Live Test Match Blogging / Richard O’Hagan / 07 June 2011 / 1

The draw is big odds-on but quick England runs, a declaration and early wickets could put Sri Lanka under real pressure. Is a repeat of last Monday's events on the cards? Find out in the company of Richard O'Hagan and e-mail him at betfairliveblogger@hotmail.co.uk.

END OF GAME Sri Lanka 127-3

Swann and Pietersen rush through three overs and then the players shake hands. That was a nice defensive performance from Samaraweera, he showed a level of application that we have not seen before from him.

Thank you for following the game with betting.betfair.com. I'll be back with the close of play report shortly, and we'll all be back for the third game, when the Rose Bowl makes its Test debut.

18.00 Sri Lanka 122-3

Tremlett replaces Trott as England try to bounce out the Sri Lankans, but he gets nowhere. Finn is bowling nicely but there are only 18 overs to go now.

We are into the final hour in terms of time, but there need to be 15 overs left before play can be called off (if the captains wish - I don't see Dilshan demanding they stay out there) so a lot depends upon what happens in the next three overs

17.50 Sri Lanka 119-3

Finn is trying to get the batsmen to do something indiscreet and one gem of a ball has Samaraweera fencing outside off stump and edging through fourth slip, but neither he nor Trott are having the luck that England so badly need. And why isn't there a fourth slip?

17.40 Sri Lanka 108-3

Finn is back into the attack in place of Swann, and Prior promptly costs England two runs with some sloppy wicketkeeping. Finn then reminds Prasanna Jayawardene that there is still a game on here by hitting him in the squelchy bits. Trott is getting the ball to both wobble around and keep low. He's not been the easy target the batsmen thought he might be.

How many runs do you think Sri Lanka will make in this session. they are on 76 so far. There's at least eight overs left before play can be called off. I'd say that 110 looks a good bet, on offer at 1.4

17.30 Sri Lanka 96-3

Andrew Srauss is clearly a betting.betfair.com reader, because that was a masterstroke. I forgot to mention that Paranavitana was so shocked that he reviewed that decision, so Sri Lanka only have one left. Trott's other victim in Test cricket was Jarurul Islam of Bangladesh, at Lord's last year.

WICKET! Paranavitana lbw b Trott 44 (Sri Lanka 96-3)

In a stroke of genius, Trott is brought on and picks up a wicket with his ninth ball. Paranavitana joins the small and embarrassed club of batsmen dismissed by England's dobbliesst bowler

17.20 Sri Lanka 90-2

We are now halfway through the 58 overs available to England. If I were Strauss I'd be looking to buy a wicket, because these two are blocking all but the worst of balls. I'd stick Trott on at one end, Pietersen at the other and see what happens. If nothing else, we'll get to the point where the game can be called off a whole lot faster.

17.10 Sri Lanka 85-2

That little incident aside, there's little to give England hope here. The two batmen are playing sensibly and the England bowlers are finding nothing in the pitch to help them.

DRAMA! Samaraweera is given out leg before padding up to Swann, but he instantly asks for a review and it is clear that the ball is missing off stump by a long way

17.00 Sri Lanka 80-2

The players get a drinks break. Paranavitana isn't going to miss out on the rubbish balls even though he's trying to save this game and Broad is clobbered for two fours as he loses control.

16.50 Sri Lanka 71-2

Well, that came from nowhere. Thilan Samaraweera is in, but he hasn't enjoyed his tour so far with just that fifty in Cardiff to speak of. There's not much to come after him, so he needs to dig in here. England certainly think they have a chance of getting him cheaply and there are shouts of glee with every ball Swann bowls to him.

That wicket has shortened England's odds again. If you think they can go through this side then you need to back them now, whilst they are still 15.5

WICKET! M Jayawardene c Pietersen b Broad 25 (Sri Lanka 66/2)

Wow, that came from nowhere. Mahela had played so well and then flashes at a wider one from Broad and KP takes a blinder at fourth slip

16.40 Sri Lanka 58-1

Swann is on from the Pavilion End and England surround the bat with fielders, but nothing happens for him. At the other end Tremlett rips one past Jayawardene's outside edge, which is the closest England have come to a wicket since Sangakkara got himself out.

16.30 Sri Lanka 52-1

England have to go to Swann, surely. At least he won't sling half of the deliveries down the leg side. Tremlett looks like a broken man already, especially after Mahela brings up the Sri Lankan fifty with a couple of boundaries.

If this goes on, these two could both get to fifty before the close. At present, Paranavitana is 2.0 to reach that milestone and Mahela 2.2

16.20 Sri Lanka 35-1

A delay as the groundstaff come on to repair the crease. In the Sky box David Lloyd almost explodes with frustration. At the moment, he should be saving his ire for the England bowlers, who simply don't look like taking a wicket here. They are either bowling too wide or too straight.

