England left needing eight wickets to secure series win – as it happened

The first person to bat alongside Joe Root in a Test match did not take long to make his assessment. At stumps on December 13, 2012 in Nagpur, Kevin Pietersen said: “You can never judge a batsman after just a couple of hours at the crease but he [Root] showed signs that he could have a good Test career. He is a good little player.” Root was 31 not out at the time and went on to make 73 the next day.
Root was no doubt annoyed not to convert that score into a century but in recent times he has become a modern master of the art.
For a long time, Root, always a supreme technician, struggled to make as many Test hundreds as his talent warranted but he has turned that problem around spectacularly and here, on an otherwise routine day of English domination over Sri Lanka, Root reached the top of the pile of England batsman with a 34th hundred, one clear of Sir Alastair Cook.
• Read Simon Wilde’s full report
Joe Root has been speaking to BBC Test Match Special about overtaking Sir Alastair Cook as England’s leading century-maker.
“I have a lot of cricket to play yet, but it will be nice to have bragging rights when having a beer with Cooky,” Root said. “But there is still a lot of work to do. I want to play for longer, I feel like I have a long way to go.
“When I previously got into a bit of a rut I made a thing that was not really a thing. But now the more you play the more experience you get and the easier it is.”
Stumps has been called. That’s it for today. Sri Lanka will resume tomorrow on 53 for two, with England needing eight wickets to secure victory in the series.
Stand by for Simon Wilde’s report from Lord’s.
If we aren’t back on by 6pm that will be it for the day and we go again tomorrow. There are plenty of tickets available for tomorrow available on the Lord’s website, and if there are fewer than 30 overs of play you’ll get a full refund.
It’s likely Joe Root will break another record before the year is out — this time for the most outfield catches in Tests.
He’s tied with Jacques Kallis on 200 after his grab to dismiss Pathum Nissanka, but it’s Rahul Dravid who tops the list with 210.
Root is also in touching distance of Alastair Cook’s record for most runs for England in Tests. There are seven red-ball games left for the national side in this calendar year…
The crowd are getting restless. I’m not surprised — they’ve hardly seen any cricket in the past hour because there’s been a conflab after every over for one reason or another. The scene in front of me at the moment is just everyone standing around.
And the players are now going off… met by a bit of booing.
Earliest nightwatchman ever? Sri Lanka have sent in Prabath Jayasuriya at No4 because of the bad light.
Seriously attacking field for Shoaib Bashir’s bowling — a slip, two leg slips and a short leg. Funky.
And after a couple of overs of seam we are back to spin because of the light — Joe Root is on from the Nursery end.
A bit of extra bounce from Olly Stone and Pathum Nissanka has fended straight to Joe Root in the slips and that’s his 200th catch in Tests. Milestones all over the place today.
We’re messing around with the light meters again and Ollie Pope’s face tells a picture. If we could read his mind, I suspect he is thinking, “just get on with it”.
And we are indeed getting on with it…
And it’s Joe Root’s turn from the Nursery End — the umpires have said no seam at the moment as it’s too dark.
The umpires have had their light meters out again. In the meantime, we’re going to have some spin — Shoaib Bashir from the Pavilion end with a slip, leg slip and short leg.
And there’s the first wicket, back of a length by Atkinson and a fend outside the off stump brings an edge to root and Madushka goes for 13. These are grim conditions to be batting in. Umpires have had a chat about the light but it’s OK for the moment.
It’s gone gloomy at Lord’s — the floodlights are on. I’m not sure we’ll get all the overs in. England probing away but no breakthrough yet.
We’re back for what will be a long evening session. Chris Woakes to start from the Nursery end. Supposedly 41 overs left in the day.
England are all out for 251 as Root is out heaving to deep square leg. A long standing ovation for him as he walks off and England’s lead is 482. We are apparently having an early tea now.
Matt, Joe’s dad, is outside the Pavilion in a stripy blazer. His grandad, Don, turned 89 yesterday and I don’t think is here.
And there it is. Joe Root’s 34th Test match century. He’s gone past Alastair Cook’s record of 33 and has now beaten Gooch’s record for the most number of runs scored at Lord’s.
It took a while to get there – Stone was under a bit of pressure at the other end – was nearly out twice in the previous over and got a massive cheer for a forward defensive to end the over.
It’s also his fastest Test century coming from 111 balls – his previous fastest was 116.
Cook is on TMS: “It was only a matter of time. The record wasn’t going to stand forever. He is quite simply England’s greatest and it is absolutely right he has the record – we are watching a genius.”
England’s lead is a whopping 480.
The Lord’s museum already houses Gus Atkinson’s shirt from when he took 7 fer against West Indies but now they want his bat from this match. He hasn’t said yes yet! Players tend to be more protective of their bats than their shirts so he might say no to them!
Oh a wicket. Asitha Fernando now has eight wickets in the match after Matthew Potts is caught behind – leg side strangle – and the review shows there is a little edge and England are eight down. Root needs another 12 for his century. England 226-8, leading by 457 runs. Out comes Olly Stone.
There is a slight danger that Joe Root will run out of partners here. Gus Atkinson is out; caught in front of the pavilion off a top edge for 14. He was trying to pull it and the ball goes high to Kumara off Asitha Fernando. The lead is 451 and it is just about getting Root to his century now. He is on 84 and Potts is joining him in the middle.
Things are moving on. Chris Woakes hit it straight to extra cover. Root, meanwhile, has a strike rate of almost 100 and Atkinson really needs to stay with him now to guide to him a hundred. He’s never scored two hundreds in the same Test before. It would be a record seventh at Lord’s beating Gooch and Vaughan who have six. Woakes gone for 5, Atkinson heading to the crease. England now 196-6 with a lead of 427.
