Sri Lanka v England: second ODI – as it happened

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2014/nov/29/sri-lanka-v-england-second-odi-live

Version 0 of 1.

12.14pm GMT12:14

Right, that’s enough picking apart of that carcass. Save room for Wednesday as there could well be another one to feast on.

Thanks for joining me - enjoy the rest of your weekend. It’ll only get better from here...

12.00pm GMT12:00

Sky’s discussion was as frank as you’d expect with Bob Willis still seething from his 3am wake-up call. Understandably so when you consider he left his flotation tank for *that*.

KP’s added his voice to the numerous calling for Cook to step aside in ODI cricket. The suggestion that it would be foolish to install a new captain when a World Cup is around the corner just doesn’t hold water. His poor form with the bat effects what little vibrancy he has as a captain.

. @carbs646 chatting in the Sky studio, would do a much better job opening than Cook... #SLvENG

Updated at 12.04pm GMT

11.43am GMT11:43

Sri Lanka win by 8 wickets!

Sangakkara finishes it with a lovely lofted straight thump for four. England clueless - Cook and his bowlers unable to conjure up anything to disrupt this run chase. Meanwhile, on Twitter...

Dear Alastair, if you care about England's chances this winter, pls resign and just concentrate on Test cricket...#getHalesin

11.41am GMT11:41

34th over: Sri Lanka 182-2 (Sangakkara 63, Jayawardene 77)

Finally, some class from Sanga. Inside out over cover for four; hop skip and slap over mid on for another and then a timed push into the legside for a single.

11.39am GMT11:39

33rd over: Sri Lanka 173-2 (Sangakkara 54, Jayawardene 77)

Harry Gurney, whose nickname is Phil Jones, is back into the attack. A four is flicked around the corner and then a six is slapped over the the bowler’s head. Mahela’s as bored of this as we are.

11.34am GMT11:34

“If England can take any consolation from this depressing-looking series, then the rehabilitation of Finn might be it. England need him back in Tests.”

Spot on from Kevin Wilson, as John Starbuck takes his turn on the “Cook Out” drum.

“Has any one of the bowlers, maybe Ravi Bopara, in the current side got much in the way of a captaincy record? It’s obvious we need heftier firepower at the top of the order and more effective bowlers, but most of all we need someone who can read the game better and make instant adjustments. Meticulous planning is all very well, but genius is really required these days.”

11.32am GMT11:32

32nd over: Sri Lanka 157-2 (Sangakkara 51, Jayawardene 64) [TARGET 186]

Mahela cloths a reverse sweep - an edge, in fact - and the ball bisects the keeper and slip for four. He tries it again and misses completely, though Buttler’s reaction suggests there might have been an edge. Now Mahela’s charging and he clears mid off comfortably for another boundary.

11.29am GMT11:29

31st over: Sri Lanka 148/2 (Sangakkara 51, Jayawardene 55) [TARGET 186]

Sangakkara decides a bit late to pull Chris Woakes and wears one on the shoulder. Eoin Morgan runs in from point to take a chance that doesn’t exist. A much better attempt sees Gurney doing good work at fine-leg to stop the four. But it’s two to Kumar and fifty (80 balls; 5 fours).

11.24am GMT11:24

30th over: Sri Lanka 143-2 (Sangakkara 48, Jayawardene 53) [TARGET 186]

Mahela brings up his 76th ODI fifty (8th versus England) as he reaches for a ball outside off stump and paddles it behind square on the legside for a single. Sangakkara then skips to Tredwell and forces the ball down the ground, just wide of Ali at mid on, for four. That’s the hundred partnership. Bit of cat and mouse, as Mahela feigns to skip, Tredwell goes wider, and Mahela stays where he is and guides the ball behind point for a couple.

“England are still just about in this match,” says a presumably intoxicated Tom Gucht. “If they were to winkle out a few wickets (say around 4-6 of them) in the next few overs, then this contest would have a completely different complexion to it.”

Fair point...

11.19am GMT11:19

THIS

John Cleese was wrong about English cricket. The hope is worse, but the despair isn't so hot either. https://t.co/30ACaRVXFk

11.17am GMT11:17

29th over: Sri Lanka 134-2 (Sangakkara 43, Jayawardene 49) [TARGET 186]

Chris Woakes bends his back but is too wide and is cut over point for four by Sangakkara. He corrects and the ball is driven firmly back to him. He reacts in time, dropping his hands in his follow-through and getting them both to the ball, but he shells the catch. Difficult but definitely should have been taken. Four more runs to Sangakkara with two shots to midwicket - the first more convincing than the second - complete his lot for this over.

11.13am GMT11:13

28th over: Sri Lanka 126-2 (Sangakkara 34, Jayawardene 49)

Finally, something.

Jayawardene sweeps aerially, as Tredwell floats one up, and Steven Finn dives, one-handed, but was never really expected to take that.

Ultimately, nothing.

11.09am GMT11:09

27th over: Sri Lanka 120-2 (Sangakkara 34, Jayawardene 44) [TARGET 186]

They’ve put the lights on. Bumble and Sir Ian are joking about the rain.

11.06am GMT11:06

26th over: Sri Lanka 119-2 (Sangakkara 34, Jayawardenene 45) [TARGET 186]

Four from this one.