Over on Twitter, Andrew Miller of ESPNCricinfo has another take on BatGate:

Here's version two, citing Flower, who was present. "Prior put bat on ledge where wall met the window. Handle bounced off wall, glass broke"

I think we should just go the traditional press route and blame Jonathan Trott

16.10 Sri Lanka 32-1

England open up with Finn and Tremlett, which will disappoint Swann as he stated before the start of play that he wanted to bowl with a newer ball, as the pitch has so little in it for him. The way that Herath was turning the ball out of the rough suggests that he might be worrying too much.

16.00 Sri Lanka 32-1

England need to start taking some wickets. This could be a long session, with 45 overs still to be bowled. There's time for them to win, but can they? They are 13.5 to do that and drifting every time an over goes by without a wicket being taken

TEA Sri Lanka 32-1

Steven Finn gets a bowl from the Pavilion End. To begin with he is too wide of off stump, almost over-rotating in his anxiety to keep the ball from going leg side. But then he relaxes and has the ball jagging back into Jayawardene down the slope. Swann bowls the last over before tea and almost bowls Paranavitana with a ball which keeps low out of the rough.

The players will now take 20 minutes in order to do some basic glazing and hunt for Chris Tremlett's missing radar. Possibly. See you at 4pm.

15.30 Sri Lanka 27-1

Graeme Swann gets an early bowl from the Nursery End but nothing dramatic happens. Broad continues at the Pavilion End and his line is good for most of the time, provoking Mahela into a big swing-and-miss. There are still too many innocuous balls from the England attack. Broad's figures look good, but today it is all about the wickets column and his is empty.

There's now an official ECB statement on the broken window pane:

"There were bats resting on the window pane. Matt Prior threw a glove into a kit bag. The glove then ricocheted into bat resting on window pan, and this broke the glass. A female spectator suffered a small cut to her ankle, it was an accident and Matt Prior has apologised."

So there you go. It was the glove's fault.

DRAMA!

jayawardene takes a suicidal single to Morgan at cover. The throw is to the non striker's end and the ball hits the rough made by the bowlers' footmarks and bounces over the stumps. On day one that would'be been out by a mile

15.20 Sri Lanka 21-1

Broad, after two good overs, gets his line all wrong, too wide to Mahela and too leg side to Paranavitana. Tremlett is definitely happier bowling at Mahela and has his length right, but he's still too wide. It isn't about conceding runs for England, they have to take wickets and the bowling is - again - not threatening enough

After Batgate, we have Rubbergate. Here's Betfair's Cricket Ambassador enjoying a Brian Johnson moment on Test Match Special. Needless to say, Agnew is involved, too (with thanks to Nick de Mestre for the tip-off)

15.10 Sri Lanka 14-1

Tremlett's line to the right handed Mahela Jayawardene is much better and has the batsman unsure of his off stump position.

England have come in to 7.2 on the back of that wicket

WICKET! Sangakkara c Morgan b Tremlett 12

Sangakkara falls to a filthy shot to a filthy ball, lazily flapping a short and wide ball into the hands of point

15.00 Sri Lanka 13-0

Broad opens up with a good over, a couple of testing balls outside off stump. Tremlett is more wayward and seems down on pace, too.

The dressing room window plot deepens. Apparently Prior broke it after being run out by Bell, and a lady sitting below was cut on the ankle by the glass. I hope Mrs Prior wasn't planning on doing anything with that match fee...

14.50 Sri Lanka 4-0

It is going to be a 58 over innings, which should take us to 7pm unless the captains call it off sooner. Tremlett's line is still too leg side but two shots fly dangerously close to short leg in that over.

The match odds still have the draw at 1.11, England at 10.5 and Sri Lanka have drifted right out to 160.

14.43 Sri Lanka 0-0

England are out early. Kumar Sangakkara adds 'acting opener' to his 'acting captain' role and accompanies Tharanga Paranavitana to the crease. His record as an opener isn't great, he's only made one fifty in his eight goes at it. It is time that he needs to bat for here, not runs, and making the batsmen play will be vital for England's bowlers. They did that far too infrequently in the first innings.

Chris Tremlett has the new ball and, oh look, the first ball goes down the leg side.

DECLARATION!

England declare on 335-7. Sri Lanka need 343 to win from 57 overs. I'll see you in ten minutes for the resumption

WICKET! Broad c P Jayawardene b Fernando 3

Lovely sportsmanship here. Broad asks Prasanna if he caught it, the 'keeper says he thinks he did. The third umpire is called upon and confirms it

NEWS

The England balcony has emptied. The declaration is coming.

FIFTY!

Ian Bell gets to fifty from only forty balls. The shot that gets him there is an ungainly one, four over the head of slip as he edges a hoick to the leg side

14.30 England 324-6

At last a more sensible passage of play. It had all gone a bit manic out there for a while. Broad has to ride a couple of short balls from Fernando; brave stuff from Dilhara when he might be in for the same treatment later.

