Stand-in captain Ollie Pope put his recent woes behind him with a magnificent century as England cruised to 221-3 on day one of the third Test versus Sri Lanka at The Oval.

Pope had overseen back-to-back victories at Old Trafford and Lord's in Ben Stokes' absence but had struggled with his own form, failing to score more than 17 runs in any of his four innings in the series to date.

Things turned around for him on Friday, though, as he helped the hosts build a handsome lead with six wickets still in hand ahead of day two.

England were initially frustrated by bad light during the morning session, with a delay of almost three hours ensuing after Ben Duckett helped the hosts to 80-1 following the early loss of Dan Lawrence (5).

Duckett counted nine fours and two sixes among his 86 runs off 79 balls before he scooped Milan Rathnayake's slow delivery into the waiting hands of Dinesh Chandimal.

Joe Root then struggled to match Duckett's pace and he walked for 13 off 48 balls when he sliced Lahiru Kumara's delivery straight to Asitha Fernando in the deep.

However, Pope took the reins from there and put his poor recent form behind him with a speedy ton off 102 balls, with bad light stopping play for the final time immediately after he brought up three figures with a four, much to the frustration of the home fans.

Pope (102 not out) and Harry Brook (8 not out) will resume at the crease on Saturday, as England target a 3-0 series whitewash and a perfect Test summer.

Data Debrief: Pope's redemption

Figures of 6, 6, 17 and 1 through his four innings with the bat had somewhat sullied Pope's experience of captaining England in this series, but the stand-in skipper had a far more positive experience on Friday.

He put recent criticism of his performances to one side with an assured knock, hitting 13 fours and two maximums to ensure England made the most of limited play.

It is his seventh Test century overall, and his third of 2024 after knocks of 121 versus West Indies in July and 196 in India in January. Only eight England batters have accomplished that feat, and Pope is the first to do so since Gary Ballance in 2014.

England will hand a debut to bowler Josh Hull for their third Test against Sri Lanka.

Hull, who was in the squad for the second Test at Lord's, has been included in the team for the final match at The Oval.

The 20-year-old left-arm seamer has replaced Matthew Potts.

England are 2-0 up in the series, having won by five wickets at Old Trafford before triumphing by 190 runs at Lord's.

Ollie Pope is shutting out criticism of his performance as stand-in England captain as they look to complete a 3-0 series sweep over Sri Lanka at The Oval this week.

Deputising for injured skipper Ben Stokes, Pope has led the team to victories at Old Trafford and Lord's to leave them on the verge of a perfect red-ball summer. 

Pope previously played a starring role with 239 runs in a 3-0 whitewash of West Indies, yet his individual form has dipped dramatically in the Sri Lanka series.

He has failed to make more than 17 runs in any of his four innings as captain, recording single figures on three occasions, while he has also been criticised for his use of DRS with a total of eight reviews going against him during the series.

However, Pope has revealed one major piece of advice he received from Stokes ahead of the series was to ignore outside noise and concentrate purely on the spirit within the team.

"Chatting to Stokesy before this series, when you're captain, you're going to attract a lot more attention and it's just important to block it all out and stay close with the people around you," Pope said.

"There are a lot of voices who want to have their say, a lot of past cricketers as well, and that's fine and everyone is entitled to their opinion.

"But it's important for me to keep trusting the people inside these four walls because that's going to help me get back into my best form.

"Sometimes when you have two bad games it can almost feel a lot worse than it is because of the noise which surrounds it. 

"For me, it's about trying to stay as level as I can, keep trusting the noise around it, put my work in and not really overthink it."

The third Test gets under way on Friday, with England targeting a fifth straight series whitewash of the tourists. Sri Lanka's last Test win over England came in Galle in 2012, in a home series that was drawn 1-1.

Gus Atkinson says it will take time for his achievements to sink in after adding a five-wicket haul to his Test century against Sri Lanka at Lord's.

Surrey quick Atkinson crashed a remarkable 118 from just 115 balls in England's first innings before returning to tear through the visitors' batting line-up on Sunday.

The 26-year-old finished with second-innings figures of 5-62, removing three of Sri Lanka's top four scorers, as England secured a 190-run victory to seal an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series.

That made Atkinson just the third England player to both score a century and take five wickets in a single Test, and the first since Ian Botham in 1984.

Atkinson hopes for further success in the whites of his country as he attempts to settle down from his glory at the home of cricket.

