A busy, almost run-a-ball, selfless knock comes to an end when James Taylor picks out Dilshan at point. The ball came off the toe of the bat.

Scorecard

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport in Wellington

"Joe Root was rehearsing those reverse sweeps off the quick bowlers in middle practice at the Basin Reserve yesterday. He got hit on the head."

Chris White:, external Can people be quiet about England failing today now? 300 well within reach, well played England.

James Taylor and Joe Root are taking it on now. First Taylor pirouettes and plants Perera over mid-wicket for six, before Root plays two reverse ramps in succession. The first one brings four, the second brings six. The bowler's mind is scrambled and Root sits back and pulls another boundary to the mid-wicket fence. The final ball of the over is edged past the keeper for four. That's 37 off the last 10 balls. Acceleration.

Duncan Garrett:, external A Rootiful innings.

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

"A superb innings from Root. A run a ball. A while ago he was striking at a rate of 70, but how he's picked it up. It wasn't easy, England were losing wickets, struggling with their timing, but Root has stood tall. But he knows he has to bat through the 50 overs."

Another two for Joe Root... can he go on and beat his ODI best of 113?

Sheffield has given us Jessica Ennis, Seb Coe and Gordon Banks.

There's a new sporting legacy being created by another of its sons... Mr Joe Root, who brings up his fourth ODI century in style. First he hammers one straight out of the middle and over cow corner for six, then drives four past cover-point to bring up three figures.

Nice work, Joseph.

Image source, Getty Images

Lasith Malinga has 277 wickets in 181 ODI appearances, which is more than any Englishman has ever managed. You'd say he knows how to handle himself when the cricket bats start flying. James Taylor pulls a single, but Joe Root digs out four dots. Good improvisation from Root sees him end the over by jamming his bat down and guiding the ball to the straight cover boundary.

Image source, Getty Images

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"Mathews is a strong character - he holds his nerve, batting or bowling. I watched his captaincy in England and I think he's a pretty good cricketer."

There's hardly a cloud in the Wellington sky, the pitch is flat... can England go big now? Joe Root and James Taylor bring up their 50 partnership in 43 balls. Both men have shown good energy, shot selection and have forced Angelo Mathews to chop and change his bowlers around. Just five singles from the latest set of six though.

Amber Young:, external While I will always support England all the way... if they win the World Cup I will streak naked through Nottingham city centre.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"This is where the game is won and lost. From 200-4 at forty overs. If you get through these ten overs as Sri Lanka and you don't get punished too heavily, then with 270 you're sitting pretty. But England might get 300 if they don't bowl too special."

Joe Root is well suited to taking on the Sri Lankan seamers. Apart from Lasith Malinga, none have express pace and Root's back foot style allows him extra time to manipulate the ball to all areas. He scores another boundary with a particularly pleasing cover drive, then pulls a single top deep mid-wicket. He does, however, pull out of a reverse ramp. Wise move as the ball got big on him.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"I would have liked to see Taylor come in before Morgan. I've thought for a long time Morgan should bat at six - he's good in the last few overs when they're pitching it up a lot, whereas Taylor is a busy player."

Do you know who produced the best display by an England batsman in the later overs of an ODI I've seen? Ravi Bopara. The exact match escapes me, but the Essex man, who has not been selected today, would just jam his bat down on the yorkers and deflect them for four down to third man. It was pre-meditated and worked a treat. Joe Root does something similar and gets a boundary for his troubles. England have the platform for the final 10 overs now. Can they build on it?

Alex Perry from West London: The biggest problem is England play so much international cricket they can't turn it on like other teams' star batsmen. Once they get in the team they spend most of their time touring or receiving touring sides. They cut their teeth on county and IPL cricket. No doubt Twenty20 has changed the one-day game and England have not really grown with it.

The mullet-rocking Suranga Lakmal is summoned as Sri Lanka try and keep England guessing. Joe Root looks comfortable out there now - although a full toss to the kneecap does hurt the right-hander and the physio is called. While Root is down on the pitch, Sri Lanka review the decision and it's not out. If there was another set of stumps, it wouldn't have hit those either. James Taylor gets four down to third man with a bottom edge. They all count.

Alex Haworth:, external The problem with England is that they think 300 is a really good score. In reality, it's only a par score nowadays.

Jeremy Coney
Ex-New Zealand captain on BBC Test Match Special

"Root is looking for boundaries. He is the man who is looking to generate this run rate for England. They are moving along nicely in this powerplay."