England vs Sri Lanka: Day of missed landmarks but England in control

Cook falls short of 10,000 runs and sets up day where batsmen got in - then out

In the end this was not the day for landmarks or eye-catching personal achievements but instead one shaped by a collective team effort that ensured England took firm control of this second Investec Test.

Half-centuries from Alex Hales and Joe Root blunted any hope Sri Lanka had of imposing themselves on this contest despite an impressive display from the tourists in the field as England closed the opening day on 310 for 6.

Considering Alastair Cook’s side needed only to post 298 to win the first Test at Headingley last week by an innings, this can be considered a match-winning position for the hosts, especially with Moeen Ali set on 28 and Chris Woakes alongside him overnight.

However, there was still a sense of anti-climax at the close that, in truth, has hung over this occasion ever since Ben Stokes, the Durham all-rounder, was ruled out of his home Test earlier this week. If the absence of Stokes with a knee injury had diluted local enthusiasm for this match, the way England dispatched Sri Lanka so ruthlessly in Leeds offered the expectation that they could continue their dominance here.

However, Cook added to the sense of anti-climax in the morning when, after winning the toss, he chose to bat rather than bowl in conditions so gloomy that the floodlights were on even before a ball had been bowled. Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews insisted he would have done the same, yet with the memory of his side being routed for 91 and 119 in Leeds still fresh, Cook’s decision not to unleash his bowlers straight away seemed odd.

It did, though, give England’s captain, just 20 runs shy of becoming the youngest batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs, an early chance to make history. Yet in keeping with the despondent mood, exacerbated by a disappointingly low and slow pitch, Cook fell for 15 – still five runs shy of his landmark – when he edged the recalled Suranga Lakmal to second slip in the first hour.

Hales, though, was going nicely at the other end, playing far more fluently than he had done at Headingley, when he scored 86. A first Test century was there for the taking once he had breached the 80-run mark again in the afternoon session. Yet, after launching Milinda Siriwardana for a straight six he was out next ball, errantly cutting the left-arm spinner to Mathews at slip.

England were 160 for 3 at this stage and although Hales will be disappointed to not have become the first Englishman to score a century in all three international formats, he is growing into the role of a Test opener. Indeed, the fact he has looked more assured than Cook so far in this series bodes well for his long-term prospects.

Jonny Bairstow was in fluent form before falling just before the close (Getty)

The same cannot be said of Nick Compton, whose place is now hanging by a thread. The Middlesex batsman came into this match under extreme scrutiny following his three-ball duck in the first Test. And in a summer where his highest score so far is 44, Compton’s horrible form continued when he top-edged a short ball from Nuwan Pradeep and fell victim to a stunning catch from Lakmal on the square-leg boundary. His latest failure, a spasmodic innings of nine from 34 balls, has only ratcheted up the pressure on his position.

Root was another who fell for a duck at Headingley, however England’s newly-crowned player of the year in both Test and limited-overs cricket has a bit more credit in the bank than Compton. He showed just why here, too, cruising to 50 in 70 balls before adding to the anti-climactic theme of the day when, on 80, he sent a leading edge from Pradeep straight to Kaushal Silva at cover.

At 219 for 4, England were still in a healthy position and with James Vince joined by Jonny Bairstow, Sri Lanka were still well behind the game. Vince is another who promised a landmark moment. The Hampshire captain made nine on his Test debut last week but looked settled and set for a first half-century at this level when he reached the tea interval unbeaten on 22 from 38 balls.

However, England’s new No 5 batsman was another who promised more than he actually delivered, dismissed for 35 after driving Siriwardana to the diving Lahiru Thirimanne at short cover. It was the third brilliant catch of the day from Sri Lanka and they weren’t finished there either.

Bairstow, man of the match at Headingley following his 140 and nine catches behind the stumps, was the last wicket to fall. Inevitably his demise also came just shy of a landmark of sorts, the Yorkshireman bottom-edging Pradeep behind on 48 as Sri Lanka made their first breakthrough with the second new ball.

It was an entirely fitting conclusion to the day.