"I couldn't have asked for much more, to get on both honours boards is incredible, will take a while to sink in, batting alongside [Joe] Root was special in the first innings," the bowler said. 

"Dad, I'm sure has had a great week. My first red-ball games at Lord's have gone my way, I enjoy bowling with the slope, long may it continue.

"The way we go about the game, we like to attack, and it's great to attack without worrying about runs."

Atkinson has now taken at least two wickets in each of his first 10 Test innings, while he is only the seventh bowler to achieve that milestone in the history of men's Tests, and the first since Brett Lee in 1999.

Though his introduction to red-ball internationals has been remarkable, Surrey team-mate Ollie Pope continues to struggle with the bat.

Stand-in captain Pope, in for the injured Ben Stokes, has managed only 30 runs in his two matches in charge.

Stretching further back, Pope has just 17 as his highest score in five Test innings, and England's number three knows personal improvements are needed.

"That's the way cricket is sometimes – form comes and goes," said Pope. "The best players are the ones who can draw a line under it. Hopefully, I can put a score together."

Pope has also come under scrutiny at the helm, with former England skipper Michael Vaughan saying the 26-year-old is "not the kind of personality I'd want as the England captain".

"Chatting to Stokesy before this series, when you're captain you attract a lot more [attention]," Pope responded to questions over his leadership capabilities.

"It's important to block it out and stay close with the people around me. There are a lot of voices, a lot of guys who want to have their say, past cricketers as well. That's completely fine, everyone is entitled to their opinion."

Gus Atkinson produced a second-innings five-for as England wrapped up a series victory over Sri Lanka, sealing a 190-run win at Lord's with a day to spare.

Atkinson's maiden Test century, as well as two tons from Joe Root, had helped England build a mammoth 430-run lead by stumps on day three, and Sri Lanka were unable to delay the inevitable on Sunday. 

Dimuth Karunaratne (55), Dinesh Chandimal (58) and Dhananjaya de Silva (50) all made valiant half-centuries for the tourists, who held England up with a steady showing in the second session.

However, Atkinson had Chandimal caught by Dan Lawrence to drop Sri Lanka to 192-6, then swiftly followed up by removing Kamindu Mendis – one of the bright sparks of this series for Sri Lanka – for 4.

Milan Rathnayake made 43 off 56 balls on just his second Test appearance to help Sri Lanka bat through tea, but both he and Dhananjaya fell victim to Atkinson late on.

That made Atkinson just the third England player to both score a century and take five wickets in a single Test, and the first since Ian Botham in 1984.

Chris Woakes then sealed the deal with his second wicket as Lahiru Kumara skied his delivery straight up for an Olly Stone catch, ensuring England did not need a fifth day to wrap up their victory.

The hosts will now target a series whitewash at The Oval, with the third Test set to get under way next Friday.

Data Debrief: Atkinson's lightning start continues

There have been no shortages of England highlights in this second Test, with Root taking centre-stage with his record-breaking 34th Test ton on Saturday.

On Sunday, it was Atkinson's turn to be the star of the show once again, finishing with second-innings figures of 5-62 and removing three of Sri Lanka's top four scorers.

He has now taken at least two wickets in each of his first 10 Test innings for England. He is only the seventh bowler to achieve that milestone in the history of men's Test cricket and the first since Brett Lee in 1999.

Joe Root hit a record-breaking century as England edged closer to sealing their series victory over Sri Lanka at Lord's.

Root, who equalled Alastair Cook's record during the first innings of the second Test, made 103 from 111 balls for his 34th Test ton.

England resumed on 25-1 at the start of day three, with Root leading the way for the hosts and the crowd rose as one when a sweeping four completed his landmark century.

He helped his nation set their opponents a target of 483 after they were 251 all out.

As the light faded over Lord's, so too did Sri Lanka's momentum in their record-attempting chase, with Gus Atkinson and Olly Stone claiming Nishan Madushka and Pathum Nissanka respectively.

Play was eventually halted due to bad light, and called off to be resumed on Sunday with the tourists at 53-2 with Dimuth Karunaratne (23) and Prabath Jayasuriya (three) at the crease.

Data Debrief: Root revels on record-breaking day

Day three of the second Test belonged to Root, whose century was also his quickest in Test cricket.

Adding to his 143 in England's first innings, he registered two tons in a match for the first time, while becoming only the fourth player to achieve that feat in a Test at Lord's.

