Summary

  • Hales 41*, Finn 6*

  • Cook yet to bat after blow to knee

  • England earn first-innings lead of 128

  • Sri Lanka slip from 162-1 to 288 all out

  • England lead three-Test series 2-0

Live Reporting

Stephan Shemilt, James Gheerbrant and Justin Goulding

  1. ...despite Chandimal and Thirimanne falling cheaply.

  2. England were far from perfect, though...

  3. England - led by the impressive Chris Woakes - began with three quick wickets.

  4. Geoffrey Boycott
    Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

    "The start of the day, Sri Lanka were 162-1 on a flat pitch. The plan that England devised was executed by Broad's excellent bowling. It was top stuff."

  5. England end the day boasting a lead of 237. Not mammoth or match-winning, but hefty nonetheless - and enough to make the hosts favourites to win this game, in my opinion.

  6. Jonathan Agnew
    BBC Test Match Special

    "That's been a really good day. If Sri Lanka took their catches England would be on the back foot."

  7. Close - Eng 109-4 (lead by 237)

    Finn, the ultimate team man, even turns down a single to deep square leg so he can keep the strike and protect Hales. And that's that on a thoroughly entertaining day.

  8. Get Involved

    #bbccricket

    Matt Green: Are England wanting to have Cook join his opening partner tomorrow?

  9. Eng 109-4 (37.3 overs)

    An appeal of sorts from Pradeep as he pins Finn on the pad with one that is a smidge high and probably going down leg.

  10. How's stat?!

    Andrew Samson
    BBC Test Match Special statistician

    "Jonny Bairstow ends the series with 387 runs at an average of 129, that's the third highest for an England wicketkeeper in any series and the third-highest ever for a three-match series."  

  11. Eng 109-4 (lead by 237)

    This has suddenly got interesting. England, far from looking like bossing the game, will be much the happier of the two teams to leave the field. Herath can't make anything happen in that over, his last of the day, I suspect. Here's Nuwan Pradeep with the final six balls...

  12. Geoffrey Boycott
    Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

    "I've got no sympathy for them. Even club sides would have two slips for the new man."

  13. dropped catch

    Finn dropped on 1

    Eng 107-4 (36 overs)

    And another! Finn this time gets a reprieve as an edge flies between keep and slip. Hands on heads all round.

  14. Geoffrey Boycott
    Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

    "Where's Alan Knott when you want him? For both teams. There's the chance."

  15. dropped catch

    Hales dropped on 39

    A chance. And it's Alex Hales too. Leg side from Pradeep, Hales gets a tickle on it and wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal spills it diving to his left. Could be costly.

  16. Geoffrey Boycott
    Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

    "A nightwatchman? Crowd him, get men round the bat, get him out."

  17. England, 229 runs to the good in a Test series they lead 2-0, decide that Steven Finn is needed as a nightwatchman. Please, somebody explain that to me.

  18. Geoffrey Boycott
    Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

    "That wasn't the greatest of shots. He was trying to work it through mid-wicket when I'd like to have seen him play straighter. Sri Lanka have slowed the scoring rate down and when you do that, usually something happens."

  19. wicket

    WICKET

    Bairstow b Pradeep 32 (Eng 101-4)

    Bairstow goes, thanks to a moment of madness that is so out of keeping with what we've just seen. It's full from Pradeep and Bairstow is attempting to work across the line. There's the thinnest of edges, if anything at all, and the stumps are splattered. Sri Lanka have their man.