11.03am GMT11:03

25th over: Sri Lanka 115-2 (Sangakkara 32, Jayawardene 41) [TARGET 185]

Bopara’s milked for six runs, as England dally about. I wish I could give you more.

10.58am GMT10:58

24th over: Sri Lanka 109-2 (Sangakkara 28, Jayawardene 39) [TARGET 186]

Moeen returns but even Sangakkara is looking at ease, now. The math helps; there’s no need for these two, with 8 wickets in hand, to do anything differently. A full toss drifts down the legside and Kumar helps it on its way for four.

Meanwhile, Ian Copestake is back: “Is England suffering from a devoidance (sic) of ideas or are we merely displaying the peak of our capacity/ability? If the latter shouldn’t we just be very proud of them for punching at their own weight and not getting above themselves?”

That’s some impressive positive-taking from you, Ian. A job in the England coaching staff awaits...

10.53am GMT10:53

23rd over: Sri Lanka 102-2 (Sangakkara 23, Jayawardene 37) [TARGET 186]

Ravi Bopara turns his arm over with Buttler up to the stumps. Sangakkara looks awkward, but manages to scramble a single from a deflected-stop by Ian Bell at short-midwicket.

10.48am GMT10:48

22nd over: Sri Lanka 100-2 (Sangakkara 22, Jayawardene 36) [TARGET 186]

Delicate from Jayawardene as he, along with Bumble, mock Cook’s lack of first slip. Mahela chooses go with a late little roll of the wrist. Bumble goes for an impression of the Wealdstone Raider. “You’ve got no slip,” he utters, as Beefy, oblivious to the reference, chunters through the rest of the over. Finn tries some short stuff but it’s all rather meh.

10.43am GMT10:43

21st over: Sri Lanka 92-2 (Jayawardene 30, Sangakkara 21) [TARGET 186]

Sangakkara is nearly undone by a Tredders Slider - pulled pork, bacon and brie - as he makes room to cut and has to play the shot as a defensive measure to save his off stump. Just a single from the over but Sri Lanka cruising.

Updated at 10.44am GMT

10.40am GMT10:40

20th over: Sri Lanka 91-2 (Sangakkara 20, Jayawardene 30) [TARGET 186]

Finn back into the attack as England chase wickets. Nothing threatening, really, from the first four balls. That’s no slight on Steven, of course, who’s suffering from a bit of ring-rust. A word from Root and Cook calls for the helmet, with the former occupying short-leg and giving Mahela something to think about. Square leg has been brought up and Mahela immediately tries to find that region, but the ball passes just over leg stump with nothing on it. The next one - shorter, faster - is ducked under.

10.34am GMT10:34

19th over: Sri Lanka 89-2 (Sangakkara 19, Jayawardene 29) [TARGET 186]

Very loose from Sangakkara, who tries to drive inside out and squirts the ball in the air but between point and cover. Mahela is far more settled and skips down the wicket to flay the ball to midwicket, where it is fielded by Joe Root. Tredwell, getting minimal pace off the pitch, allows Sangakkara to sit back punch another 1.

10.30am GMT10:30

18th over: Sri Lanka 85-2 (Sangakkara 17, Jayawardene 27) [TARGET 186]

“CATCH!” comes the cry from behind the stumps, as Sangakkara goes early at Gurney but the ball drops well short of mid off. Jayawardene then gets on strike and chips over square leg for four with a well-timed flick. Gurney over-corrects outside off stump and Mahela just checks his drive to the man deep third man.

Updated at 10.30am GMT

10.26am GMT10:26

17th over: Sri Lanka 78-2 (Sangakkara 15, Jayawardene 22) [TARGET 186]

A few flicks into the legside for no run is followed by a deft dab through a vacant first slip for two runs. He finally pierces the legside ring with a hard, slow sweep that is fielded by Moeen Ali down at fine leg. Sangakkara faces the last ball with company at slip and extra cover, but is allowed to punch off the back foot for a single.

10.23am GMT10:23

16th over: Sri Lanka 74-2 (Sangakkara 14, Jayawardene 26) [TARGET 186]

Gurney is reintroduced after the drinks break. He’s starting around the wicket to Jayawardene, who clamps down on a back of a length ball , angled in at his middle stump, and takes a single into the legside. He rolls his fingers over one to Sangakkara, but it’s too short to cause too much trouble, as Kumar waits and tickles it around the corner with his pad to return the strike. Another leg bye follows.

10.16am GMT10:16

15th over: Sri Lanka 71-2 (Sangakkara 14, Jayawardene 18) [TARGET 185]

Jayawardene uses some of Tredwell’s pace to dab third man, who’s up in the circle, for two. The last three balls are then dotted up by Sangakkara, who can’t quite get enough room to pierce the offside field.

10.13am GMT10:13

14th over: Sri Lanka 68-2 (Sangakkara 14, Jayawardene 15) [TARGET 185]

Sangakkara relives a bit of personal pressure by tucking Ali around the corner for four. The next ball is far less convincing as Ali, around the wicket, drags back his length and has Sangakkara charging and thick-edging a drive just over the head of cover, which plugs for 2.

