By Rob Barnett
Sam Robson raised his first Test ton shortly after tea on day two as England took a first-innings lead with eight wickets in hand.
Robson, on 98 at the day’s second interval, was supported to three figures by Ian Bell, playing in his 100th Test.
The opener, featuring in just his second five-day game, earlier joined Gary Ballance in a partnership of 142 at Headingley.
Robson’s half-century provided a positive response to the hosts losing captain Alastair Cook caught behind to Dhammika Prasad early on.
Robson and Ballance, who overturned an lbw verdict on 31, rebuilt steadily, initially taking few risks.
Ballance enjoyed some fortune in the afternoon session until edging Angelo Mathews behind on 74.
Match Scorecard / Live ball-by-ball commentary
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Evening Session
4.45pm – Sri Lanka take the new ball at the start of the 83rd over, with Nuwan Pradeep getting first use. Robson steers it to the fine-leg rope to put England ahead on first innings.
4.33pm – Bell twice consecutively edges Prasad between the solitary slip and gully, the first at a catchable height to bring up a fifty partnership. At the end of the over the new ball is available, but it’s not taken straight away.
So pleased for Robbo there! Keep churning chum
— Steven Finn (@finnysteve) June 21, 2014
Listen to the Headingley crowd as Sam Robson reaches maiden Test hundred https://t.co/cTLSOJjS3q via @audioboo#engvsl
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) June 21, 2014
4.24pm – Robson beautifully cover-drives Prasad to the boundary and then tickles the seamer round the corner for another four, just out of wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal’s reach. In the next over he sweetly lifts Herath for a straight six.
England captain Alastair Cook applauding Robson’s maiden Test ton #EngvSLpic.twitter.com/GCxZ5LE6Q4
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) June 21, 2014
4.10pm – CENTURY! Robson (220b 11x4 0x6) - Bell opens the face against Dhammika Prasad for four and, later in to over, takes a single to give Robson the strike. The opener cover-drives the next ball for two, reaching 100 for the first time in Tests. He gets a standing ovation, including from his parents in the crowd.
4.03pm – After a short delay while Sri Lanka fetch some protective equipment for a close fielder, play resumes with Ian Bell taking a single off Rangana Herath. That puts Sam Robson on strike, two short of a ton. Robson plays out the last five balls of the over for no run.
Afternoon Session
3.42pm – TEA! England 211/2; Robson 98, Bell 8 – Robson gets a single in the last over before the interval but will have to wait until after a cuppa for another chance to reach three figures.
3.33pm – Robson’s single off Pradeep moves England to 200 and an extra-cover drive for four off Mathews then takes the opener to 97 and one shot from his first Test ton.
.@Ian_Bell walks into the middle. His 100th Test! Here are his career stats #Bell100#EngvSLpic.twitter.com/siIwK6Z1Ge
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) June 21, 2014
3.22pm – WICKET! Ballance c Chandimal b Mathews 74; Eng 191/2 - A double bowling change works for Sri Lanka as Ballance nicks medium-pacer Angelo Mathews behind, ending a fine stand of 142. Ian Bell gets a standing ovation as he makes his way to the middle in his 100th Test. Robson guides the over’s last ball through third man for four to enter the 90s.
3.10pm – Ballance, now on 67, enjoys more fortune when he top-edges a slog-sweep at Herath and the ball lands between two fielders in the deep, spinning for four.
9 - England have won nine of their last 10 home Test series. Homely. @ECB_cricket
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) June 21, 2014
2.56pm – CHANCE! Another opportunity to oust Ballance goes begging, this time on 61. The left-hander inside-edges Herath but Kaushal Silva cannot hold a sharp chance at short-leg.
@ECB_cricket’s Gary Ballance’s #InvestecTest half-century batting wagon wheel. https://t.co/hlFwl2EFrTpic.twitter.com/gAmdcDKST4
— Investec Cricket (@InvestecCricket) June 21, 2014
2.51pm – CHANCE! Following another calm passage of play Robson drives Dhammika Prasad to extra-cover, who parries to mid-off. A throw comes towards the striker’s stumps. A direct-hit would have seen Ballance out for 59.
Gary Ballance has moved past 50 with England 154-1 #EngvSLpic.twitter.com/Sww06zwp8k
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) June 21, 2014
2.30pm – HUNDRED PARTNERSHIP! Robson deposits Herath for four back over the spinner’s head before the first of four Pradeep no-balls in an over brings up the century stand.
2.23pm – FIFTY! Ballance (116b 7x4 0x6) - Nuwan Pradeep replaces Eranga and is twice cut for four by Ballance, the second shot taking him to a second score of 50 or more in Tests – the first having been his century at Lord’s last weekend. The Yorkshire batsman naturally receives warm applause from his home crowd.
2.18pm – After that four, it’s steady going again with England’s second-wicket pair happy to consolidate.
Zebbie the @InvestecCricket zebra enjoying a day out at Headingley for the #InvestecTestpic.twitter.com/qETMKBwOW5
— Kim Burrow (@theburrow85) June 21, 2014
2.01pm – Eranga and Herath continue, with Robson and Ballance watchful after the two lbw shouts against the latter. The latter then scores the first boundary in more than 10 overs with a controlled edge that beats gully.
