Ollie Pope struggles again as England bat first against Sri Lanka

Ollie Pope registered his third successive single-figure score as stand-in England captain after Sri Lanka surprisingly elected to bowl under clear, blue skies at Lord’s.

Pope admitted he had struggled to separate his batting and leadership duties last week, making two scores of six in an otherwise successful captaincy debut as England won the first of three Tests at Emirates Old Trafford.

He was presented with a clean slate as Sri Lanka ignored the overheads and asked England to bat first but, after Lahiru Kumara’s extra pace accounted for makeshift opener Dan Lawrence , Pope horribly miscued a pull off Asitha Fernando, top-edging to opposite number Dhananjaya de Silva for one off 10 balls.

England’s generosity continued as Ben Duckett reverse swept to Kumara in the deep to give Prabath Jayasuriya a wicket in his first over as the hosts went to lunch on 97 for three.

Duckett had made a typically busy start, driving twice and late cutting once for three fours in an over off Fernando, and with early movement scant on came the pacier Kumara, included after missing out in Manchester.

Kumara had success in his first over as he persuaded Lawrence, on nine, to step out of his crease and nibble at a wider one, which had just enough movement up the slope to graze the outside edge en route to Nishan Madushka, Sri Lanka’s third wicketkeeper in three England innings.

Kumara’s next ball climbed on new batter Pope before he cut the England skipper, deputising for the injured Ben Stokes in this series, in half with one that angled back in his next over.

Pope’s luck ran out as he was cramped for room by Fernando, who had switched ends, and Dhananjaya settled under it after running to square-leg.

Joe Root clipped Fernando off his pads for four first ball and was largely assured although the probing Kumara’s impassioned lbw appeal was turned down when the Yorkshireman was on 12. A Sri Lanka review saw the on-field decision upheld as the ball would have only brushed leg stump.

Duckett had batted serenely for 40 but faltered on the reverse sweep, a shot he usually plays with such authority, as a top-edge flew to Kumara a few feet in from the deep point boundary.

Root, though, ended the session on an unbeaten 29 with Harry Brook in tow on nine not out.