10.11am GMT10:11

“Not having seen Gurney before,” writes Ian Copestake, “I had an odd frisson of fear thinking Brendan Rogers was now influencing selection and had managed to play Joe Allen.”

Hmmmmm, not sure I see it... anyone else?

10.10am GMT10:10

13th over: Sri Lanka 61-2 (Sangakkara 8, Jayawardene 14) [TARGET 186]

James Tredwell into the attack and he keeps Sangakkara honest with with his first ball, which is inexplicably dubbed a hat-trick chance, given he finished his last match with two wickets in two balls. Not for me thanks, Clive. Sangakkara gets width and cuts but the man on the offside boundary mops up.

10.06am GMT10:06

12th over: Sri Lanka 59-2 (Sangakkara 7, Jayawardene 13) [TARGET 186]

Jayawardene gets a good chunk on a lofted sweep shot, which goes to the square leg boundary. Steven Finn does his best to pat the ball back into play, but his long legs press off the boundary sponge. The next ball drifts wide before the fifth ball of the over turns and is gloved between the keeper and leg-slip for another four.

10.03am GMT10:03

Greetings, from Simon McMahon:

“Sooooooo, just the 25,000 ODI runs between the pair at the crease now. Required rate of 4 an over with wickets in hand. I’ll be honest, it’s not looking good for England right now.”

With you there.

10.03am GMT10:03

11th over: Sri Lanka 48-2 (Sangakkara 7, Jayawardene 3) [TARGET 186]

Gurney gets away with one, as Jayawardene paddles a poor ball wide of leg stump to the man on the fine leg boundary. A scampered single elicits a run out chance, but the throw from Cook misses the stumps at the nonstriker’s end (Sangakkara the man in danger).

Updated at 10.03am GMT

9.59am GMT09:59

10th over: Sri Lanka 45-2 (Sangakkara 6, Jayawardene 1) [TARGET 186]

Ali gets away with a long-hop which holds up in the pitch and means Jayawardene has to delay his attempted sweep, which robs it of its venom. He sweeps harder at the fourth ball and gets enough glove on the ball to survive a coughed appeal from Moeen.

9.56am GMT09:56

9th over: Sri Lanka 42-2 (Sangakkara 5, Jayawardene 0) [TARGET 186]

Gurney replaces Finn and starts with two balls that go across Mahela and have him feeling for the ball. Cook responds by putting in a slip and Gurney bowls a wide down the legside **grumble**. A fielder is then brought in a short-cover but Mahela has no interest in attacking just yet.

9.51am GMT09:51

8th over: Sri Lanka 31-2 (Sangakkara 5, Jayawardene 0) [TARGET 186]

Oooooh, close shout for LBW, as Ali beats Sangakkara on the inside edge. They decide against a review and it’s a smart decision with stump impact registering within the “umpires call” region. Sangakkara then gets a leading edge to get off strike and Dilshan, trying the same trick, skies one to mid-on. The next ball is the loosest of the lot and Sangakkara rocks back and cracks it through point for four.

9.50am GMT09:50

WICKET! Dilshan c Woakes b Ali 26 (Sri Lanka 37-2)

Dilshan advances at Ali and tries to hack with the turn, but the ball holds its line and he ends up skewing the ball in the air. The catch could have been taken by one of three people converging at mid-on.

9.45am GMT09:45

7th over: Sri Lanka 36-1 (Dilshan 26, Sangakkara 0) [TARGET 186]

An LBW appeal starts the over off but, upon consultation, Finn tells Cook he reckons Dilshan got an inside edge. As it happens, it was missing leg stump, anyway. The third ball is played superbly by Dilshan, timing the ball straight down the ground for four. His next shot is nowhere near as silky, or effective, as he under-edges an off-cutter straight into his front pad. A riser angles into the shoulder, but the batsman is quick to turn with the bounce and flay the ball fine for a one-bounce boundary.

9.41am GMT09:41

6th over: Sri Lanka 28-1 (Dilshan 18, Sangakkara 0) [TARGET: 186]

Good from Cook, this, as Moeen Ali’s off spin gets a go. Good pace and drift from Ali sees Sangakkara having to adjust the position of his bat a few times, just to insure his pad is out of harm’s way.

9.37am GMT09:37

5th over: Sri Lanka 27-1 (Dilshan 17, Sangakkara 0) [TARGET: 186]

Perera fails to get the ball above or beyond Bopara at square leg and Finn has his first wicket of the tour. Kumar Sangakkara is the new man, and he defends a couple and watches the others, as Finn registers the first maiden of the innings.

9.34am GMT09:34

WICKET! Perera c Bopara b Finn 9 (Sri Lanka 27-1)

Finn changes to around the wicket and it pays off straight away - a back of the length ball into the body cramps Perera, who tries to flick the ball through square leg, but can only find the palms of Bopara.

9.33am GMT09:33

4th over: Sri Lanka 27-0 (Dilshan 17, K.Perera 9) [TARGET: 186]

Woakes settling into a nice rhythm, cramping both batsmen for space. He holds one up, with the use of the pitch, and it’s loosely pushed from Perera, but just past short-extra cover.