MORE DRAMA!

Someone's broken a window in the England dressing room. That'll be a few pounds out of their match fee if it was deliberate

WICKET! Prior run out 4 (England 319-6)

Bell tries to sweep and misses, Prior backs up too far and is easily run out.

14.20 England 319-5

Prior tries to sweep his first ball and gets a top edge over slip. This is like a one day game now, and utterly chaotic for it.

Is the declaration close? Well, if it comes now there will be 60 overs left, less two for the change of innings. It might be a little early. England may go on to 350 here, which is currently priced at 3.0

WICKET Morgan c Lakmal b Fernando 4 (England 312-5 Bell 41)

Morgan clouts Fernando's first ball of a new spell for four behind square, but then fails to pick the slower ball and spoons it to wide mid off

WICKET Cook st P Jayawardene b Herath 106 (England 305-4, lead by 312)

Cook doesn't make the best of his chance and is just stumped three balls later. End of a fantastic innings from Cook - and how often have we said that recently?

DROPPED!

Now Cook gets a double life. He gives Herath a charge (yes, you read that correctly), gets an outside edge and Prasanna Jayawardene both drops it and misses the stumping

HUNDRED!

Another hundred from Alastair Cook. That's his eighteenth in Test cricket. The record is 22 and at this rate Cook could beat it before 2011 is out

14.00 England 296-3

Maharoof gifts Bell another run with a misfield (how do you misfield at Lord's, I've seen bumpier bowling greens?) before the batsman flogs Herath through cover for a glorious four. That's 52 runs off 39 balls for this partnership and the lead is 303

DRAMA!

Bell's having an interesting afternoon. He tries to steal a quick single to cover. The fielder hits the stumps directly but Billy Doctrove gives it not out. Replays show that it was out by an inch, Bell contributing to his 'downfall' by running a diagonal rather than a straight line

DROPPED!

Bell tries to hit Herath inside out over cover, skies the ball and Maharoof takes a good diving catch - and then drops the ball as he lands

13.50 England 276-3

England are on the attack here. Bell hits Herath's third ball of the session over the bowler's head for four, whilst Cook's first shot is a reverse paddle for a single. Both of them then give Lakmal the charge. When Alastair Cook is charging you, you know that the thrash is on!

I still think England want around 325 here, and they are still 1.7 to make that

13.40 England 260-3 - lead by 267

I have a theory about what happened in that last session. I think that Cook and Pietersen got a signal that they were scoring too quickly and that Sri Lanka were either going to be left a target that they wouldn't chase because it was too high, or too many overs in which to get a lower target. They slowed down and then couldn't get going again, leaving England slightly short of where they wanted to be at lunch.

There's going to be a declaration sometime in this session. I reckon it will be around 2.30, which should leave about 55 overs in the day. England need to get a move on, though.

LUNCH England 260-3 Cook 87 Bell 13

Ian Bell opens his account with three fours off Fernando. That's 111 runs in the session for England, probably 15 or so shy of what they would have wanted. They'll definitely go on after the break now.

The draw is still 1.11 favourite. England have drifted out to 10 after Pietersen's wicket, but Sri Lanka are now at 95

Join me in 40 minutes for the resumption

WICKET! Pietersen b Herath 72 (England 244-3)

Herath finally comes over the wicket to Pietersen and his third ball does the trick, ripping out of the rough outside leg stump and taking out the off peg. End of a fine knock by KP

12.40 England 241-2

Herath is getting turn and bounce from that rough on a regular basis now. Graeme Swann must be salivating, and it isn't even bangers and mash for lunch.

Another possibility here is that England go on until these two are either out or both reach a hundred. Both have drifted in a bit, with Cook perhaps a little short at 1.13 given what happened in the first innings and Pietersen 1.45

12.30 England 236-2

Sri Lanka have managed to put the brakes on a little, and it is fair to say that England will be batting again after lunch. Fernando gets a short one to leap and fizz past Pietersen, then another to boom into his body, which will interest England's bowlers. There's also some cloud rolling in from the west. If England can pick up the run rate a bit over the next twenty overs we could be in for a very interesting finish here.

REVIEW!

Sri Lanka go up for a bat pad catch as Pietersen bumps one to silly point, but there is no bat on that and they waste a review challenging it

12.20 England 232-2

England are going at approximately a run a minute here. I'm surprised that Maharoof hasn't bowled this morning, he looked the pick of their attack yesterday.

