Summary

  • Bad light ends play as SL follow on

  • Anderson 5-16, Broad 4-21

  • Five catches for Bairstow

  • Bairstow 140, Hales 86; Shanaka 3-46

  • First Test of three-match series

Live Reporting

Stephan Shemilt

  1. Right then, after that kerfuffle, the players are back out. Two balls of Stokes' over remaining.

  2. Any plans for the weekend?

  3. The fourth umpire, Peter Hartley, has been sent off. Is that to summon the players. "Ready to go," says an unidentified voice.

  4. Definitely getting brighter. The umpires are in the middle, now heading back towards the dressing room. Nick Compton sits on the boundary edge, still wearing his helmet.

  5. Vic Marks
    Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    "You've got to feel for Dinesh Chandimal. He's gone out there when the light is no better than now, he gets a snorter from Ben Stokes, and they come off for bad light."

  6. While we're waiting, have a look at this ripper of a catch from James Vince. Good nut from Stokes, too. Seam upright, extra bounce, Vince pouching the catch away to his right.

  7. A lot of the England players haven't bothered to go to the dressing room. Ben Stokes is chatting to the groundstaff, while Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow sign autographs. It's just starting to brighten up.

  8. I'll be honest, it is dark. The floodlights have clearly overtaken the natural light. The cloud over Headingley is like the spaceship over the White House in Independence Day. Past that, the sky seems bright.

  9. How's stat?!

    Andrew Samson
    BBC Test Match Special statistician

    "On Sri Lanka's last tour of England, Thirimanne made four runs in four innings, including a pair here at Headingley."

  10. Bad light stops play

    SL 43-4

    They're going off. Alastair Cook is straight to the umpires, pleading to stay out there. There's boos inside Headingley. They were out for four balls after tea, during which time Sri Lanka lost Dinesh Chandimal.

  11. Jonathan Agnew
    BBC Test Match Special

    "It was a brute of a ball to get first up after tea, I'm not sure there was anything he could have done about. And it was a really fantastic catch."

  12. SL 43-4

    Stokes, by the way, was out bowling during the interval, tuning himself, keeping himself warm. The umpires have the lightmeters out as Lahiru Thirimanne makes his way to the middle. The floodlights are coming on. What a time to be bowling.

  13. Vic Marks
    Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    "It bounced, zipped off the pitch and took the shoulder, and it was the sort of catch that Ben Stokes himself might have taken."

  14. wicket

    WICKET

    Chandimal c Vince b Stokes 15 (SL 43-4)

    James Vince celebrates wicketGetty Images

    Great catch! First ball after tea! James Vince takes a belter to get rid of Dinesh Chandimal. In-between length from Ben Stokes, extra bounce, takes the shoulder of the bat and Vince moves low to his right at third slip to pouch the catch in both hands. Perfect start for England are Sri Lanka roll a little deeper.  

  15. Ben Stokes with the ball...

  16. I can see England coming down a narrow staircase, ready to emerge on to a Headingley that is, quite frankly, covered by the filthiest of black clouds.

  17. Get Involved

    Tweet #bbccricket

    Tim Bell: SL struggling at 43-3? England were 51-3 so they're only 8 behind.

  18. Also, do let me know if you're watching another cricket match this afternoon or this evening. Pictures from school/office/club games all welcome.

  19. Graeme Swann
    Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    "Good start for England, but Chandimal and Mathews are the mainstays of the Sri Lanka batting line-up and steadied the ship somewhat."

      You can listen abroad to Test Match Special by clicking here.Not available to listeners in the UK, Sri Lanka, India, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

  20. So, how are we doing? All set for the weekend? Do let me know your plans for Friday evening. We could have cricket long into it, mind. 42 overs remain, with play likely to extend up to 19:00.