England vs Sri Lanka: Jonny Bairstow's brilliant century rescues England at Lord's

Wicketkeeper's counter-attacking innings keeps side in the hunt after early wobble

They say luck favours the brave and there are few more ballsy with bat in hand than Jonny Bairstow who helped bring a sheen of respectability to England’s innings by stumps on the first day of the third Investec Test here at Lord’s with a wonderful counter-attacking unbeaten century in the glorious sunshine.

The England wicketkeeper was at his bullish best, trying to grab the game back from the Sri Lankans, and reached his landmark just before stumps when he nudged a single to leg with the shadows lengthening. He finished the day on 107 as his side reached 279 for 6. His century came from 160 balls and contained 13 fours, some delightful, some streaky.

Bairstow’s ton was his first at Lord’s and adds to his 140 made at Leeds in the first Test against Sri Lanka and, of course, that unforgettable 150 he made in South Africa over the winter. It’s been a year to remember for Bairstow already and we are not half way through June.

Sri Lanka, with the sun on their backs after suffering two heavy defeats in the near-Arctic conditions of Leeds and Durham, bowled with admirable discipline all day but were let down by their fielding. None more so than when Shaminda Eranga loitering at midwicket dropped Bairstow when he was on 11 - a more simple, dolly of a catch you will not see: waist height, gentle speed, but somehow the bowler grassed it.

On 56, Lady Luck paid Bairstow another visit when he survived the narrowest of lbw decisions from the bowling of, ironically, Eranga. The batsman owes Rod Tucker a tinny for turning down the appeal which the Sri Lankans had every right to review. “Umpire’s Call” was the verdict, yet the ball appeared to be uprooting leg stump.

Two balls later, an Eranga delivery lifted and grazed the inside edge of Bairstow’s bat and flew down to fine leg rather than into Dinesh Chandimal’s gloves. On such fine margins…

At the start of his knock Bairstow batted as if he had ants in his pants - upholding England’s new found habit of punching their way out of a corner. When he came to the crease his side were staggering at 84 for 4 with Alex Hales, Nick Compton, Joe Root and James Vince back in the hutch despite the Lord’s track looking like a batsman's dream and leaving Alastair Cook no choice but to strap his pads on upon winning the toss.

Compton was dismissed for just one run by Suranga Lakmal (Getty)

Bairstow lobbed one delivery for four over cover, drove between two extra covers for a couple shortly afterwards, thick-edged another where gully might have been. It was not all kamikaze by any means though: there were some marvellous shots, one easy push through mid-on for four early on and a couple of cover drives late in the day to satisfy the Lord’s purists.

The Yorkshireman did not work alone, though. He put on a 63-run stand in the evening with Mo Ali who played some pretty drives before being caught at slip by a stooping Angelo Mathews off the spin of Rangana Herath.

Cook was vital too, making 85 and sharing an 80-run partnership with Bairstow during the afternoon as they sought to nurse the innings back to health following the side’s dizzy spell either side of lunch. It was quite unexpected when Cook went playing across a straight delivery from Nuwan Pradeep just before tea.

The England captain had looked unflustered, patience personified, as that landmark of 10,000 Test runs, which had held him up so far this summer, disappeared in the rearview mirror. With a ton for the taking he considered the review but after consulting with Bairstow decided his time was up.

In the morning, Compton failed again, departing for a single. The No 3, who has had a summer leaner than your average super model, lunged at the first ball he faced from pace bowler Suranga Lakmal and nicked it to Chandimal. The delivery moved a touch but the Middlesex man went hard and late and with Test scores this series of 0, 9, 22 not out and 1 will need a second innings knock of some substance to keep his place for the Pakistan series.

The No 3’s solitary scrambled run came from a push to mid-off and a quick dash up to the Pavillion End. The throw hit the stumps but Compton had just made his ground.

Cook and Hales had got England off to rapid start, recording the first 50 partnership of the series before the latter was dismissed for 18 from 52 balls having been bogged down and not scoring for 22 balls. He had been chugging along nicely, square-driving a boundary and clipping a couple off his hip to the ropes but became becalmed, took an ugly swipe at Herath’s fourth ball and chunked one to Mathews at first slip. Mathews had helped create the pressure with four maidens from the Nursery End that culminated in Hales losing his patience.

After Compton had come and gone, Root was trapped lbw by Lakmal after Sri Lanka reviewed the initial not out verdict just before lunch. It was Mathews’ first successful attempt in nine. Vince, who had looked in nice touch, was bowled for 10 by a straight one from Nuwan Pradeep that just kissed the top of off stump. It was a fine delivery but the No 5’s bat was crooked as the ball flew past it.

Very little flew past Bairstow. He is making hay while the sun shines.