Hales survived a hard first hour after Mathews won the toss before Shanaka, in the space of eight balls, removed his opening partner, Cook, caught behind on 16 – 20 runs short of 10,000 in Test cricket – and Nick Compton and Joe Root edging to the slips for successive ducks, to reduce England to 51 for three in the 23rd over.
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By tea, however, Hales and Bairstow had provided their team with a steadying hand, as a forecast rain shower swept in from the Pennines to delay the resumption of play. Being put in means the under-pressure duo of Alex Hales and Nick Compton will face an early examination in their quest to cement positions in the top order.
Stokes followed, chipping Nuwan Pradeep to mid-on.
Hales’s patient 71 not out steered the hosts to 171-5 after visiting debutant Dasun Shanaka had plundered three wickets from eight balls – including skipper Alastair Cook – to leave England reeling on 83-5.
Vince’s dismissal reduced England to 70-4.
Jonny Bairstow reached his second test century to lead England to 243-8 Friday on the second day of the first test against Sri Lanka, which took three wickets in 22 balls just before lunch to get back into the match. But Hales and Bairstow, who successfully reviewed an lbw decision given against him on 40, ensured there was no further damage on an eventful first day of the global summer. Shanaka also snared home favorite Joe Root, England’s form batsman, soon after for a duck.
Alastair Cook was thwarted in his quest to become the first Englishman to reach 10,000 Test runs on Thursday as he fell to Sri Lanka debutant Dasun Shanaka.
In his next over, Shanaka lured Joe Root (0) into playing a drive and had him caught at third slip, reducing England to 51 for three in 22.2 overs.
But after a prolonged period without the strike he drove at a wide one from Shanaka to be caught behind for just 16, his disappointment evident as he trudged back to the pavilion.
“There was consistent swing most of the day, and a little bit of nibble (off the pitch) – and some bounce from the far end”, he said. He battled through the tough early period then hit 12 fours to anchor England’s first innings of the summer season.
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Pre-series conjecture was that, after his patchy maiden Test campaign in South Africa last winter, Hales was the one who had to prove he could adapt to the demands of Test cricket. His counterattacking innings was peppered with six fours and a six as he scored at a brisk rate to gain England some momentum in the afternoon before rain brought it to a halt.