9.30am GMT09:30

Morning, Paul Frame:

“If England are going to insist on a 6/7 of Buttler and Bopara,” he begins, “isn’t the only way England can make it work is that it gives the top order license to go out and try to smack the bowling around?”

It’s that middle order which is used to justify the top order faffing about. Less of this “logic” please, Paul...

9.27am GMT09:27

3rd over: Sri Lanka 22-0 (Dilshan 16, K.Perera 5) [TARGET 186]

Kusal’s off the mark with an aerial drive through cover. Finn’s pace helps, allowing the pint-sized puncher to throw his hands at the ball. Change in length sees Finn serve up a good yorker, before Kusal drops one behind point for a single. Dilshan can’t get Finn away - good last 5 from Finn.

9.23am GMT09:23

2nd over: Sri Lanka 17-0 (Dilshan 16, K.Perera 0) [TARGET 186]

Woakes, right arm over the wicket, starts with an optimistic appeal for LBW against the pint-sized southpaw. Dilshan takes the strike off a leg-bye. He gets two runs through a wristy hack to the leg-side, which just misses his leg stump. Good finish to the over, as Dilshan has to check a flamboyant drive, as Woakes gets one angling into his toes.

9.18am GMT09:18

1st over: Sri Lanka 12-0 (Dilshan 12, K.Perera 0) [TARGET: 186]

Steven Finn takes the first over and it’s pricey. The first ball offered some promise - a bouncer that hurried Dilshan into a hook, which flew over the keeper for four. The third ball screamed “slap me through the legside” and Dilshand obliges. A third four comes through a slightly mistimed drive down the ground, which Joe Root fails haul back in. Finn finishes with a back of a length ball that has Dilshan rubbing his side during the over break.

9.14am GMT09:14

And we’re back underway in Colombo...

9.08am GMT09:08

A first e-mail of the morning - HUZZAH! And, of course, it’s Gary Naylor:

“Vish - your email address lasts longer than most England innings.

“Sure it’s not an easy pitch to cruise along at a run a ball, but really! Is that the best that the best seven batsmen in England can offer? The end of the World Cup and a blank sheet cannot come quickly enough.”

8.59am GMT08:59

Some half-time reactions for you...

England have been bowled out 6 times in their last 7 ODIs.

England played on (4 counting Moeen) half as many times as they hit the ball to the boundary (8). SL need 186 at a stroll for 2-0 #SLvEng

'Nick, you make the same points over and over again...' Charlie Colvile comes up with a variation of the humble brag.

James Tredwell unbeaten #takethepositives #Tredinker

England’s innings summed in one picture (by @garethcopley) pic.twitter.com/mzSEtZTMi0

Updated at 9.00am GMT

8.52am GMT08:52

It would be odd for England to bat well in two consecutive ODIs so, fair play, they’ve resorted to type here. Special mentions to Ravi Bopara and Joe Root, who did OK.

Michael Carberry has the misfortune of being sandwiched between Bob Willis and Charles Colville, but he was lamenting the lack of dynamism in the top order (he’d add some) and England’s lack of singles.

Even Nick Knight’s angry: “I’m mighty frustrated at what we’ve seen.”

MIGHTY

8.45am GMT08:45

43rd over: England 185 all out

Prasad into the attack to pinch himself a second wicket. Tredwell greets him with a slap through point for two. The second shot in anger is far less convincing, as Tredders rocks back and top edges behind square on the legside for a single. Gurney’s off the mark with a deflection to third man. Tredwell’s top-edging again, just short of fine leg, before Gurney sees out the over with another guided shot, this time onto the base of his middle stump.

8.44am GMT08:44

WICKET! Gurney b Prasad 1 (England 185 all out)

Gurney drags a full-length ball onto his stumps. That’s it - England fail to bat till the end (an abbreviated 45 overs, lest we forget).

8.38am GMT08:38

42nd over: England 180-9 (Tredell 5, Gurney 0)

A maiden, two wickets, an appeal and a pretty chuffed Ajantha Mendis. Nothing to see here.

8.37am GMT08:37

WICKET! Finn b Mendis 0 (England 180-9)

Finn gets a good stride in, elbow high, and plays the picture perfect forward drive and holds the pose. Bowled through the gate by the off-spinner.

8.34am GMT08:34

WICKET! Bopara c Mathews b Mendis 51 (England 180-8)

Herath drops his length and Ravi goes down on one knee and slaps the ball straight to mid-wicket. Well, maybe not straight - it was a sharp take from Mathews, diving down to his right. Grim

8.33am GMT08:33

41st over: England 180-7 (Bopara 51, Tredwell 5)

Morning all - it gives me great pleasure to tell you that Ravi has his fifty. It’s his 14th in ODI cricket. Tredwell and Ravi then exchange the strike, leading to a reviewed run out after the ball is thrown in at the striker’s end, hits Tredwell’s heel and goes onto the stumps. Nonsense review, considering Tredwell was past the stumps when the bails fell.

8.27am GMT08:27

40th over: England 174-7 (Bopara 49, Tredwell 1)

Dropped! Bopara top-edges the ball way up into the air, between Mathews, running out, and Perera, running in. The former dives and drops, when had he not been there Perera would surely have had a better chance of holding on to it. Reprieved, he ends up grabbing seven runs from the first four deliveries of the over, only to see Woakes fall from No5. I now have to move my car from a yellow line in Kings Cross, leaving Vish to take you through the rest of the innings. Emails to vithushan.ehantharajah.casual@theguardian.com, please. Bye!

