Joe Root's fourth ODI hundred helped England to a competitive 309 for 6 against Sri Lanka on the ground where they were bundled out for 123 just over a week ago.

He became England's youngest century-maker at a World Cup - overtaking David Gower by two years - when he square-drove Angelo Mathews for his 11th boundary after moving to 98 with his first six. This innings followed a productive 2014 for Root in one-day cricket where he scored his previous three hundreds in the space of nine months.

The last 15 overs brought 148 as England managed to revive an innings which had threatened to flag as Sri Lanka chipped away at the top order with Jos Buttler producing one of his trademark late interventions with 39 off 19 balls.

Root's hundred was followed by a 25-run over off Thisara Perera's eighth including two audacious reverse sweeps, one of which carried over third man for six. He dominated a 98-run stand in 11 overs for the fifth wicket alongside James Taylor which was England's highest for the wicket in World Cup. Root, after an innings full of skilful placement, eventually fell for a career-best 121 reverse sweeping at Rangana Herath who was forced off the field with one ball of his spell remaining when a fierce straight drive from Buttler damaged a finger.

The early exchanges suggested a better day for England after Eoin Morgan again batted first despite what happened against New Zealand. A loose opening spell from Suranga Lakmal - two overs for 28 - allowed them to race out of the blocks as did two lives, albeit fairly tough ones, handed to Ian Bell in consecutive deliveries.

Mathews introduced himself in the sixth over and brought an element of control, then provided the opening breakthrough when Moeen Ali drove to mid-off having not quite found his timing during a 26-ball stay.

Not for the first time in ODIs, Tillakaratne Dilshan also stifled England with his darting offspin. His opening spell in the 2011 World Cup quarter-final of four overs for nine runs was the beginning of the end for England's campaign and today he was able to bowl five overs for 15. He also removed the struggling Gary Ballance when the left hander tamely prodded a return catch as the life was sucked out of the innings.

Bell's innings was a microcosm of how England stalled: he reached 35 off 24 balls then his remaining 14 runs came off 30. That would not be a problem if he had kicked on towards three figures, but instead he dragged on - via inside edge and pad - during a much-improved second spell from Lakmal.

The innings was at a tipping point. Against New Zealand, England had been 103 for 3 before the Southee-induced mayhem set in. This time there was not quite the same threat from the Sri Lanka attack, although they continued to make scoring hard work as Root and Morgan followed England's preferred playbook of biding their time.

England were kept to 76 runs between overs five and 25 - Perera bowled a four-over spell for 13 and Dilshan continued to go for well under four an over. Root's fifty came from 65 deliveries, although he needed to dive for the crease to make his second, but Morgan continued to look well below his best despite a slog-swept six and a couple of punchy straight drives.

A lack of placement brought Morgan's downfall, moments before the Powerplay, when he slashed to backward point although the fielding restrictions proved productive for England as Root and Taylor added 42 in the five overs. That period included a bizarre review from Sri Lanka when a full toss took Root on the pad and was clearly missing the stumps by miles only for Mathews to ask a perplexed Bruce Oxenford to go upstairs

The pair, who are set to be part of England's future for the next decade, provided the kick the innings needed. The highlight of Taylor's run-a-ball innings was a powerful advancing pull which began Perera's expensive over before he sliced to backward point.

Buttler was greeted by a first-ball bouncer from Malinga which crashed into the ear-guard of his helmet and led to a change of equipment, but it did not disrupt him as he opened his account with a pull for four next ball. It was a curious stay for Buttler who, as well as drilling the drive back at Herath, was on the receiving end of two high full tosses in the final over which led to Lakmal being removed from the attack.

The final over, completed by Dilshan, ended up costing 22 as England went past their total against Scotland but Sri Lanka scored 332 for 1 in their previous match so will not be fearful of the task ahead.
(espncricinfo)