Roshan Abeysinghe
BBC Test Match Special

"It's important that Sri Lanka go out and perform. The bowling can look after itself, but the only way they can compete is to get runs on the board.

"My gut tells me Angelo Mathews would have bowled. It's damp underneath."

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

"This is Chris Woakes's opportunity. He's in form with ball and bat, in these condtions against a Sri Lankan side who don't have much experience. He'll have to make these two Tests really count. But has he got the game to be at the top level? I just think this might have been a missed opportunity to have a look at Jake Ball."

It's £50 a ticket??? Really? Who else has been put off by the price? If you've paid less than that, let me know.

Max Vasey: £50 is too much for an adult ticket in the north east and as a student. Why not charge £30 on weekdays?

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"I think Nick Compton would have been desperately hoping that England bowl today. Poor old Compton has a lot of pressure on him and it's the worst conditions in which to save your international career. It's a strange decision for England to bat - if they get rolled for 180 and the sun comes out tomorrow, they'll have egg on their face."

BBC Test Match Special

England batsman Nick Compton on TMS: "No doubt there's pressure, but I feel in good fettle, and I'm really focusing on the quality of my preparations, and I feel runs are very close round the corner. Things don't always go for you, but I'm very hungry to put things right and I want to be a part of this England cricket team for years to come.

"People have alluded to my intensity, but I think my intensity is a plus. It would be nice if I was Brian Lara or Viv Richards, but I find that having a fighting disposition is the way that I can be at my best. I'm a passionate guy and I've got to make sure that balance is right."

Read more from Compton on the BBC Sport website.

So, all that means Alastair Cook will have the earliest possible opportunity to get the 20 runs that will take him into the 10,000 club. If he misses out, Nick Compton, a man who admits he is under pressure, will have the chance to get the runs that will keep him in the team.

BBC Weather's Phil Avery: "Leaden skies and it's not the warmest day. That cloud is going to stick around all day so it's not going to warm up at all - I don't see the high being much above 13 or 14 degrees Celsius. My main concern would be light.

"Where we have real concerns about the weather is on day four - rain coming out from the Continent could be a factor."

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

"It won't be easy but I think England will have learnt from Headingley. I think the drive will be kept in the locker for a while."

Ian Bradley: Batting is an utter nonsense, keep pressure on their batsmen, ridiculous.

Francis Wynn: North East lad here and absolutely no reason for bad light to stop play today. Can see for miles even with cloud.

James Taylor: England win the toss and bat. Are they just doing that to actually get three days out of the game?

So, what to make of all that? Are you as surprised as I am to see England win the toss and bat? Are we set for a Sri Lankan improvement over the weekend? Are you in the north east and have decided to stay away from this match? Have you ever lost your grandad in a wager?

Text 81111, tweet using the hashtag #bbccricket, external or email tms@bbc.co.uk.

England: Alastair Cook (capt), Alex Hales, Nick Compton, Joe Root, James Vince, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn, James Anderson.

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Angelo Mathews (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne, Milinda Siriwardana, Rangana Herath, Shaminda Eranga, Nuwan Pradeep Suranga Lakmal.

Umpires are Aleem Dar and S Ravi.

More from Angelo Mathews on TMS: "It's going to move around but the wicket looks good. It's not a bad toss to lose. We've got to approach it in a positive way."  

More from Alastair Cook on TMS: "It's going to be hard work for both batting sides if the conditions are as forecast. It's about getting through the early stages, getting some runs on the board and putting Sri Lanka under pressure."

Mathews would have batted first too? Shows what I know.The tourists are without injured pacer Dushmantha Chameera and have also opted to leave out Dasun Shanaka, the debutant that took three wickets on the first morning in Leeds. Milinda Siriwardana, a batsman who bowls a bit of spin, and pacer Suranga Lakmal are in.

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews: "I was going to have a bat first as well. We've got to pla by the wicket and the wicket looks really good. We've lost two of our best bowlers now, but Suranga Lakmal comes in and Milinda Siriwardana comes in for Dusan Shanaka because of conditions. We need to put some runs on the board for our bowlers."

England captain Alastair Cook: "We think it's a really good wicket, it is cloudy but it's going to be cloudy for the whole game. In the County Championship here this year, the scores have been good early on, it might get more difficult later on. It looks like a bat-first wicket for me, hopefully the sun can peek through this afternoon."

I've only gone and lost my grandad. England win the toss and bat. Sorry, Fred. Alastair Cook has looked down, rather than up. He thinks the deck looks good enough to ignore the overhead cloud.

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

"I've heard the rumour that England will bat, but I think it looks like the perfect day to have ball in hand. I think Angelo Mathews will bowl first. It's only as cold here as it was at Headingley - Trevor Bayliss has switched to a wooly hat, but I think he's over-egging it."