Bairstow rescues Eng

Jonny Bairstow rode his luck to again rescue England from a top-order collapse with a century on the first day of the third Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's on Thursday.

At stumps, England were 279 for six, having been 84 for four when Bairstow (107 not out) came to the crease.

It had been a similar story when Bairstow revived England from the depths of 83 for five in the first Test with a superb 140 on his Headingley home ground in a match England eventually won by an innings and 88 runs.

Rather than scoring a maiden Test century at Lord's, Bairstow should have been out for 11 on Thursday when he clipped Nuwan Pradeep firmly off his pads straight to mid-wicket only for Shaminda Eranga to drop the catch.

The Yorkshireman had another break when Eranga reviewed a rejected lbw appeal when the batsman had made 56. Replays showed the ball hitting leg stump, but not enough, according to the Decision Review System, to overturn Indian umpire S Ravi's original not out decision.

Apart from Bairstow, only England captain Alastair Cook (85), who won the toss in sunny conditions ideal for batting, passed fifty on Thursday, with Chris Woakes 23 not out at stumps.

Sri Lanka performed admirably with the ball, albeit they were again sloppy in the field, on a good pitch where there was a touch of seam movement.

SCORES IN BRIEF

ENGLAND: First innings 279 for 6 at stumps (Cook 85, Bairstow 107 not out, Woakes 23 not out; Lakmal 2-66, Pradeep 2-79, Herath 2-45)