50 for Halespublished at 13:51 British Summer Time 27 May 2016

13:51 BST 27 May 2016

Eng 95-2

Thwack! Hales decides he's had enough of tiptoeing his way cautiously through the forties and launches Rangana Herath over the top for a one-bounce four. He goes to his second fifty of the series - is the carousel of England openers finally coming to a stop?

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"The best Sri Lanka pace bowler I've ever seen was Chaminda Vaas. Wonderful. He gave you nothing."

Shaminda Eranga, who was probably the least impressive of the Sri Lankan pacemen this morning, gets first go with the nut this afternoon. Root flicks him nicely off his pads and picks up four.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"I would have started the afternoon with two seamers. There's a bit still in the pitch. Herath is steady, but you wouldn't have thought to open the afternoon with him."

Hales edges behind square and pinches a single. Root squeezes one in much the same direction and he's off the mark after lunch too. The last ball really grips and rags past the outside edge of Hales.

Rangana Herath has the ball, Hales on strike. We begin again...

Image source, AP

Thank you Steph. So, even stevens as we head into the afternoon session. How good was that catch from Suranga Lakmal - a touch of Odell Beckham Jr about it. You don't see many Sri Lankan wide receivers, and in my view the NFL is poorer for it.

The TMS interview has been a compelling listen. Funny, touching and insightful. It will be available as a podcast at some point later today. Now, though, it's nearly time for the afternoon action. James Gheerbrant is in the chair to talk you through it.

Graeme Fowler
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"I'm also going to be a mental health ambassador with the PCA. In the grand scheme of things, hopefully we can roll it out to other sports. Cricket is way ahead of other sports."

Stuart Burbidge: The interview with Foxy Fowler has been one of my all time favourites. What a fantastic man he is.

Graeme Fowler
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"Ian Botham is the most generous man I've ever met. If people don't like him it's because they don't know him. Beefy isn't bossy, but you usually know what's going to happen. He doesn't understand mental health issues, but he knew I needed something."

Steve Briddon: Very moving listening to Foxy describe his depression so openly. Articulating it so clearly really helps remove the stigma.

JoElle: Wonderful interview with Graeme Fowler. So honest and open about mental health. It's not taboo.

Graeme Fowler
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"I love being outside. I've spent all my life outside. I don't like being inside. If I get anxious, I boil if I'm indoors. I've done it for about six years. The dog even has his own sleeping bag. I usually do May-September, then come inside."

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special

"There's lots eccentric things about you. In the summer you live in a tent in the garden."

Graeme Fowler
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"I didn't find writing about it cathartic. When I was depressed I was on Twitter, firing things into the dark. I got messages of support coming back. It was helping me and helping them. That's how the book came about."

Image source, BBC Sport

On the subject of ticket prices for international games, I'm told that Lancashire have got something that sounds like a supply and demand model at Old Trafford. On busy days, tickets could be more expensive, but they are cheaper on quieter days. Sounds sensible.

Graeme Fowler
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"At the end of every season, come September, in the first week I would look myself in the house. I'd get a huge pile of videos and watch films for the week. I took that as recharging my batteries. Was that a precursor to mental health issues? I don't really know."

I said that the stories of this morning centered on Cook and Compton, but Alex Hales has moved towards his second successive half-century. You can watch a couple of highlights right here.

Graeme Fowler
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

On working with the England team this week: "I had a fantastic day and it culminated in about eight of us going out for supper. What a fantastic bunch of players.

"I cannot remember the last time I had such a fulfilling day out of the blue. I was a little bit nervous, but some of the lads half know me because they have played with people from Durham University. The links are nice."