Root also joins Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar in scoring 5,000 Test runs in two different decades, while closing the gap on Cook's all-time England tally (12,472) to just 95.

If that was not enough for him, he also took the catches for both of Sri Lanka's wickets, making him the first England player to reach 200 in Test cricket.

England ended day two of the second Test versus Sri Lanka with a commanding 256-run lead, having skittled the tourists for 196 off the back of Gus Atkinson's century.

Joe Root's record-equalling 33rd red-ball century had ensured England ended a difficult opening day with a chance to build a commanding lead, and they did just that early on as Atkinson took centre-stage.

Resuming at 74 not out, Atkinson brought up his maiden Test century with a fine drive past mid-on shortly before lunch, eventually ending his knock with 14 fours and four sixes.

He would later fall for 118 to the outstanding Asitha Fernando, who then completed a five-for by removing Olly Stone to wrap up the England innings at 427 all out.

Any hopes Sri Lanka had of making an early dent in that target were frustrated, however, as England shared the wickets around in a brilliant team bowling performance.

Chris Woakes and Stone, who removed Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka within the space of five balls – left the tourists teetering at 35-3 by the end of the 10th over, and there was little help to come from the middle order.

Matthew Potts took the ball and sent stumps flying to account for Angelo Matthews and Dhananjaya de Silva in the 21st over, with Woakes, Stone and Atkinson later also doubling up as the tourists collapsed. 

Kamindu Mendis' steady knock of 74 off 120 balls brought some respite for Sri Lanka, but he edged Atkinson's delivery into the palms of Woakes for the final wicket, failing to match his ton from the first Test at Old Trafford on a miserable day for the visitors.

England then avoided any drama when taking up the bat for seven overs before stumps, and Ben Duckett (15) and Pope (2) will resume at the crease on Saturday, hoping to make their handsome lead an unassailable one.

Data Debrief: Atkinson's big moment

While Root's heroics put England in a decent position ahead of Friday's play, Atkinson's brilliant 118 – coming off 115 balls – could prove the difference in this Test, allowing England to build a strong lead despite a lack of support from the lower order.

Atkinson's previous best red-ball knock was a score of 21 not out versus West Indies at Trent Bridge in July.   

Joe Root's record-equalling 33rd century led the fightback for England on the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's. 

Root's knock of 143 from 206 deliveries saw him go level with Alastair Cook for the most Test centuries for England as they closed the day on 358-7. 

After losing the toss and being made to bat first, the hosts were reduced to 97-3 at lunch, with Dan Lawrence (nine), Ollie Pope (one) and Ben Duckett (40) all falling inside the first 20 overs of the contest. 

Asitha Fernando claimed his second wicket of the afternoon with the dismissal of Harry Brook for 33, but Root was able to steady the ship as the wickets tumbled around him.

Root passed the half-century mark for the 65th time in this format earlier in the day, forming a seven-wicket stand of 92 with Gus Atkinson (74 not out) also scoring his maiden Test half-century. 

Atkinson will resume at the crease alongside Matthew Potts (20 not out) as they look to add to England's total and their 50-run partnership on day two.

Data Debrief: Record-equalling Root

Root has now equalled Cook (33) for the most hundreds for England in men’s Tests; he’s scored 60+ in seven of his last nine Test innings (84, 68, 14, 122, 87, 62 and 143).

This was also Root's sixth Test century at Lord's, the joint-most by any batter in the format (including Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan).

Mark Wood has been ruled out of the rest of England's series against Sri Lanka after suffering a muscle strain in the first Test.

The seamer limped off late on day three, with scan results ruling him out of the last two Tests, with Josh Hull receiving his first senior call-up as his replacement.

Hull, who stands at 6ft 7ins, has played 10 first-class matches and took five wickets for the England Lions in their tour game against Sri Lanka earlier this month.

Olly Stone, who was in the squad for the first Test at Old Trafford, is likely to take Wood's place in the XI at Lord's, with the Test starting on Thursday.

Wood has shone on the international stage so far this summer, taking 11 wickets in three Tests, while also providing some exciting performances with the bat.

It is thought the 34-year-old will be back in time for their Test tour of Pakistan in October, when England will also hope to have captain Ben Stokes and Zak Crawley back after their own respective injuries. 

Ollie Pope believes England's five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka showed they are not a "one-dimensional" team after battling through difficult conditions at Old Trafford.

