Jonny Bairstow finished unbeaten on a Test-best 167 as England were bowled out for 416 on day two against Sri Lanka at Lord’s.
Bairstow’s seventh-wicket stand of 144 with Chris Woakes, who hit a career-best 66, helped put the hosts in position to push for a 3-0 series whitewash.
They had arguably underachieved on day one despite the continuation of Bairstow’s brilliant form with his first hundred at HQ but consolidated well on a fine pitch on Friday.
Woakes registered his maiden Test half-century, and shortly after his dismissal - chipping a return catch back to Rangana Herath (four for 81) - Bairstow’s 17th boundary, a leg-glance off Angelo Mathews, took him past his previous best of 150 not out.
By then, he already had the highest score by any England wicketkeeper at this venue - and when his ninth first-class innings of the summer had to end at last in mid-afternoon with all his partners gone, he had taken his season’s tally to a remarkable 888.
Woakes reached his 50, from 102 balls, with his seventh boundary - flashed past point off Shaminda Eranga.
Soon afterwards, he and Bairstow pushed England’s series aggregate for the sixth and seventh wickets - in just three innings - past 500 runs.
Woakes bowed out half-an-hour before lunch and Stuart Broad followed early in the afternoon when he cut Suranga Lakmal (three for 90) to gully.
Steven Finn and Bairstow then each had a close call.
The tail-ender overturned an lbw on review when he had only one, the delivery from Herath depicted sliding down the slope past leg stump. Then on 157, Bairstow edged Lakmal at catchable height for four between the wicketkeeper and a wide first slip.
Finn became Herath’s fourth victim anyway, mistiming a sweep to be well caught by Lakmal at deep backward square, and James Anderson was last out to the deserving Eranga, edging behind on the back foot.
It was minimal consolation for the pace bowler, who dropped Bairstow on only 11 the previous day and had to watch him go on to bat for approaching seven hours and hit 18 boundaries.
BT Sport
