Sri Lanka v England: first Test, day one – live!

6.55am EST 06:55

40th over: England 119-2 (Bairstow 39, Root 66) Embuldeniya, finally tiring, dishes up a full toss, which Root sweeps for two, and another, which he slog-sweeps for four. Root 66! And that’s the hundred partnership. It’s been excellent, patient but positive, and after the Sri Lankan shambles, it’s worth about 200.

6.51am EST 06:51

39th over: England 113-2 (Bairstow 39, Root 60) Chandimal is so frustrated that he turns back to his seamer, Fernando. Root clips a single and Bairstow sees out five dots. With three overs to go, Dan Lawrence is still padded up, so anyone hoping for a cult cameo from Jack Leach may be disappointed.

6.48am EST 06:48

38th over: England 112-2 (Bairstow 39, Root 59) Root sweeps Embuldeniya for four, then pushes through the covers for a single. He’s playing with his full fluency now, and the only question is whether he can keep it up for another hour and a half or so and get his first Test hundred since 2019. The state of the game is on his side.

6.43am EST 06:43

37th over: England 107-2 (Bairstow 39, Root 54) A couple of singles off Perera. Root takes off his helmet, revealing a crew cut rather than the longer locks that were his lockdown look.

“It’s weird following England,” says Bob O’Hara in Trondheim. “We’re 85-2, with SL only getting 135, and because it’s on a spinning pitch I’m still not confident about us getting a decent first-innings lead.”

6.38am EST 06:38

36th over: England 105-2 (Bairstow 38, Root 53) Embuldeniya’s rest lasted all of three minutes. He comes back from the other end and instantly beats Root, prompting an appeal from the keeper, Dickwella, who doesn’t get any support from his team mates.

6.36am EST 06:36

35th over: England 103-2 (Bairstow 37, Root 52) Embuldeniya gets a rest, Perera returns, and both batsmen do some milking. England’s hundred comes up, and the second fifty took only 76 balls, whereas the first took 131.

A tweet arrives from someone called Dr Creepen. “Having read the entirety of today’s OBO (of course),” he says, “I’ve not found a single mention of YJB. Has he finally grown up, I wonder?” Ha. No offence, but nicknames sometimes wear a bit thin, don’t they?

Updated at 6.37am EST

6.30am EST 06:30

34th over: England 97-2 (Bairstow 33, Root 50) Root sweeps yet again, firmly, for four, off Hasaranga, follows up with a two and a single, and that’s his fifty from 94 balls. It’s been easily the innings of the day. Only three fours, but superb concentration, judgment of length and rotating of the strike – the only blemish came with that reprieve on review.

6.26am EST 06:26

33rd over: England 89-2 (Bairstow 32, Root 43) Embuldeniya concedes just a single, to another Root sweep. He has two for 42 off 15 hard-working overs.

6.23am EST 06:23

32nd over: England 88-2 (Bairstow 32, Root 42) Hasaranga is finding turn with his leg-breaks, but Root is “giving a masterclass in how to play spin,” as Rob Key observes.

On Twitter, Srihari Venugopalan is already gloating about England’s next Test series. “Excellent work by our Lankan neighbours there, making sure Bess plays in India. Going to be fun.”

6.21am EST 06:21

31st over: England 85-2 (Bairstow 32, Root 39) Root sweeps Embuldeniya for two, then tucks him for two more. Just when he seems to be in command, he edges one, but his hands are soft and his head is over the bat, so the ball trickles away safely.

“Ungulates,” says Duncan Haskell, picking up on the 22nd over. “Having ruminated on Mark Lewis’s question, the two that (klip)spring to mind are the Americamels Cup and the Calcuttapir Cup.” Deer, deer.

6.16am EST 06:16

30th over: England 80-2 (Bairstow 32, Root 34) Better from Hasaranga, who manages four dots to Root before dropping short again and being cut for a single. He has only one catcher (at slip), which is making it a bit obvious that his captain doesn’t trust him. And you can understand why, but it’s making a vicious circle, when the boss’s job is to make a virtuous one.

