Brilliant Bairstow hundred gives England good start in Colombo

Jonny Bairstow let out a mighty roar as he brought up his sixth Test century and showed that he might just be the answer at No.3 for England as they started the third Test against Sri Lanka at Colombo solidly

Colombo (first day of five): England 312-7

Jonny Bairstow let out a mighty roar as he brought up his sixth Test century and showed that he might just be the answer at No.3 for England as they started the third Test against Sri Lanka at Colombo solidly.

Bairstow has been picked as a specialist batsman rather than a wicketkeeper for this Test, and admitted in the run-up that he had found losing the gloves hard to take.

However, from the moment he came to the crease in sweltering conditions he looked like man with something to prove as he dispatched his first ball through the covers for four. 

A sweat-drenched Bairstow was visibly struggling with cramp as he approached his hundred in the final session, but he finally made it after 165 balls with a delicate sweep.

^{Joe Root scored 46 before getting caught}

Having won his eighth consecutive toss, leaving him one short of Colin Cowdrey’s record of nine, England captain Joe Root put his team into bat.

Despite starting brightly, opener Rory Burns was the first of a couple of soft dismissals which threatened to blight England’s innings. 

Having scored a pair of neat fours through the legside, he was bowled for 14 by Dilruwan Perera trying to cut a ball on a good length.

England were reduced to 36 for two three overs later, when his partner Keaton Jennings also got out softly dabbing a regulation ball from Malinda Pushpakamura straight to the fielder at leg slip.

Root joined his Yorkshire teammate Bairstow at the crease, and the pair set about repairing England’s innings. 

They brought up their fifty partnership before lunch, and Sri Lanka needlessly consumed both of their reviews in the process. England went in for the break on 102 for two.

The pair added 34 more runs before Root was caught on 46 looking to force the issue as the run rate slowed. He mistimed a slog-sweep off the bowing of Lakshan Sandakan, and was caught easily.

New man Ben Stokes looked tentative early on, and matters would have got worse for the tourists had it not been for Sri Lanka’s poor use of their reviews before lunch.

^{Ben Stokes aided England's cause with a solid 57}

Stokes was caught flush on the pad playing back in his crease to Perera, but umpire Chris Gaffaney ruled it not out. Perera has got Stokes out four times already in this series, and TV replays showed it should have been a fifth.

The England allrounder settled, and he and Bairstow guided England to 197 for three by tea. They continued in a similar vein after the break, with Stokes bringing up his second fifty of the tour after 78 balls.

He was, however, unable to add much more and was caught at slip pushing at a ball from Sandakan on 57, bringing Jos Buttler to the crease with England on 235 for four.

The departure of Stokes began late collapse by England, as first Bairstow was eventually dismissed for 110 by Sandakan, attempting to heave the ball over the legside.

He was followed soon after by Buttler who tamely struck a regulation ball back to Sandakan on 16. Foakes was the next man to go, caught behind off Pushpakamura having added only 13 more to total, leaving England 294 for seven.

Thankfully for England, Ali and Rashid managed to see out the last few overs of the day, despite two overturned LBW decisions given against Ali, to leave England in a solid position of 312 for seven.