DRS to the rescue! Ballance is given out LBW but the referral shows the ball was missing leg. #EngvSL#SkyCricketpic.twitter.com/EiZWkQ0lpe
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 21, 2014
1.46pm – REVIEW!Ballance, trying to work spinner Rangana Herath to leg, is struck on the front pad and given out lbw for 31. He reviews and survives with Hawk-Eye showing the ball going down leg. Later in the over Herath has a leg-before shout against Ballance turned down, although it would have been upheld if given out.
1.41pm – The day’s second session starts with Gary Ballance facing Shaminda Eranga. One run comes from the over, which Sam Robson also faces half of.
Morning Session
Watch @SkyCricket NOW to see how we're inspiring kids to play #cricket@ECB_cricket@HomeOfCricket@YorkshireTea#cricketunited
— Chance to Shine (@Chance2Shine) June 21, 2014
1.01pm – LUNCH! England 106/1; Robson 55, Ballance 30 – Following a Herath maiden to Robson, Prasad has an lbw appeal against Ballance rejected. Sri Lanka wisely opt not to review given the ball pitched outside leg and the batsman hit it.
12.46pm – Ballance advances to the returning Herath and chips four over mid-on, raising a fifty partnership and taking England to three figures.
12.37pm – FIFTY! Robson (102b 8x4 0x6) – The right-hander cuts Pradeep past gully and to the rope, bringing up his maiden Test half-century in just his third innings. He receives warm applause from the large crowd.
12.28pm – Robson leans into two cover-driven fours off Pradeep, the second more authoritative than the first. He’s two runs short of a first Test fifty. Prasad, having taken over from Herath, follows up with a runless over to Ballance.
12.16pm – Ballance shows attacking intent by upper-cutting Pradeep for four and slog-sweeping Herath to the boundary. Pradeep responds with a maiden to Robson.
12.04pm – The drinks break arrives with England 68 for one, Nuwan Pradeep ending a second economical over after replacing Prasad. Spinner Herath then takes over from Eranga, and Robson moves on to 40.
WATCH: This morning's batting masterclass with Nasser and Strauss is up online: http://t.co/RsjhXCd7Cc
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 21, 2014
11.40am – Robson and Ballance are content to consolidate against Prasad and Eranga, meaning a quiet passage of play. Robson shows he is watching the ball well by evading a short Eranga delivery at his body during a maiden.
Sri Lanka players celebrate as Dhammika Prasad takes the wicket of Alastair Cook #InvestecTest. Photo: Visionhaus pic.twitter.com/Cqog6eHcaf
— Investec Cricket (@InvestecCricket) June 21, 2014
11.23am – Immediately after Robson plays out a maiden to Eranga, Ballance gets going by powerfully cutting Prasad for four. Robson then straight-drives Eranga down the ground.
11.13am – WICKET! Cook c Sangakkara b Prasad 17; Eng 49/1 - The left-hander’s search for a decent Test score continues as he edges low to first slip where Kumar Sangakkara holds a regulation catch. Cook almost fell like that yesterday, but TV replays suggested the ball didn’t quite carry. This time there was no question that it did. Prasad completes a wicket-maiden to Gary Ballance.
@ECB_cricket Alastair Cook needs 39 runs to become the eighth player to score 4,000 Test runs in England #InvestecTest#EngvSL
— Investec Cricket (@InvestecCricket) June 21, 2014
Plunkett taken an early lead in our poll for the player of day 1. Keep those votes coming in with using the #’s pic.twitter.com/ajphUUXhfa
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) June 21, 2014
11am – We are under way with Shaminda Eranga bowling a maiden to Alastair Cook, who is on 14. Sam Robson, on 21 overnight, gets the first runs of the day when he top-edges a cut at Dhammika Prasad over the slips for four. After Rangana Herath amusingly collides with square-leg umpire Steve Davies as the Sri Lankan attempts to field, Robson flicks Prasad fine for another four.
Pre-Play News
10.50am –Plunkett spoke exclusively to ecb.co.uk after play ended yesterday. Find out what he had to say here.
Day 2 at Headingley in the 2nd #EngvSL#InvestecTest. Here's the pitch... #EngvSLpic.twitter.com/9AFl2mtYmQ
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) June 21, 2014
Cries of "Joe, Joe" as @joeroot05 walks towards the dressing room - a fan favourite in these parts! #EngvSLpic.twitter.com/QzC5uxNKy4
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) June 21, 2014
10.40am – Yesterday will remain memorable for Stuart Broad’s hat-trick that went virtually unnoticed at Headingley and Liam Plunektt’s five-wicket haul that was warmly greeted by his now home crowd. Read about day one here.
A few words of wisdom from Geoffrey Boycott to Alastair Cook? #EngvSLpic.twitter.com/9NL4LetJbB
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) June 21, 2014
.@SkyCricket are continuing to preview #cricketunited and today is the turn of @Chance2Shine - watch at lunch to see the great work they do!
— Cricket United (@CricketUnited) June 21, 2014
10.30am – Hello and welcome to our live blog coverage of day two at Headingley. England are set to resume on 36 for no wicket in reply to Sri Lanka’s 257.
Good morning from a very sunny Headingley! England warming up as I tweet #EngvSLpic.twitter.com/4yx4BfGUQ1
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) June 21, 2014