8.25am GMT08:25

WICKET! Woakes st Sangakkara b Mendis 15 (England 173-7)

Mendis trots down the pitch, tries to hit through the ball, misses it and is stumped. That whole run-down-the-pitch, hit-down-the-ground thing has only been attempted half a dozen times by any England batsman today, and it’s cost three wickets.

8.21am GMT08:21

39th over: England 166-6 (Bopara 42, Woakes 15)

And then back to normality, with three singles. A couple of decent shots, but both flew straight to a fielder.

Updated at 8.21am GMT

8.20am GMT08:20

38th over: England 163-6 (Bopara 40, Woakes 14)

No England batsman has scored at better than a run a ball, and only one has come anywhere close – Bell’s 11 came off 12 deliveries. But this is their best over, by a distance – Bopara drives down the ground for a couple, the ball fielded on the rope, and another flicks off Woakes’ bat, through the wicketkeeper and away for four, and this is the tourists’ first double-figures over.

Updated at 8.21am GMT

8.15am GMT08:15

37th over: England 153-6 (Bopara 35, Woakes 9)

Herath bowls, and after a couple of dots Bopara works the ball to cover for a single to bring up 150 runs for England. It’s already, with eight over of their innings remaining and all 45 of Sri Lanka’s, difficult to see any outcome to this match except another home win. Every delivery from then brings a single, but England need to apply pressure to accelerator if they’re to set a challenging target.

8.10am GMT08:10

36th over: England 149-6 (Bopara 33, Woakes 7)

As Prasad prepares to bowl, the umpire swooshes his arm to signal the start of the powerplay, and Bopara celebrates by finding a couple of fielders and leaving a couple, before eventually sending an accidental full toss off his ribs to third man for a single (and a no ball). Woakes immediately edges the ball just wide of third man for four. I’ll repeat that, with due emphasis: FOUR! FOOOOOOUUUUUURRRRR! It’s England’s first for 12 and a bit overs, so it’s worth celebrating.

8.05am GMT08:05

35th over: England 143-6 (Bopara 32, Woakes 3)

Four singles and a leg bye from Herath’s sixth over, with England still bogged down in a deep and heavy funk.

8.02am GMT08:02

34th over: England 138-6 (Bopara 29, Woakes 2)

Oooh! Woakes is dropped (possibly) behind the stumps, though he might not actually have hit the ball. Oooof! Prasad gets the ball to move slightly off the seam and away from Bopara, whose bat is left hanging optimistically as the ball swooshes past. There’s then a quite lengthy delay while the batsman fiddles with a stud, so to speak.

7.56am GMT07:56

33rd over: England 135-6 (Bopara 27, Woakes 1)

Buttler’s delivery leaves England’s innings in a particularly unpromising place. Mendis’s fifth over is plundered for three singles, and time, overs and wickets are all running out in a slightly depressing fashion.

7.53am GMT07:53

32nd over: England 132-6 (Bopara 25, Woakes 0)

Prasad’s first ball is prodded through the covers by Buttler for a couple, which is very much the high point of the over from England’s point of view. There follows two dot balls, a wicket and a couple more dot balls. A good first over, you’d have to say.

7.51am GMT07:51

WICKET! Buttler b Prasad 7 (England 132-6)

Prasad bowls for the first time today, and on TMS they declare that Buttler will be licking his lips at the prospect of some orthodox pace at this stage in the innings. The rest is frankly inevitable from there. That one deflected into the stumps off the bat (Buttler also played on against Prasad on Wednesday).

7.44am GMT07:44

31st over: England 130-5 (Bopara 25, Buttler 5)

Mendis bowls, and after a few dot balls Bopara paddles the ball over his left shoulder and runs a sharp two. A couple of singles follow, and then some drinks.

7.42am GMT07:42

30th over: England 126-5 (Bopara 22, Buttler 4)

Excellent variety from Mathews, whose shifting pace befuddles Bopara in particular and lead to England taking just two runs from the over. England are two-thirds of the way through their innings and on course (if they don’t score faster towards the end of the innings, which of course they will, but still) for 189.

7.37am GMT07:37

29th over: England 124-5 (Bopara 21, Buttler 3)

England have unstrapped their skates again, presumably briefly, following Root’s dismissal. Mendis bowls, and the batsmen scurry four singles.

7.36am GMT07:36

28th over: England 120-5 (Bopara 19, Buttler 1)

Mathews bowls the day’s first proper bouncer, though it’s banged in so hard and so short that it clears Buttler’s bonce by about two feet and is called a wide.

7.31am GMT07:31

WICKET! Root lbw b Mathews 42 (England 117-5)

Root’s gone, caught so resolutely lbw the appeal couldn’t possibly be denied. He should really have been out in over 18, and although he debates what would have been a ludicrous review, Bopara tells him not to bother.

