Sri Lanka v England: Jonny Bairstow hits sublime century on return

Jonny Bairstow hit a sublime century on his England return before late wickets checked the tourists' progress on day one of the third Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

The fiery 29-year-old, batting at number three for the first time, hit 110 off 186 balls to help England - who have already won the series - reach 235-3 after tea.

But Sri Lanka fought back to restrict them to 312-7 at the close.

England lead the three-Test series 2-0.

Bairstow, who missed the first Test through injury and was left out of the second when Ben Foakes was retained as wicketkeeper, became the first England number three to score a century since Joe Root against India in Rajkot in 2016.

His ton gave England a chance to take control of the match on the best pitch of the series for batting, with the surface providing less sharp turn - albeit more bounce - than in Galle and Pallekele.

However, the hosts' rally, led by Lakshan Sandakan taking 4-91, has left the Test finely poised.

• Reaction & analysis to day one

Have England stumbled on a solution at three?

Bairstow is the 10th player to bat at three for England since May 2015 and the only other besides captain Root to score a century in that time.

He played positively early on, sweeping the spinners to help guide his team out of potential trouble at 36-2 in a 100-run stand with Root, before accumulating with consummate ease and waiting for the bad ball.

Suffering from cramp on a blisteringly hot day, Bairstow brought up his sixth Test century off 165 balls with a paddle sweep and then ripped off his helmet and let out a fearsome roar.

A single innings - even one as fine as this - is too little evidence to say whether Bairstow is the answer to England's problem position of number three in the longer term.

However, if he can continue in this vein, England will have stumbled on a solution more through luck than judgment.

Without the ankle injury suffered playing football in training that kept Bairstow out of the first Test, Foakes would not have played and made the wicketkeeper's position his own. And without Sam Curran's side strain, Bairstow may not have been recalled for this match.

Bairstow wants the gloves back, but this sequence of events could mean he evolves into a top-order batsman and end up working for team and player alike.

Sketchy Stokes battles through

In contrast to Bairstow, Ben Stokes was scratchy and uneasy at the crease but found a way to put on a stand of 99 with his more fluent partner.

The all-rounder should have been dismissed lbw without scoring when he was trapped on the pads playing back to Dilruwan Perera - but it was given not out on the field and Sri Lanka had no reviews left.

Stokes punished the hosts with five fours and two sixes to pass 50 but never truly settled before edging Sandakan to first slip.

Root looked well set to follow his fine century in the previous match with at least another half-century. However, he fell into Sri Lanka's trap after a fielder was removed from the leg side, which tempted the England captain into a slog sweep that he top-edged to mid-wicket.

Opener Rory Burns started assuredly but was bowled by Dilruwan for 14 when he misread the length and tried to cut a ball that was too close to him, before Keaton Jennings carelessly flicked Malinda Pushpakumara straight to leg slip for 13.

More to follow.