England receive all-clear in latest set of Covid-19 tests in Sri Lanka

Moeen Ali remains the only positive case among the 23 players, their coaches and support staff following results from PCR tests carried out in Hambantota on Thursday

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Bairstow: My game is in the best place it's been

England received more good news on Friday as the latest set of Covid-19 tests on the travelling party in Sri Lanka came back negative.

Moeen Ali remains the only positive case among the 23 players, their coaches and support staff following results from PCR tests carried out in Hambantota on Thursday.

Moeen, who had tested negative prior to departure from Heathrow last week, remains in isolation in a separate part of the team hotel. His quarantine period is due to expire on January, the day before the scheduled start of the first Test.

The all-clear bodes well for the two-match tour, which had briefly seemed under threat after Moeen's diagnosis.

Chris Woakes, with whom Moeen shared a car en route to the team's flight, is in precautionary isolation after being deemed a "close contact" of his teammate. He also tested negative on Thursday.

^{England captain Joe Root}

The rest of England's squad and reserve players enjoyed middle practice on Friday, as a two-day intra-squad match began in Hambantota.

Jonny Bairstow, who is expected to bat at No.3 in the Tests following his recall to the red-ball squad, is eager to get the chance to prove his selection right.

“I genuinely think my game is in the best place it’s been,” he said. “Obviously, there have been periods where I’ve wanted to work on different bits and people have said that my technique’s changed. Look, that’s fine. Techniques do change – they’re ever-evolving.

“I think the work which I’ve put into my game and the runs that I’ve got left in the tank over the next three, four, five years is definitely something [where] I believe I can be a huge contributor to English cricket in the Test arena. I’ve proved it in the past.

“I’m content with where I am in my head at the moment and I’m excited about what is to come with my red-ball stuff. That’s a good place to be.”