Lasith Malinga's heat-seaking, toe-crunching yorkers have the same effect on a batsman as a Lee Cattermole tackle does on a footballer - both do their best to keep their limbs out of the way. However, this pitch doesn't allow the fast bowler to drop short and when he does, Joe Root pulls four to deep square leg. The young Yorkie is playing a blinder for England here.

Paul Roberts:, external You can have all your AB de Villiers, Starcs and McCullums. For jaw-dropping performances you can't beat Moores's England.

Pointraider:, external Waiting to take the batting power play, lose wicket, plod along in powerplay. Ballance in team full stop. Same old England.

Thisara Perera is very much in the Peter Martin mould of medium-fast bowlers and Joe Root is beginning to size him up - pulling two to deep mid-wicket and then slicing four past backward point. Nine from the over.

James Boffey:, external Root just commands respect like no other England batsman. Technique, timing and temperament all spot on.

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

"That's what one-day batting is all about - manipulation. That was good batting throughout that over - they kept the run rate ticking over without being too risky."

Sri Lanka take the pace off the ball for the powerplay, with Rangana Herath recalled to the attack. Both Joe Root and James Taylor use their feet to the stocky left-arm twirler, forcing the bowler to change his length and Root cashes in by staying back and sweeping to the square leg boundary. Clever batting.

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

"Sri Lanka are a side that you could put tremendous pressure on. They don't have that disciplined enclosure of fielders. You want to exploit that, but I'm not seeing England do that."

The umpire is waving his arms about. It's powerplay time.

So, James Taylor joins Joe Root at the crease. Sri Lanka have been good at tugging England's lead whenever they've looked like running away with it. Taylor has been padded up with his helmet on for the last hour - he clearly didn't have much faith in that last partnership, which spanned 85 deliveries and spawned 60 runs.

Aashish:, external The only problem with England's approach is that it assumes the remaining batters can get on with it from the get-go and no collapses.

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special

"England's match-winners just aren't getting the job done at the moment."

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

"Unfortunate for Morgan. He didn't control the stroke and get the ball down on the turf. You've got to go over the top very definitely or play the ball down along the ground. It is at the wrong time for England."

Just when England prepared to put their foot to the pedal, Eoin Morgan belts one to Dilshan at backward point. Off you go, skip.

Scorecard

Image source, Getty Images

Angelo Mathews would be a good nightclub bouncer. He's a solid, thick-set man who takes no prisoners. He certainly got a grip of England when they threatened to tear the club down earlier on. It's a much more sedate party now than when Ian Bell was smashing Mathews' opening bowlers to all parts. Joe Root brings up his ninth ODI fifty with a little alarm, almost being run out going for a second run. He's home though, and now it's time to kick on. Three from the over.

Image source, Reuters

Steve Hulse:, external England continually play this dreary old style cricket and then wonder why the opposition chase them down so easily.

Andrew Stocks:, external Stop moaning. Biggest World Cup score being built!

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

"These days, the design of the way the game has gone is conservatism, retention of wickets, and then the hurly-burly of the final ten overs. We don't see the chipping of the infield that we used to see."

The sweat glistens on the back of Eoin Morgan's neck as he squeezes some perspiration out of his helmet. It's a lovely 22 degrees in Wellington at the moment. Approaching 1.15pm local time, we're surely into ice cream territory? Two from Thisara Perera's latest set of six.

Image source, Reuters

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport in Wellington

"Have a look what's parked at the back of the Cake Tin. Last week, a cruise liner positioned itself in such a way that the top decks were peering over the stands. Not so today, someone must have had a word."

Image source, BBC Sport

England appear to be targeting a boundary from the first ball of each of Herath's overs and Eoin Morgan does so this time, whacking the slow left-armer over his head for four. Then it's back to singles. Three of them. Look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves, I suppose?

Image source, Reuters

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"Lasith Malinga is the best yorker bowler I've seen since Waqar Younis."