“I agree with Mr Withal,” says David Gaskell. “A virtual day out at Galle watching cricket and the odd flash of the splendid ocean. Gentle cricket with a possible war setting to come in Brisbane later on; very pleasant and restorative in troubled times. I am reminded of Ronnie Barker in Porridge comforting Godber on his first night in prison,‘What do you want to do tonight, do you want to go out? Or shall we just stop in?’ Let’s stop in and watch the cricket, eh?”

6.11am EST 06:11

29th over: England 77-2 (Bairstow 30, Root 33) Bairstow almost chips a catch back to Embuldeniya, but there’s just enough muscle on it to go past him.

6.09am EST 06:09

28th over: England 74-2 (Bairstow 28, Root 32) Back comes Hasaranga, to be guided for a delicate four by Bairstow.

“The beginning of a novel,” says Abhijato Sensarma, picking up the gauntlet from the 4th over. “It’s cold in Transylvania, and I’d like to imagine myself in Galle. The roads are more meandering there, but for me, a shift from the monotone is a delight amidst the paperwork and the lockdowns which have engulfed my life over the past year. And thus, I tuned into the screen of my television. This was a Thursday morning, on which I was ordained to witness an England XI collapse on the other side of the world when we least expected them to – again …” Not a magic realist, then.

6.05am EST 06:05

27th over: England 68-2 (Bairstow 23, Root 31) Root plays the umpteenth and best sweep if this session, getting right forward to Embuldeniya and smacking it square, with some authority. And then he rocks back to late-cut for a couple and bring up the fifty partnership. It’s the first one since Mathews and Chandimal, nine wickets ago.

5.59am EST 05:59

26th over: England 62-2 (Bairstow 23, Root 25) Perera has a big appeal for LBW against Bairstow, who escapes because the umpire shakes his head. If Chandimal had reviewed, it would have been umpire’s call.

5.57am EST 05:57

25th over: England 59-2 (Bairstow 22, Root 23) Bairstow runs Embuldeniya down to third man for two.

“Embuldeniya is bowling a beautiful line and tempted Crawley into making a false shot,” says Colum Fordham. “I hope Joe Root can use his nous and avoid doing likewise but the ball is turning a mile. I think Sri Lanka have found the successor to Herath and this is a real challenge for Root’s batting prowess.” Hear, hear – Herath says the same thing himself.

5.54am EST 05:54

24th over: England 56-2 (Bairstow 20, Root 22) More singles off Perera, as some dark clouds gather in the background.

“Have I missed something?” asks Ian Wilson in Turkey, “or are the England players wearing black arm bands for the passing of John Edrich?” I haven’t heard but I assume it’s for Edrich, who had a distinguished Test career, and perhaps also Robin Jackman, who should have played more than he did. “I think that we have a long tail,” Ian adds, “so I hope Root, Bairstow, Lawrence and Buttler can get some big runs.” One of them needs to, although this could be the rare Test in which 250 is enough.

5.48am EST 05:48

23rd over: England 52-2 (Bairstow 18, Root 20) Chandimal, fed up with Hasaranga’s length, turned back to Embuldeniya. Root immediately reverted to the sweep, picking up two, but he was outwitted by the ball that nearly got him.

5.47am EST 05:47

Not out! Root reprieved

It did pitch in line.. but it was going over middle-and-off. “Saved by the bounce,” Rob Key says. The camera finds Mickey Arthur, the Sri Lankan coach, in the stands, just as he says “Fuck!”.

5.45am EST 05:45

Wicket? Root given lbw b Embuldeniya 20

Up goes the finger as Root is trapped on the crease by the turning ball, but did it pitch outside leg?

5.42am EST 05:42

22nd over: England 50-2 (Bairstow 18, Root 18) As these two warm to their task, helped by the heavy humidity, Perera gets nurdled for three singles.