Updated at 7.32am GMT

7.28am GMT07:28

27th over: England 117-4 (Root 42, Bopara 18)

Four more singles here, and I’d probably tell you more were it not for …

7.26am GMT07:26

26th over: England 113-4 (Root 40, Bopara 15)

Sri Lanka’s fielding, and their positioning, has been pretty good here. I can only think of one fielding error, very early in the innings, when the ball was stopped on the boundary and then thrown, rather than directly to the wicketkeeper, wide of the supporting fielder, who missed it, at the cost of a run. More good fielding restricts England to five singles off Mathews’ over.

7.22am GMT07:22

25th over: England 108-4 (Root 38, Bopara 13)

Jeevan Mendis does some bowling, and England compile another seven runs in ones and twos.

7.18am GMT07:18

24th over: England 101-4 (Root 35, Bopara 10)

Another boundary! England are slowly, gently strapping on their skates, and Root hits Perera’s first delivery to the long leg boundary to prove it. Seven runs off the over, second only to over 22’s eight. Meanwhile in Sharjah, Brendon McCullum has hit the fourth-fastest Test double century in all cricket. 186 balls, it took him. New Zealand are 348-1, replying to Pakistan’s first-innings 351.

7.13am GMT07:13

23rd over: England 94-4 (Root 29, Bopara 9)

Herath bowls and Root hits the ball in the air, deliberately, which nobody’s really done since Bell got out. It goes high over long on, and would ordinarily have gone for four but didn’t. He took half the over, and scored five. Bopara also faces three, without scoring. England are now more than halfway through their innings, and either they haven’t scored quickly enough, or they haven’t conserved enough wickets, or indeed both.

7.10am GMT07:10

22nd over: England 89-4 (Root 24, Bopara 9)

A boundary! An Englishman has hit the ball all the way to the boundary! Bopara with it, smashing Perera’s delivery along the ground, through the covers and to the rope. It’s the first boundary for 10 overs and two balls.

7.05am GMT07:05

21st over: England 81-4 (Root 23, Bopara 2)

Root gets three with another shot that might have brought four with a quicker outfield. Some breaking cricket news: Australia’s first Test against India, which was due to start next Thursday, has been postponed. Phillip Hughes’s funeral will take place on Wednesday in his home town, Macksville in northern New South Wales. Cricket Australia’s press release is here.

7.02am GMT07:02

20th over: England 75-4 (Root 19, Bopara 0)

Thisara Perera brings some pace to proceedings, and then removes some pace again, and prospers.

While Warner, Dhawan et al can mishit the ball for six, England's top order need to middle it perfectly. Bring on Hales @Simon_Burnton

6.58am GMT06:58

WICKET! Morgan c Thirimanne b T Perera 17 (England 75-4)

Morgan’s gone, bewildered by Perera’s slower delivery and prodding it to extra cover, where Thirimanne takes a good low catch.

6.55am GMT06:55

19th over: England 74-3 (Root 18, Morgan 17)

Four more singles. “Did Cook not notice that the power play had been shortened?” wonders Robin Hazlehurst. “It’s traditional for England batsmen to be a bit rubbish and throw away their wickets during the pp, which Cook duly did in over 10. Had he not noticed the pp was only 9 overs or are England innovating and using a powerplay approach to the middle overs now?” It’s certainly nice to see England pushing the boundaries a bit. Not those boundaries, though, obviously.

6.52am GMT06:52

18th over: England 70-3 (Root 16, Morgan 16)

Each batsman has faced 26 balls, and each has scored 16 runs. So there’s a thing.

6.51am GMT06:51

Not out!

The ball would have crashed into leg stump, but slightly less than half the ball would have hit wicket, so the umpire’s decision stands. Root is a very lucky man.

6.50am GMT06:50

Looks pretty much out to me.

6.50am GMT06:50

REVIEW! Is Root out here, at all?

Dilshan thinks so. The umpire has given a leg bye, so there’s almost certainly some pad-ball action here …

6.45am GMT06:45

17th over: England 67-3 (Root 15, Morgan 15)

Mendis still, and England snuffle three more singles. After which exertion, the players will have a drink.

6.42am GMT06:42

16th over: England 64-3 (Root 13, Morgan 14)

Dilshan is now eight-ninths of the way through his allocation. Root hits through the covers, but the ball slams on the brakes again – there really is no option, in conditions such as these, but to attack the ball with some viciousness if you want it to reach the boundary. Three more runs.

6.39am GMT06:39

15th over: England 61-3 (Root 10, Morgan 14)

Mendis continues, as does England’s slow but profoundly uninspiring, gentle, relaxing run-accumulation.

6.36am GMT06:36

14th over: England 58-3 (Root 9, Morgan 12)

Dilshan just keeps going, and that is England’s joint-highest-scoring over (six runs, since you ask). That’s thanks in part to the conditions: Root tickles the ball just down the leg side, but it gets stuck in some boggy ground just before the boundary and England get only three.

6.33am GMT06:33

13th over: England 52-3 (Root 6, Morgan 9)

New bowler, more spin: Ajantha Mendis has a go, and England add a drama-free five runs to their slowly-increasing total.

6.30am GMT06:30

12th over: England 47-3 (Root 3, Morgan 7)

Dilshan continues, now six-ninths (we can call it two-thirds, if you like) of his way through his nine-over allocation. A single, a dot, a single, a dot, a single and a dot.

