Talking of former MP Sanath, now the Sri Lankan chairman of selectors, the cameras have picked him out on the phone, the watery sunshine glinting off his perfectly dome-shaped head. Mendis hammers the final ball of the over from Willey for only the second boundary of the innings so far.

James Taylor
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"I've played a lot against Perera. He reminds me so much of Sanath Jayasuriya. He's very aggressive, very square of the wicket."

Jacob Newbury: It's truly amazing how well the one day side have improved in 18 months. Balanced and young side!

Bit of a wild lash from Mendis at Woakes, he doesn't get hold of it but it loops to safety over extra cover at it brings him two. If these two get going we could be in for some enjoyable strokeplay.

Hesitation amongst the two Kusals and Alex Hales would have claimed a run out after swooping at cover, but the throw narrowly misses the stumps at the striker's end as Mendis dives back into his ground and the little Sri Lankan is reprieved. A single into the leg-side off the final ball denies Willey a maiden.

James Taylor
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"Early suggestions are that this is an absolute belter. Only three overs in but the bounce looks good. It will be easy to get those flowing shots in."

Sunshine breaks through again and an accurate over from Woakes, extracting some good pace and bounce and he is up around 86mph. He also produces the first maiden, which is England's first of the series.

This is the first time these sides have met in Bristol and it has not been the most successful of grounds for England, in fact they have lost three of their last four games played there, including a defeat against Bangladesh. A delightful, respectful murmur around the ground at the moment. I wonder what they are murmuring about, not much for them in that over from Willey, just a few singles.

Mendis has his eye in, punching Chris Woakes off the back foot with delightful timing and it races across the fast outfield, away to the cover boundary for the first boundary of the match.

James Taylor
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"I've heard Bristol as a county ground has lost more cricket than any other ground in the country."

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Two Kusals at the crease now and Mendis gets off the mark first ball with a single.

James Taylor
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"Gunathilaka caught in two minds there. He was tentative outside the off stump. He didn't know whether to play or leave it. He left his bat hanging for too long. It's a big loss for Sri Lanka first up."

Image source, Getty Images

Here come the Sri Lanka openers beneath a sea of flags held aloft by some children. David Willey will open the bowling, hoping to exploit the overcast conditions. It is the third successive time Sri Lanka have batted first in the series, and their totals so far are 286 and 254.

It looks like Lahiru Thirimanne, who's not played in this ODI series, is returning home - with Niroshan Dickwella, one of the drinks-carriers during the Test series, replacing him...

BBC Weather's Darren Bett confirms that rain could be a factor later. "We are getting the cloud rolling into Bristol now, the temperatures are currently 16 degrees and will not get above 18 or 19 at best. Looking out to the west there are a few spots of rain and it will be from around 4 o'clock onwards when we have the greatest risk of light rain or drizzle."