England showed possible signs of a collapse after falling to 70-3 early on, only for a calm showing from Joe Root to steady the hosts' run chase. 

Their 205-run pursuit was eventually completed in the 58th over, having at one stage scored just two runs an over, with Root finishing on an unbeaten 62. 

England have been known for their aggressive approach during the Bazball era, but stand-in captain Pope insists the triumph has shown a different side to the team. 

"On another day you might see us try to knock that off in 20 less overs," Pope told BBC Sport.

"It shows where we're coming on as a team overall, we're not just a one-dimensional team where we want to go out and score quickly.

"We want to keep reading situations slightly better and try to be as ruthless as we can.

"If we feel like that is a way to go, it's not all about trying to score as quickly as we can, it's about getting the job done."

Pope is serving as captain for the injured Ben Stokes, who has been with the squad throughout the first Test to offer guidance to the Surrey man. 

He led England for the first time in Manchester despite only taking charge of one previous first-class match, and will remain in charge for the rest of the three-match series.

"It was different, more so in the field," said Pope. "There were some good lessons learned for me.

"I think Stokesy was bored at times. He'd much rather be playing. He was great. Every now and again I'd pick his brain, more than he comes to me.

"He wanted to give me my own space to do it my own way, but I know there will be conversations with him and [McCullum] while we're on the pitch about potential plans for different batters, which is great to have when we come off for a break."

Joe Root guided England through a tricky final session as the hosts beat Sri Lanka by five runs in Manchester.

England looked like they could collapse when they were left at 70-3 following the dismissals of Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Dan Lawrence on Saturday.

Yet Root, along with Harry Brook, steadied the ship before the latter was caught and bowled by Prabath Jayasuriya on 32, leaving the hosts on 116-4, chasing a target of 204 to win.

Root, however, remained nerveless, with Jamie Smith contributing an entertaining and useful 39 from just 48 balls in a brief stint at the other end.

Smith's stand came to an end with England still 21 runs shy of their target, but Root would not let victory slip through their fingers.

And it was Root who fittingly had the final say as he struck his second boundary to take himself onto 62 and seal a convincing win.

Data Debrief: Root comes up big

Root has scored 60+ in five of his last seven Test innings, after managing 42 in the first innings of this match (84, 68, 14, 122, 87, 42, 62).

He is just one century away, meanwhile, from matching Alastair Cook's record of 33 Test tons for England.

Sri Lanka batting coach Ian Bell believes Jamie Smith will be a "world class player" for years to come with England after striking his maiden century against Sri Lanka on day three of the first Test. 

Smith, who started on 72 after rain halted play on the second day, scored 111 from 148 deliveries at Old Trafford, claiming his ton in the 77th over of proceedings. 

He had a strike rate of 75.00 and showed 90% control through the balls he faced, the most controlled Test century by an Englishman since Joe Root versus India at Edgbaston in 2022 (92%).

Smith also became the fifth wicketkeeper to score a ton for England at Old Trafford, after Alec Stewart (three times), Godfrey Evans, Jack Russell and Ben Foakes.

And Bell, whose 7,727 runs put him ninth on England's all-time list in Tests, has seen first-hand the 24-year-old's talents, having worked with him for England Lions and Hundred side Birmingham Phoenix. 

"He's going to be a world-class player for England over a long period of time," said Bell. "He's confident, and he's taken to international cricket with ease," he said. 

Surrey's Smith was given the gloves by England ahead of county team-mate Foakes and Jonny Bairstow for the series against West Indies.

He missed out on a maiden century in the third Test against the Windies, scoring 95 at Edgbaston, but made no mistake with 111 in Manchester on Friday.

But Bell believes there is still more to come from Smith on the international stage after his showing in Manchester. 

"The small part that I played in his development, I've watched a guy who's worked extremely hard," said Bell.

"I'm sure he's going to be a massive part of this England team in all formats over a long time."

Jamie Smith completed his maiden Test century but it was England's bowlers who took centre-stage on Friday as they assumed control of the first Test against Sri Lanka.

Wicketkeeper Smith resumed on 72 following a rain-affected second day at Old Trafford, and he batted patiently early on before clinching his ton in the 77th over of the innings. 

His excellent knock of 111 was brought to an end three overs later with England 315-7, with Prabath Jayasuriya earning his third wicket as Smith toe-ended his ball through to Dinesh Chandimal.

