Cook's perfect day

Alastair Cook's day finished superbly, but it started even better when he won a crucial toss. The Trent Bridge pitch was very green and he had no hesitation in putting Sri Lanka into bat. This was no Headingley, it was made for the fast bowlers. And in James Anderson they have one of the best around for exploiting the swinging ball. As soon as he removed Tillakaratne Dilshan in the first over the feeling was that this would be England's day. Yes, the conditions were in the home side's favour but that's how it should be. To their credit, England were good enough to make it count.

When you've waited 39 overs (spread over five matches) to take your next wicket it doesn't really matter how it comes. The pressure has been growing on Stuart Broad and the signs weren't great in his first over when an edge flew wide of second slip then another boundary flew over cover. So the relief on Broad's face was unsurprising when Suraj Randiv gloved down the leg side and even though Richard Illingworth's finger didn't take long to come up it would have felt an age for Broad.

England pride themselves on taking half chances, something that hasn't always happened in this series, and Tim Bresnan showed the way with a superb caught-and-bowled to remove the dangerous Angelo Mathews. The batsman had been squared up by a touch of extra bounce but the leading edge appeared to be looping into no-man's land on the off side. However, Bresnan continued from his follow through then stretched full length to grab the ball with his finger tips and, crucially, didn't let it slip out as he rolled on the ground. Mathews wasn't sure, but all the TV replay did was prove what a fine take it had been.

England have the best one-day bowler in the world. Take a bow Graeme Swann. The rankings tables on various websites won't show it because they are only updated after a series finishes, but Swann has moved into top spot to replace Daniel Vettori. Although he went wicketless today on his home ground - even though replays showed he should have had an lbw with his final ball - the seven wickets in the first three matches, and an impressive economy rate of 3.51, were enough to push him to the head of the pack.

This was Alastair Cook as we've rarely seen him and it was an impressive sight. His hundred at Lord's was incredible worthy but this was, hands down, his best one-day innings for England as a 37-ball fifty set the team well on their way to beating the threatening weather to level the series. The bowling was friendly and 12 off the first over kick-started the innings but, like Mahela Jayawardene, it was authentic, positive batting. How bothered was he to reach a hundred? After what he said about Dinesh Chandimal at Lord's it was probably a mix of feelings but he was able to prove a point.