6.27am GMT06:27

11th over: England 44-3 (Root 2, Morgan 5)

Root works the ball to third man and sets off on a single. He looks up and sees Morgan, as you’d expect, heading the other way. He feints to his left and then ducks right – straight into his team-mate. They get away with it, but it adds to a swelling sense of haplessness about this innings. Morgan promptly reverse-sweeps for a rather nice four, which helps.

6.24am GMT06:24

10th over: England 38-3 (Root 1, Morgan 0)

Sri Lanka throttled Cook very effectively, removing all simple singles and waiting for an error. England need a couple of big innings, sharpish, if they’re to get any encouragement here.

6.20am GMT06:20

WICKET! Cook c K Perera b Dilshan (England 37-3)

Now Cook’s gone too, getting a thick top-edge on an attempted slog sweep and sending the ball looping straight to the fielder.

6.19am GMT06:19

9th over: England 37-2 (Cook 22, Root 0)

The batsmen having crossed while the ball was in the air, Cook has five deliveries to face and manages a single off the last. Perhaps understandably given the fate that just befell Bell, he is unwilling to his the ball in the air under any circumstances. And that’s the powerplay done.

6.16am GMT06:16

WICKET! Bell c T Perera b Herath 11 (England 36-2)

First ball of the over, Bell storms down the pitch and goes big, but the ball goes high rather than long and Perera runs round from long off to take the catch. This is not the start England would have been looking for, I’d wager.

6.14am GMT06:14

8th over: England 36-1 (Cook 21, Bell 11)

Dilshan continues, daring Cook to hit over a very compact field. Cook does not nibble, but he does cut the last, late, to the third man boundary. Which is something.

6.12am GMT06:12

7th over: England 32-1 (Cook 17, Bell 11)

Herath comes in, and there’s a (wildly optimistic) lbw appeal against Bell, the ball pretty clearly on its way past leg stump, and probably over it as well. Reprieved, Ball thumps one down the ground but not quite hard enough – the ball lands, safely, a few yards short of the rope and plugs.

6.08am GMT06:08

6th over: England 27-1 (Cook 16, Bell 7)

Bell comes down the wicket and clubs through cover for what would have been four but for the rain, and instead gets chased down six inches from the rope, the batsmen running three. But the over ends on a significantly less gainly note, with Cook scooping the ball up into the air, but it falls well short of long off.

6.03am GMT06:03

5th over: England 21-1 (Cook 14, Bell 3)

Cook produces a lovely cover drive, but it flies straight to the guy at extra cover. It’s the first of three dot balls at the start of the over, and there are a couple more at the end, but the fourth does indeed disappear through the covers for four.

6.00am GMT06:00

4th over: England 17-1 (Cook 10, Bell 3)

Bell pokes his first delivery to mid on, sending Dilshan diving to his right in an effort to take what would have been a remarkable catch. He grasps nothing but air, as the ball whistles six inches past his outstretched fingers. Four runs off the over, and we’re five away from the end of a slightly reduced nine-over opening powerplay.

5.57am GMT05:57

3rd over: England 13-1 (Cook 8, Bell 0)

A boundary! Mathews continues, and a shortish delivery is spotted by Cook and pulled away for four. The outfield’s a bit slow – though apparently it’s baking hot, and it’s certainly very sunny, so it should be considerably more zippy by the end of England’s innings.

5.53am GMT05:53

2nd over: England 7-1 (Cook 4, Bell 0)

And that’s the end of the second over. Ali pretty nearly didn’t make it as far as he did, having come pretty close to ending his innings just like he ended his last: offering a tame return catch to the bowler. This time, though, it slid just out of the fielder’s reach. He didn’t profit.

Updated at 5.56am GMT

5.52am GMT05:52

WICKET! Ali b Dilshan 2 (England 7-1)

Sri Lanka get the wicket that – after Wednesday – they most wanted! Ali tries to clobber the ball down the ground, misses it, and it flicks his ankle and deflects into leg stump!

5.48am GMT05:48

1st over: England 3-0 (Cook 1, Ali 1)

Mathews takes over one, and after cook edges the first – safely – to third man, the second goes down leg side for an extra. And then he gets one to slide just past Ali’s bat, and though there’s a decent appeal the umpire is rightly unimpressed. Finally, Ali pokes the ball just over mid off for a single.

5.43am GMT05:43

OK, players out, batsmen in the middle. Let’s play.

5.39am GMT05:39

The players and officials are out in Colombo, where they are holding a minute’s silence in memory of Phillip Hughes.

5.36am GMT05:36

Nearing cricket o’clock now. Looking forward to seeing England’s innings get under way, and whether Cook and Ali come up with the same Jekyll and Hyde partnership as they did on Wednesday. It would be nice to see Jekyll and Jekyll at some point (or would it be Hyde and Hyde? Whatever).

5.20am GMT05:20

The match will be played on the same pitch as the first ODI, and because of the delay each side will get 45 overs in which to show their stuff.

So here are the two line-ups, with Sri Lanka are unchanged. http://t.co/nwF7CTjH4K #SLvENG pic.twitter.com/7xjOgVidhc

5.18am GMT05:18

Angelo Mathews would also have batted first. Sri Lanka field an unchanged team.

