Jonny Bairstow’s second Test century, and two unstoppable spells from James Anderson, put England in total control against Sri Lanka at Headingley.
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Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow were the much-needed exceptions as England otherwise failed to deal with traditional seam and swing from Sri Lanka on day one of the Investec Test series at Headingley.
England hit unexpected trouble against third-change seamer Shanaka at Headingley as number three Nick Compton and then Joe Root also fell for ducks to leave the hosts struggling at lunch on 57 for three.
Alastair Cook claims he has no plans to relinquish the England captaincy despite admitting it took three years to get used to the role.
He’s also eager to get to that mark as soon as possible so he can focus fully on the series against Sri Lanka.
England’s debutant James Vince was therefore summoned earlier than he might have anticipated to the middle, and at the ground where he made a battling hundred for Hampshire against Yorkshire last month, he at least survived the session alongside Hales.
“In South Africa I was tentative outside off stump”, Hales told BBC Test Match Special.
England had lost three wickets for nine runs, but Bairstow held firm to reach his century in company with Finn – and take on the second new ball after lunch, including 18 runs from one Pradeep over, before skying a catch to deep mid-on off Chameera. He got a really good 80 at Durban and that was only four games ago and that helped set up in tricky conditions a score that we were able to push on and win.
Alex Hales reveals that he “tweaked a couple of things” in his game prior to scoring an unbeaten 71 on day one of the first Test against Sri Lanka.
“The rationale is that the game of cricket is evolving unbelievably quickly, and I think we feel responsibility to ensure the worldwide game develops”, said the former English skipper.
Dusan Shanaka and Herath edged Anderson behind in the next 10 balls, leaving England’s most successful test bowler ever with figures of 4-15.
Hales completed an admirable 112-ball fifty in the circumstances when he drove Dushmantha Chameera behind point for his 10th four.
With England’s bowling bolstered with Finn’s return, Sri Lanka’s batting is under pressure.
The 26-year-old was given out LBW to Mathews by umpire Rod Tucker but successfully reviewed the decision and shortly after muscled the first six of the innings with what sounded like a slight mishit.
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Players from both sides wore black armbands in memory of all those killed by recent flooding and landslides in Sri Lanka.
