Summary

  • Root bats all day for 186 - run out from last ball

  • Root now fourth on all-time England Test runs list after passing Pietersen & Gower

  • Buttler (55) and Bess (32) offer stoic support to Root

  • Sri Lanka spinner Embuldeniya takes seven wickets

  • Second Test, day three, Galle, England 1-0 up in two-match series

Live Reporting

Amy Lofthouse and Matthew Henry

  1. Sam Curran is the next batsman. He got a first-ball duck in the first Test. He hasn't scored a fifty for 21 innings.

    England are still 152 runs adrift of Sri Lanka's first-innings score.

  2. Sir Alastair Cook
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    Sri Lanka have got the breakthrough after looking so calm and controlled. It is a pretty lucky breakthrough.

    The door has opened ajar slightly for Sri Lanka. Can they get through it?

  3. wicket

    WICKET

    Buttler c O Fernando b R Mendis 55 (Eng 229-5)

    Buttler is having to drag himself off. It's such an unlucky way to get out.

    He has gone for a reverse sweep, bottom-edged the ball onto his boot and it has looped to short leg.

    England are right in trouble again.

  4. "Clearly off the boot," says the third umpire.

  5. Simon Mann
    BBC Test Match Special

    This is going to be out. It is much clearer than earlier.

  6. Buttler looks to be in trouble for me.

  7. Simon Mann
    BBC Test Match Special

    The soft signal is not out.

  8. Umpire review

    Now then. Sri Lanka are certain they have Jos Buttler caught at short leg via his boot.

  9. How's stat?!

    Andy Zaltzman
    Test Match Special statistician

    Since the start of the 2017-18 Ashes Joe Root has averaged 39 in 37 Tests. He's hit 21 scores of 50-plus but only four centuries in that time.

    Steve Smith averages 66, Virat Kohli 61 and Kane Williamson 57 in the same time.

  10. Sir Alastair Cook
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    Joe Root is definitely in there [Fab Four], in my opinion. He might have had a couple of years where he hasn’t played at this level but the stuff he turned out was till incredibly impressive, without getting a big score that changes your stats around.

  11. Eng 228-4

    Trail by 153

    Arjuna Iguanatunga! Outstanding. For anyone just joining us, we had a large lizard on the outfield earlier.

    Lasith Embuldeniya, the taker of all four wickets, has been by far and away the pick of Sri Lanka's bowlers. Jos Buttler slices the ball a little when going back.

  12. Get Involved - cricket lizard names

    #bbccricket

    Kit Fowler: Joe Newt.

    Richard Woods: Arjuna Iguanatunga.

    Daniel Woodrow: Slither-narine Chanderpaul.

  13. Eng 225-4

    Root 125, Buttler 53

    Off-spinning all-rounder Ramesh Mendis is on for his first bowl of the day. It hasn't been the best of debuts so far. He was out for a duck and has figures of 0-24 from five overs.

    Easy pickings in this over for England.

  14. Get Involved

    Text us on 81111

    If we’ve got cow corner, can we also have lizard point?

    Duncan, Kent

  15. What you've missed

    Joe RootSri Lanka Cricket

    The majestic Joe Root has brought up another hundred this morning - his second in as many games.

    He has been completely unflustered and has just serenely added run after run.

    It hasn't been plain sailing for England. Jonny Bairstow only added four to his overnight score and Dan Lawrence fell for three.

    Jos Buttler has steadied things, however. He has hit 52 in an unbeaten partnership of 91 with Root.

    England are 223-4, 158 behind Sri Lanka.

  16. Drinks break

    That's drinks. A perfect hour for England.

  17. Eng 223-4

    Trail by 158

    Nicely put, Rob. Another double hundred here would be the equivalent of appointing Neil Warnock. Promotion likely.

    As a say that, Root dispatches a full toss to the fence. He's in too good form to miss out there.

  18. Get Involved

    Text us on 81111

    There isn’t a ‘fab four’. There’s a terrific trio. Root is in the Championship with Labuschagne & Babar. Kohli, Williamson & Smith are in the Premier League. He is pushing for promotion though.

    Rob, Newport

  19. Eng 217-4

    Jos Buttler is happy to go back to the spinners. He's successful at it because, and this sounds very obvious, he keeps hitting the ball with his bat. He's got such a good eye.

  20. How's stat?!

    Andy Zaltzman
    Test Match Special statistician

    Jos Buttler's half-century came 80 balls and he brought it up with his seventh four. This is his 20th score of 50 or more in Test cricket.