England missed out on three major individual milestones but still managed to put their collective stamp on day one of the second Test at Chester-le-Street.
First Alastair Cook again fell short of 10,000 Test runs – he needs only another five, after his latest attempt – then Alex Hales was out for 83 as he failed to convert a second successive Test half-century into a three-figure score, an achievement which would have made him the only Englishman to complete the full set of hundreds in each international format.
Finally, Joe Root appeared to have a 10th Test century in his sights but on a day when Sri Lanka’s catching was exemplary and often brilliant, he got out to the most straightforward of chances, dismissed for 80.
Even in-form Jonny Bairstow fell two short of 50 as England had to settle for 310 for six in pursuit of a series-sealing 2-0 lead, after Cook chose to bat first under very cloudy skies and floodlights.
Cook, on 15, pushed Suranga Lakmal from the back foot and edged to second slip, where Dimuth Karunaratne took a smart catch low to his left.
There were two close lbw calls for Hales on 30 against Nuwan Pradeep, who finished with three for 69, but neither would have been overturned on DRS.
Nick Compton has been criticised in some quarters for being less proactive than he might, but paid for a little adventure on this occasion – taking on the hook against Sri Lanka’s quickest bowler Pradeep, and caught just inside the rope by a back-pedalling Lakmal at long-leg.
Hales completed back-to-back half-centuries shortly after lunch when he hit Rangana Herath over long-on for his eighth four.
He was closing on that maiden Test hundred in a stand of 96 with Root until, immediately after hoisting slow left-armer Milinda Siriwardana straight for his only six, he edged an attempted cut and was caught one-handed by Angelo Mathews diving to his right at slip.
Root and James Vince also put themselves in position to cash in, but were unable to do so.
The Yorkshireman was especially annoyed with himself as he left the pitch fuming for looping a tame catch up to cover off the back foot after Pradeep found a suspicion of extra bounce.
Vince was set too but fell soon afterwards, the second to Siriwardana and another to a brilliant one-handed catch – Lahiru Thirimanne this time taking off to his right at cover to intercept a flatbatted drive at one that turned.
Bairstow and Moeen Ali demonstrated their appreciation for minor promotions in the absence of Ben Stokes.
Up a position each, they profited either side of the second new ball in a partnership of 70 only for Bairstow to edge a cut behind just before stumps.