“To echo earlier sentiments,” says Mark Lewis, “it is indeed great to have Test cricket back. It certainly makes WFH at the same desk where I ate my Christmas dinner more palatable.” Sign o’ the times. “And made all the brighter by the ridiculously named Moose Cup being up for grabs. Which makes me wonder: has any other international tournament ever been sponsored by an ungulate?”

5.39am EST 05:39

21st over: England 47-2 (Bairstow 17, Root 16) Hasaranga is still dropping too short, giving away runs to the cut and the pull. Meanwhile Rob Key spots a sticker on Joe Root’s bat that says Barmy Army. It’s a nice touch, but some of the Barmies will be appalled at this official recognition, and may have to start a splinter group.

“Can’t believe Sri Lanka failed to bat out their 50 overs,” says Steve Pye, “and it now looks like we might do the same.”

5.34am EST 05:34

20th over: England 41-2 (Bairstow 15, Root 12) At the other end Perera is bowling at the stumps and keeping both batsmen quiet. This over is a maiden to Root, who has already faced 39 balls.

5.32am EST 05:32

19th over: England 41-2 (Bairstow 15, Root 12) Those sweep shots have seen off Embuldeniya, who gives way to Hasaranga. He’s a touch short, conceding three singles out to the cover sweeper, but I’d back him to get some wickets here.

5.30am EST 05:30

18th over: England 38-2 (Bairstow 14, Root 10) A maiden from Perera to Bairstow.

“Happy New Test Series!” says Richard Jansz-Moore. Thanks, and the same to you. “I assume that Dom Bess’s performance was inspired by Vic Marks’ retirement and will be dedicated to him in the post-match interview. Either that or it was a thinly disguised attempt to persuade him to come out of retirement for ‘one last job’ to be able to write about a surprisingly good Somerset performance!” Ha. I can hear Vic’s trademark chuckle, drifting over the sodden hills of south-west England.

5.26am EST 05:26

17th over: England 38-2 (Bairstow 14, Root 10) A change of tack against Embuldeniya, as both batsmen attack him with the sweep. Bairstow picks up a two and a single, Root a four – the first one since Crawley’s flick, several days ago.

5.23am EST 05:23

16th over: England 31-2 (Bairstow 11, Root 6) A single to each batsman off Perera. They’ve always liked batting together, though Bairstow may be a little sore at the way he’s been pushed to the margins of the Test team.

5.21am EST 05:21

15th over: England 29-2 (Bairstow 10, Root 5) A maiden to Bairstow from Embuldeniya, who has been superb.

5.19am EST 05:19

We have the TMS link. Thank you, Robert Barnes. You’re allowed to use it as long as you keep reading this.

5.17am EST 05:17

14th over: England 29-2 (Bairstow 10, Root 5) Root, still watchful, goes block-block-block before tucking Perera to midwicket for a single. Bairstow blocks out the blocking and just takes the tuck.

“Got to say, I’m loving the Under-12s feel this match has at the moment,” said Peter Salmon, before Crawley was out. “Batting collapses, batsmen run out from the ball being hit back, catches which bounce off other players and Crawley having to dive after a stupid call. I really want Joe Root to come out without his box and have to go back and get it, and then the bigger boy Bairstow to thump 25 and retire.”

Updated at 5.20am EST

5.11am EST 05:11

13th over: England 27-2 (Bairstow 9, Root 4) No, it wasn’t a change of ends – Embuldeniya is continuing. Bairstow gets hold of a sweep for the first time, a lap for two, and then he rocks back and cuts for three, playing nice and late. And that’s drinks, with Sri Lanka on top for the half-session and hanging in there overall. They just need one more wicket soon to get down to Dan Lawrence, the debutant who showed some nerves this morning by dropping an easy catch.

5.06am EST 05:06

12th over: England 21-2 (Bairstow 4, Root 3) Hasaranga is no sooner on than off, perhaps because he’s going to change ends. On comes Dilruwan Perera, who is 15 years his senior. He has a fine record at Galle but these two batsmen, both right-handers, are probably happy to face off-spin rather than leg-breaks and googles.