Updated at 5.19am GMT

5.18am GMT05:18

“It looks a good wicket. We don’t know about the weather, so decided not to use that today and bat first. A very tough day, but hopefully we can put on a very good show for Phil.”

England make one change: Stokes out, Finn in.

5.17am GMT05:17

Alastair Cook has won the toss, and England will bat first.

5.17am GMT05:17

Here’s the England team:

Eng v SL: Cook, Ali, Bell, Root, Morgan, Buttler, Bopara, Woakes, Tredwell, Finn, Gurney #SLvEng

5.16am GMT05:16

Here’s the first live picture to pop up on the picture wires this morning:

5.01am GMT05:01

According to Sky, the toss will take place in 15 minutes, and play will start half an hour later. So, for non-maths fans out there, that’ll be a 5.45am GMT start .

4.58am GMT04:58

The covers are half-off! Which is a lot better than them being entirely on, but not quite as good as them being entirely off.

4.46am GMT04:46

“Doesn’t it seem just a little bit ridiculous to carry on playing cricket at a time like this?” wonders Harry Tuttle. “I suppose there are minimal chances of speedy bouncers on a Sri Lankan wicket. But there are so many other ways for cricketers to get seriously (if not fatally) hurt – think of Boucher’s eyes, for example. I will be pleasantly surprised if there’s any life in this match. The way we talk about the game has, for a time at least, surely altered.”

I think if you’d asked anyone a couple of weeks ago whether there was anything – anything – that could happen in a domestic game in Australia that might affect a one-day international between Sri Lanka and England in Colombo, they’d have scratched their chins for a while, and shrugged their shoulders.

I’m really not sure it would have been appropriate to cancel this match. Phillip Hughes will not and should not be simply forgotten. His life, and death, will be remembered by everyone with any interest in cricket for some time, and will be formally commemorated before this match and many more. But while I would be uncomfortable drawing parallels between this and other tragedies with which sport has sadly had to cope over the years, the precedent, in my view appropriate, is that away from the teams or nations directly involved it does go on – not regardless, in fact the very opposite of regardless, but it goes on.

4.21am GMT04:21

It's raining!

So, it’s 4.20am GMT, I’m conscious, I’m at work, and I’m watching it rain in Colombo. The toss has been delayed, and the forecast suggests that it’ll pass in an hour or so.

4.09am GMT04:09

Hello world!

It is unearthly o’clock here in London, and this small if densely populated corner of the world is fast asleep, as indeed it should be. Cricket, however, is just waking from a nightmare. There was talk of putting off the alarm call for a while, with a suggestion that this match should be cancelled following the death of Phillip Hughes earlier this week. Instead it will go ahead, no doubt with a mark of respect being paid by the competing teams before we get under way.

“I don’t think we should change how we play cricket at all,” said Alastair Cook, looking ahead to this match with referene to the tragic accident that resulted in Hughes’s death, “because I don’t think that’s the right way to go about it … I certainly wouldn’t change the way I play.”

I’m sure that the sport will return to normality in short order, but surely there’ll be a while when Hughes’s memory will be swirling somewhere in the mind of any fast bowler preparing to deliver a bouncer, and any batsman reacting to one. Though perhaps it’s that kind of sentimental attitude – as well as a rank lack of skill, I suppose, and a predilection for baked goods – that prevented me from clambering the peaks of professional sport.

The first match in this series was a good one, encouraging for both teams in its way – and England are a team still in need of some encouragement. Here’s hoping for a day that shrugs off its inevitably sombre start to become packed full of positives. And if you happen to be reading this right now, as opposed to several hours from now having woken up at a vaguely sensible European time, do send me an email or two – I may well be needing some assistance to stay awake.

The world is very hard to understand at 3.30am, I find. And so, for no particular reason, here’s some confusing but pleasant music.

1.07am GMT01:07

Simon will be here shortly, but in the meantime read about how the tragedy of Phillip Hughes’ death could lead to a reappraisal of neck protection on batting helmets.

A new British standard of head protection was ratified in December last year by the England and Wales Cricket Board in conjunction with the International Cricket Council’s medical committee, following research and testing undertaken at Loughborough University. Andy Harland, the director of the university’s sport technology institute, is confident that improvements to neck protection can be made in the coming years, without impacting too heavily on a batsman’s movement, which is the current problem.

He said: “I suspect that as other materials are developed in the years to come, we will be able to protect this area effectively without restricting players’ mobility. There is nothing obviously available now that will do that and we will have to study the full details of Phil Hughes’s death.

“Certainly every big helmet manufacturer you can think of, when they joined the British standard panel, there was unanimous agreement that they all wanted to improve the safety of their products. Not one manufacturer is complacent about this. We owe it to Phil Hughes to have a serious discussion about safety.

“Ultimately, with any piece of safety equipment, there has to be a compromise between safety, comfort and performance, I see those in a triangle and if you prioritise one of those, you almost always have to compromise on something. Some people used to use motorcycle helmets and they protect against all things, but they were uncomfortable and didn’t allow players to perform to the level they wanted to. Players want to be able to perform to the best of their ability.”