The draw is still looking the favoured result here at 1.12, but - frankly - if Sri Lanka bat as poorly as they have bowled then England's current odds of 9.6 look very good,

12.10 England 224-2

Prasanna Jayawardene drops a difficult chance down the leg side as Pietersen gets an inside edge to a ball from Fernando. I'd have caught it, but then I'm almost a foot taller than he is. Otherwise, that's another hundred partnership for England. Then Cook has a stroke of luck as Herath finally turns one out of the rough and he inside edges for four to fine leg

12.00 England 210-2

I'd love to see KP get a hundred here. He's look a lot more confident now and he's 1.81 to turn this into a three figure knock

In a shock move, a match referee has done something sensible. Javagal Srinath has told the umpires that if the floodlights are on they are not to take the players off for bad light, as they did yesterday. Good for him. I liked him as a player and I like him as an official.

11.50 England 206-2

This really is too easy for England now. Lakmal has bowled one or two good balls to Cook, and Pietersen almost got himself stumped by being a little too eager to attack Herath, but apart from that it has been one way traffic at Lord's today.

The other big piece of cricket news is that Cricket Australia have left Simon Katich off their over-long list of 25 centrally contracted players. He has come back before, but I really cannot believe that he is a worse option than Philip Hughes, an opener flakier than a winding day in the Cadbury's Flake factory

FIFTY!

A single off Lakmal takes KP to a much needed 50. This hasn't been vintage Pietersen by any means, but he is slowly coming back to form here.

11.40 England 192-2

The rate with which these two are progressing makes England's declaration conundrum all the harder. The faster they score, the faster they reach a target but then they leave Sri Lanka more runs to reach it in. I think they will now look for around 325 before declaring with about 55 overs left. That score is currently on offer at 1.7 and looks a decent bet to me.

11.30 England 183-2

Welegedara concedes ten off the bat and the inevitable no-ball, including two classic drives from Pietersen, one though mid off and one through extra cover.

This series has seen at least one injury stoppage per session (on average). I wonder what Brian Close would make of it all. I'm pretty certain he was the toughest man to play this game (other than me, of course). Are there any other contenders for that crown? Email me at betfairliveblogger@hotmail.co.uk with your suggestions

OUCH!

Lakmal oversteps again, but the ball bounces sharply, raps KP on the right glove and then on the wrist and he's in need of some treatment. Looks like he will be OK, though.

11.20 England 168-2

Pietersen opens his account for the day with a risky edge though slip, driving with his hands well in front of his body. Cook, on the other hand, looks in sublime form, cutting Welegedara for four behind point. He's now a mere 1.5 to go on to a hundred here.

Portuguese Pirate has the honour of the day's first email:

Two front-foot no balls have been bowled in the last 15 minutes. I can see why there's more leniency in Test cricket regarding the calling of wides but not why the front-foot no-ball rule is different in Tests to ODIs/T20s. If it's exactly the same offence why do batsmen not get a free hit in Test cricket? During a particularly monotonous session of cautious batting it would give the crowd something to look forward to and would make the bowler be that little bit more cautious next time.

My view on this is that I have never been convinced that this works in the one day game. I think this Sri Lankan side would still no-ball if you made the pitch ten yards long. If you don't practice bowling from the right place, you are not going to bowl properly in a match situation.

11.10 England 154-2

A quiet start with just five off the first two overs, four of them an exquisite cover drive from Cook. The other was the inevitable Sri Lankan no-ball. Sky show them practicing and overstepping every ball, so it is no wonder they are donating free runs to England here

11.00 England 149-2

Kevin Pietersen and the mercurial Alastair Cook follow the umpires onto the pitch. The Sri Lankans are ready and the sun is shining. It should be a cracking day's cricket.

I had an interesting experience this morning. I went to put my contact lenses in and one of them had turned hexagonal overnight. I thought this sort of weirdness only happened to Derek Pringle.

BREAKING NEWS

Tillakaratne Dilshan has a hairline fracture of the thumb and will only bat if necessary. He is almost certain to be out of next week's Test at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, too.

10.45

Whilst you wait for the 11am start, why not read Jaymes Monte's round up of yesterday here

ODDS

The draw is the firm favourite in the market at 1.1. England are at 12.0 and Sri Lanka 65.0. Expect Sri Lanka's odds to get even longer if it turns out that Dilshan cannot bat. So far the visitors are keeping pretty quiet about that, but we are going to find out one way or the other later today.

PREVIEW

Well, this is interesting. It is not often you get to the final day with a Test as finely poised as this. We have the possibility of play until 7pm and all three results are possible.

Sri Lanka are in the perverse position where they could actually bowl too well. If England are not scoring runs and/or are losing wickets then they are likely to try to bat Sri Lanka out of the game. England, on the other hand, could delay declaring for too long and not leave themselves enough time to dismiss Sri Lanka a second time. Their ideal scenario is for Sri Lanka's popgun attack to leak runs, allow them to get to a lead of around 275 and leave Sri Lanka 50 overs to get them. Cardiff couldn't happen again, could it?

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1. jayesh | 19 June 2011

   hi ng vs sl match drawn

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