News from around the grounds in the county game. Warwickshire have won their first Championship match of the season, soundly beating Kent who are heading for relegation.
Lancashire are in trouble against Hampshire – 40 for 3 following on. Rocky Flintoff was out for eight runs.
England’s lead has gone past 400 but Jamie Smith is out for 26. Trapped in front by Jayasuriya. Smith went for a sweep and was hit on the front pad. He reviewed it but it’s hitting leg stump half way up. Joe Root is still there though, obviously, and has surpassed fifty. England now 171-5, a lead of 402. Here comes Chris Woakes.
We are being entertained by the band and bugles of the Rifles, who are marching round the outfield. They’ve played an ABBA medley in front of the President’s Box where Gareth Southgate and Rangana Herath are being entertained by Mark Nicholas.
And that is lunch. England have moved to 159-4 – a lead of 390 but this match doesn’t really get interesting until Sri Lanka bat. At the moment, it’s just seeing how many England want to get before declaring. Joe Root has 900 Test runs this year and there are still seven more Tests for England to play in 2024. How many do we think he’ll end up with?
Brook’s fun little innings is over, he’s holed out, caught deep midwicket. This time Madushka does hold on. He goes for 37. Replacing him his Jamie Smith. England 126-4 and lead by 357.
In news away from this Test, Rahul Dravid’s son Samit has been named in India’s under-19’s side for their multi-format series against Australia Under-19. He’s a right-handed batsman.
Back at the Test, Root and Brook are ticking along at quite a lick – Brook especially isn’t messing around. Current strike rate of 110.
England are playing some shots here – some fairly high risk ones – and Harry Brook has been dropped by Madushka, who was back peddling from deep square leg but it’s popped out of his hands. Brook follows up by nailing another slog sweep into the stands. It’s all go . . .
Oh dear . . . Ollie Pope has gone cheaply again and it wasn’t a great shot. He’s gone back in his crease and cut it straight to deep point. He is out for 17. And that’s drinks with England 69-3 – A lead of exactly 300. Joe Root is in.
Sri Lanka are bowling very well this morning, a really probing length and there’s a big LBW shout against Pope off Rathnayake, who has been the most threatening this morning. The decision is reviewed by Sri Lanka but replays show it’s too high.
This is quite an important morning for Ollie Pope with the bat. He can bat with no pressure because England’s lead is so substantial. He’s looked in no nick at all and it’s not great being captain if you’re out of nick.
Blimey! A brilliant relay catch removes Ben Duckett for 24. The catch is given to Angelo Matthews but it was a bit of a deflected catch off Milan Rathnayake palmed to him by Madushka diving to his right. There was a bit of extra bounce that undid Duckett. England 36-2, leading by 267 runs.
Sri Lanka have changed wicketkeeper – Nishan Madushka was keeping in the first innings and last night but they’ve changed to Dinesh Chandimal this morning.
Good morning from Lord’s. It’s a bit overcast today but plenty of people piling in. I am a bit late on parade because I was showing Gareth Southgate to his seat. Like you do.
Steve James writes: Over the years some very good batsmen have struggled with the morning after. That is not to reference some sort of alcoholic hangover, rather the challenge of beginning an innings again after a significant score the day before.
Sir Andrew Strauss was one, for sure. He made 21 Test centuries, but on seven occasions he was not out overnight with a century already to his name and yet on six of those occasions he did not score more than six runs the following morning. “I tried plenty of things to help overcome it,” he once told me. “Getting up early, having a long net session, getting up late, having no net session, having a few beers the night before, not having any beers the night before, lots of coffee, no coffee, etc, etc . . . Looking back I just thought about it too much.”
Which brings us to Gus Atkinson. It appears that he does not think about anything too much. That may be a completely wrong character assessment, and he is in fact, like so many sportspeople, swan-like in being serene on the surface, but paddling like crazy beneath the waters. But he does appear remarkably laid-back and unflustered, almost a little mysterious, a man of more layers than reach the distant eye. Shy, retiring types do not always turn up with bleached blonde hair. But then James Anderson, who didn’t say boo to a goose early in his career, once sported some interesting hair styles and colours.
● Read in full: Ready-made No8 can give England right balance for Ashes
Mike Atherton writes: Ask anybody who has played with Gus Atkinson and one word crops up: quiet. He is a young man of few words and of understated emotions, someone who sits quietly in the corner of the dressing room, soaking it all in. This season, though, his actions with bat and ball in hand have spoken as loudly, surely, as those of any new entrant to the England team in recent years.
Having taken 12 wickets on his debut in July, becoming central to a renewed seam attack shorn of the old sweats Stuart Broad and James Anderson, Atkinson has now made his maiden first-class hundred, joining Broad as the last man to do so in a Test at Lord’s. Within the space of two Tests, he has become one of only six players — Gubby Allen, Keith Miller, Lord Botham, Chris Woakes and Broad are the others — to have taken ten wickets and scored a hundred in Tests on the ground.
He has played a key part in this summer’s four consecutive victories and, after events on the second day, it is hard to see anything other than a fifth coming at some point over the next three days. This, despite a sparkling innings from Kamindu Mendis in the final session that brought some respectability to the Sri Lankan batting card, further burnished his reputation as a young player of immense talent and asked questions of his lowly place in the order.
● Read in full: Gus Atkinson’s hundred puts series win in sight
Here is a reminder of the teams:
England XI: Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone, Shoaib Bashir.
Sri Lanka XI: Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Pathum Nissanka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kamindu Mendis, Milan Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara.