ollie Pope.

  9. How's stat?!

    Andy Zaltzman
    Statistician on Test Match Special

    England reached 50 in 14.2 overs, the slowest of this summer so far by three overs.

  10. Eng 58-2

    And I'm sure they're not being smug about it at all, right?

  11. Stephan Shemilt
    BBC Sport chief cricket writer at Lord's

    There's been some Oasis success in the press box (not by me).

  12. Get Involved

    #bbccricket via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply)

    John Petrie: If Pope doesn't find his batting form he could end up as a captain with three wins out of three, but his position in the team weakened. Sport can be tough.

  13. Eng 55-2

    Pope survives the rest of the over.

    Here's how England lost their first wicket this morning. A skilful bit of work in the slips or a fluke? Nishan Madushka will definitely be telling his team-mates that he meant it!

  14. Not out

    Ah! It's straight, but too high, and Sri Lanka lose the review as it's missing the stumps.

    Great ball though, nipping back up the slope and having Ollie Pope really reaching for it.

  15. Russel Arnold
    Ex-Sri Lanka all-rounder on BBC Test Match Special

    Was there an inside edge? It looked very straight.

  16. SL review

    Close! With a second to spare, Sri Lanka review an lbw shout the following ball.

  17. Simon Mann
    BBC Test Match Special commentator on BBC Sounds

    That was a bit of a gift for Ollie Pope.

  18. Eng 51-2

    That'll help.

    Ollie Pope finds the middle of his bat, clipping a loose ball from Milan Rathnayake to the square leg boundary.

  19. Simon Mann
    BBC Test Match Special commentator on BBC Sounds

    Sri Lanka are on it today, but they still have a lot to do to get back into this match.

  20. Eng 47-2

    Ollie Pope is a little frantic, charging down the pitch to the seamers quite often but without much luck.

    Sri Lanka have bowled very well to him this morning, testing his patience. But England's lead is an imposing 278.