Sri Lanka quickly polished off the tail as Mark Wood (22) and Matthew Potts (17) fell within a further six overs, leaving England with a first-innings lead of 122 runs.

The hosts started brilliantly with the ball to assume a more dominant position, though, with Sri Lanka's first two wickets falling for just a single run within 10 balls.

They shared the spoils as Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson struck early to dismiss Nishan Madushka and Kusal Mendis for ducks, then Wood and Potts got in on the act to drop Sri Lanka to 95-4. 

Angelo Mathews' defiant knock of 65 helped Sri Lanka steady the ship and reach 173-4, but his luck ran out in the 51st over after a couple of near-misses, as he looped Woakes' seam ball through to Potts.

Root dealt another blow to the tourists to remove Milan Rathnayake for 10 late on, with Sri Lanka closing at 204-6, 82 runs ahead but with wickets running out.

Data Debrief: Smith joins Old Trafford club

Smith had a first Test century in his sights by stumps on day two, and he got over the line in composed fashion on Friday, becoming just the fifth wicketkeeper to score a ton for England at Old Trafford, after Alec Stewart (three times), Godfrey Evans, Jack Russell and Ben Foakes.

He had a strike rate of 75.00 and showed 90% control through his 148 balls faced, the most controlled Test century by an Englishman since Joe Root versus India at Edgbaston in 2022 (92%).

Jamie Smith and Harry Brook made half-centuries as England ended a rain-affected second day with a slender advantage over Sri Lanka in the first Test at Old Trafford.

Having bowled the tourists out before avoiding any late wickets on an enjoyable opening day, England were made to wait on Thursday as rain washed out the morning session.

When they were able to pick up the bat, England lost Ben Ducket (18) and stand-in captain Ollie Pope (6) to Asitha Fernando within the space of two overs, the Sri Lanka paceman sending the latter packing with an emphatic delivery.

The wicket of Dan Lawrence (30) left England teetering at 67-3 before Brook (56) and Smith (72 not out) took charge.

Brook saw his knock brought to an end by a ripping turner from the impressive Prabath Jayasuriya, who also accounted for Chris Woakes (25) and ended the day 2-58 from 21 overs bowled.

Playing in just his fourth Test, Smith remained unbeaten when play was abandoned due to further rain and diminishing light with 22 overs unused. 

Having reached 259-6 by that point, England hold a lead of just 23 runs and will hope for further progress on Friday, with both teams' hopes threatened by further rain being forecast throughout the next three days. 

Data Debrief: Smith closes in on century

Moving up a place to number six in the batting order, Smith showcased his potential with an assured performance on Thursday, slamming five fours and one maximum with a strike rate of 74.22.

If England are to build a more commanding first-innings advantage, they may need more of the same from the 25-year-old on Friday.

A first Test century is within his sights, having fallen five runs short against West Indies at Edgbaston last month.

Chris Woakes is eyeing a place on England's tours of Pakistan and New Zealand before the end of the year, having led their attack impressively on day one of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford.

Woakes finished with figures of 3-32 on Wednesday as England bowled Sri Lanka out for 236, with the hosts – captained by Ollie Pope with Ben Stokes out injured – reaching 22-0 by stumps.

He took on the role of attack leader after England chose to move on from their all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson, taking his tally to 14 wickets in four matches this summer.

However, Woakes has not played an away Test in over two years and is not considered a shoo-in to tour Pakistan in October or New Zealand in December.

The seamer enjoyed taking up a new role on Wednesday, though, and is positive regarding his prospects, telling BBC's Test Match Special: "I'll play for England where I'm picked to play for England. I certainly wouldn't rule myself out.

"The selectors will have their plans, but I'm certainly not going to turn down a tour if selected. We shall see.

"The more Test cricket you play, you pick up new skills and have more experience to fall back on. 

"I haven't played an away Test for a little while, but that might be a good thing because it can give you a fresh look on things. I wouldn't shy away from it."

Woakes also heaped praise upon stand-in captain Pope, adding: "Obviously it feels different not having Ben out there.

"I thought Ollie was good. He probably found himself having to switch on a little bit more than he would normally.

"He communicated with the bowlers well, talking about options and field settings. For an inexperienced captain, I thought he did a great job.

"I firmly feel we've had a great day. To bowl a team out on day one and then be none down at the close, that's always really pleasing."