51st over: England 252-3 (Pope 124, Brook 18) Sri Lanka go up for LBW, caught behind, the full monty when Pope pushes outside the line of a lovely delivery from Rathnayake. It was too high and missed the inside edge.

“I’m going to preface this by saying I’m a true believer in the McCullum/Stokes method, if only because it is much more fun than the pitiable slump that came before, but can’t help feeling that Harry Brook is going about this the wrong way and that maybe he needs to have a chat with Root about letting some of the ultra-violence go and refinding his natural rhythm,” says Will Vignoles. “With his shot-making ability and absurd power he will surely score quickly and dominate even if he isn’t trying to yeet everyone into the crowd, and at the moment it all feels a bit forced.”

It might also be that he needs a stiffer Test to really focus his mind. It doesn’t feel like a coincidence that his best innings of the summer was played when England were in a bit of bother.

50th over: England 249-3 (Pope 122, Brook 17) Pope flicks four more to the right of mid-on, this time off the bowling of Asitha. Beautiful shot. He was jittery for 10 minutes but is playing nicely now.

49th over: England 245-3 (Pope 118, Brook 17) Pope plays an outrageous shot, charging Rathnayake before whirling his wrists to get four through wide mid-on. England’s run-rate of 5.02 per over is the seventh highest by a team that was put into bat. Top of the list, a Baz special.

“That Flintoff/Hull cap presentation is brilliant,” writes Ben Heywood. “It in no way reminded me of my own first and thus far, only, cap for my adopted country (ahem).

“The Montenegro cricket side’s first game was back during the pandemic when an enterprising bunch of lads representing Estonia came to play two games over one weekend. All eleven starters that Saturday were making our international debuts, so we didn’t have any senior figure – let alone legend – to make a speech.

“Instead, the newly arrived headgear was chucked together in a bin bag on the ground next to the scorer’s chair and we all had a tussle over who got which size, on a first come first served basis. As the last member of the team to be named, I wound up with an ‘S’ that had such tight elastic I was left with an indented ring around my skull after a morning spent fielding, and during which I dropped a catch.

“In the afternoon I added two runs before getting caught at point, a meager contribution to what turned out to be an unexpected win. I’ve missed out on all subsequent selections, but every now and again I’ll get the cap out of my kit bag and stroke it with a ridiculous grin on my face, knowing that even if it was just once, I was still part of something special and albeit flukily joined a very select club indeed.

“Josh Hull must have felt ten foot tall. So only marginally taller than he actually is. Lovely.”

What a great story. I always intended to play football for San Marino one day, though that dream has probably died after the other night.

48th over: England 239-3 (Pope 113, Brook 16) Pope charges Fernando, fiddles outside off and is beaten again. He’s riding his luck like Willie Shoemaker this morning. Some good running brings England four from the over.

“A warm and sultry day in store at the Oval,” says Guy Hornsby. “After yesterday’s profligacy, I hope Sri Lanka can bowl better today. The ball is a long way from being replaced, and they only have themselves to blame for their inaccuracy, which is a real shame given how well they’ve bowled at times. After all, those less partisan of us take no joy in thrashings, and an even contest is what Test cricket is about. Brook is a huge talent but he’s vulnerable early on, too. And no, this isn’t a reverse jinx.”

They’ve started well. It helps having two right-handers, and no Ben Duckett.

47th over: England 235-3 (Pope 110, Brook 15) Rathnayake, a more disciplined bowler, replaces Kumara. Brook charges his first ball, smashes it a million miles in the air, and is dropped pitifully by Asitha Fernando on the cover boundary. To compound his misery, he then slipped over as he tried to retrieve the ball.

England could easily have lost both batsmen already. Pope, beaten in the previous over, edges an outswinger between second slip and gully for four runs. The ball is doing plenty and, unlike yesterday morning, Sri Lanka are bowling a pretty consistent line.

“Just watched Flintoff presenting Hull with his cap,” writes James Brough. “No matter how the match or the rest of his career goes, that’s a moment that’ll live with him.

“I’d also say how much I like Flintoff – he’s someone who’s been through something horrible and has talked quite openly about what it’s done to him. Stokes too. I think seeing men as physically imposing as them talking about being unable to go outside or to be around other people because of their mental state can only be a positive.”

Oh hugely. It feels like society is starting to recognise that nothing about mental health is binary, which is a really important development.

46th over: England 227-3 (Pope 105, Brook 12) Asitha Fernando starts at the other end, and I’m determined to get through an OBO stint without calling him Avisha. He holds a fifth-stump line to Brook, inviting him to drive on the up.

Brook declines the offer, preferring to charge down the pitch and force a single to deep point. Pope then chases an outswinger and is beaten. Sri Lanka have started well.

“Stuart Broad and Ricky Ponting walking round the outfield after media duties. Broad acknowledging his applause with a little wave, Punter accepting his pantomime boos with a wave of his own and the widest of smiles,” says Gary Naylor. “He might be as loved as Richie by the time he finishes if he carries on like this.”

He’s an absolute gem. I think he’s the best micro-analyst around, and seems like a great bloke. But he’ll never be as loved as Richie.

45th over: England 224-3 (Pope 103, Brook 11) Sri Lanka were speechless/perplexed by that decision, simply because the noise sounded like an outside edge. Even the umpire Joel Wilson has just asked Brook was the noise was.

Brook is not out!

WICKET? Brook given out caught behind

He reviewed it straight away so maybe he knows something we don’t.

Lahiru Kumara will resume the over he started last night. Harry Brook is on strike.

Read Barney Ronay on Ben Duckett

At the same time Duckett also very obviously chucked away his wicket. Poor execution is the mantra with this England team, not poor selection. This is how I score. Back your talent. Be where your feet are. Find your neutral space. Put a lid on the squid. Eat some pizza. Do what it takes.

“This feels like a heyday for English cricket, with genuine questions and options for selectors and coaches, for immediate use and development,” writes Bill Hargreaves. “The squad seem as though they’re in a good place. (A statement made all the more painful by the news of Graham Thorpe, a personal favourite of mine.)

“Watching Freddie Flintoff’s talk as he presented Josh Hull’s first cap was icing on top of icing on the cake. Am I being realistic here, I do I need shaking from my stupor?”

Not at all. Books will be written about this era. Books already have been written. We are so blessed to watch this life-affirming lot.

Read Ali Martin’s day one report

The Oval is Ollie Pope’s happy place, however, where everything is familiar and comfortable and his first-class numbers are celestial. And as he slotted Asitha Fernando through the covers moments before the early finish, England’s stand-in skipper had Test century number seven. Remarkably, he is the first player in history to get their first seven against different opposition.

Preamble