England v Sri Lanka – day two as it happened

Morning everyone . The first thing you'll want to know about is what I had for breakfast the weather forecast. Well, it was a fried egg, two slices of black pudding is not supposed to rain, but there are thick blankets of cloud over Cardiff, so we may have a bit of bad light. Given that the ground has floodlights that really should not be an issue, but in cricket, as you know by now, these things are rarely so simple. Terry Jenner passed away earlier this week . For a man who only played nine Tests for Australia he made an awfully big impression on the game, and won a lot of friends along the way. There have been a lot of things said and written by way of tribute, but no one knew him better or owed him more than Shane Warne. I read Warne's tribute to his mentor this morning. It's pretty badly written, full of typos and misspellings. And it is all the better for it, because unlike so much else Warne does in life it is honest and heartfelt, free of "bullshit and fluffy rubbish". Just like Jenner himself. I can't link to it because you need to sign up and log in to Warne's - 888 sponsored - site to read it. So here it is in full: Warne on Jenner : "The great man had just been released from prison and was doing it pretty tough. I was a spiky blonde haired 20 y.o Mexican (Victorian) who thought he knew a bit about leg spin - amongst other things, like we all did at that age. TJ, like his fellow players of that era are very straight and also very blunt - the best way to be in all aspects of life - no bull shit or fluffy rubbish. But, you did need a thick skin - mine was luckily - or shall we say had to develop very quickly, which looking back now and reflecting - has held me in good stead for all my life situations not just cricket. Underneath the ample frame and all that bravado was a very charming, caring, loving family man who was a giver to cricket and life. I think we met at exactly the right time in each other's lives, we where good for each other - maybe all the stars and moons where aligned, because we clicked instantly. I got his coaching style straight away and his sense of humour - I suppose he saw something in me that he liked - well I spun the ball, let's keep it at that. We spent so much time together in those early days - bowling out on Adelaide's number 2 oval, indoor cricket nets and at his house chatting, he gave me so much time which I will be forever grateful. I remember after my horrible debut at 99kg for Australia in Sydney, then following it up with another shocker in Adelaide against the wristy Indians, TJ saying to me - you bowled beautifully and the signs look good. You serious mate? I've been hammered, he said sometimes the way you bowl is not always reflected in your figures - we have a chance he said - great advice. MMMMMMM - silly old fool I thought - yep 20 y.o knows best - not the spin doctor (aptly named by Mr Ian Healy). Anyway, it was 1992 heading into winter in Melbourne; I packed my car and drove to Adelaide. I was hungry to learn as much as I could and for that matter as fast as I could too, I was just picked to go to Sri Lanka with Australian team. I stopped my car via a bottle shop - bought a slab of VB's - knocked on TJ's door and said gidday mate - he said come in. Well the next 4-5 hours were life changing - I went to get 2 beers and he said what are you doing? I said as usual a few beers together! He said listen - you are so lucky to be selected to tour again and represent Australia, why don't you get serious, I said like how? I'm working hard! Rubbish he bellowed out, your fat, drink way to much beer and smoke like a chimney and have never had to sacrifice anything- bit rich I thought coming from TJ as he sucked back a beer and took a massive puff on his cigar!!!! Ok then - what do I need to do you think? To start with give up drinking excessively every night get fit, drop weight and at least look like a sportsman. Wow I thought, cop that! I said ok I will, you wait and see. The rest of the chat was an old fashioned honest heart to heart about life. I woke up feeling energised and started training hard. Every Day I ran , did push ups, sit ups, ate properly and bowled for hours. Fast forward 3 to 4 months and I weighed 79kg, I had managed to lose 20kg's and was ready for Sri Lanka I thought! I left Adelaide - gave TJ a bottle of red to say thank you for his time, patience and effort, he said - I will open this at the right time - we will both know when that is, mmmmmm ok! I won't go into how SL all turned out - but it went ok thanks to TJ. Things from there moved very quickly and our friendship grew stronger and stronger - we would talk so much, I will really miss our chats. TJ became my Dr Phil on all matters and levels - wherever I was around the world we would call and chat - we would plan to bring down the opposition batsmen, laugh and I would hang up feeling good. His knowledge of the game, not just spin bowling was amazing - he understood so much and was happy to share his knowledge to whoever wanted to listen, he always had the game of cricket at heart. TJ was a fighter till the end - a person who always found a way to look at the positive side of anyone or the situation, never ever did he whinge about his lot he was given in life, he was there for you - unconditionally. He worked tirelessly as well for so many charity's, especially his test brekkies in Adelaide - they where a great way to start a test match, he always had time for people and the battler in the far cricket net too. TJ was such a great story teller, you could listen to him for hours and I did - being entertained too - he would have you in stitches of laughter regularly. I could go on for hours about TJ and all his wonderful traits, I will keep some to myself and will always look back with a smile about a great friend and person. Sometimes in the latter years we wouldn't talk as often as we should have but whenever we did chat it was like we had spoken the day before. When I spoke to TJ on the phone a few weeks ago - we Said goodbye to each other - it was a very difficult thing to do and chat as it was so unlike all our others - this was it for the last time after 20 odd years.. We both didn't say too much as we both didn't need too - we just knew.. I did thank him though for everything he had done for me and tried to express how much his patience, advice, love and above all his friendship has meant to me and my family... We both shed a bit of a tear and said goodbye... Not easy! To Ann, you're an absolute trooper. TJ loved you so much and you were great for him , you always kept him honest - I loved that. Your love and support to him was nothing short of amazing, we are all thinking of you very much and are here if you need us, please don't hesitate to ask. Once again to Ann, his daughter, Trudianne, and granddaughter, Ashlea, and all other family members we all pass on our condolences at your loss and our thoughts are with you at this tough time. We will all miss you TJ. As we raise a glass in your honour and, most likely, shed a tear or 2, we smile and think of you often. We will all miss the wonderful and amazing TJ, he was the best mentor anyone could ever have and the best friend at the same time. Thank you for your support, love and above all your friendship. Cricket has lost a true character and champion - the world is a lesser place without Terrence James Jenner! Mate I will miss you so much." While I'm recommending the work of larrikins , here's what our old friends The Two Pricks at the Ashes, Sam Collins and Jarrod Kimber, are up to these days. Yes, they've sold out to ESPN . Good on them. Their first film of the season features the Guardian's own Mike Selvey, struggling to wrap his tongue around the correct pronunciation of Tharanga Paranavitana. "Why isn't it an early start today?" asks Alistair Stewart. "I was planning on only pretending to work till 10.30, not sure how many more times i can shuffle these papers across my desk." Good question, that. But if you want an answer I suggest you redirect your question somewhere in the direction of Rupert Murdoch, seeing as it is Sky who tend to decide such things these days. Actually, I'm sure he'll email in soon enough. Keen reader of the OBO, Murdoch. "Rupert Murdoch reads the OBO?" asks Jack Cantwell. "Too cheap to pay his subscription to the Times then?" "For all his faults, and I include dodgy hair ads, tweeted romances and luminous tan in those, Shane Warne has yet again made me like him again," writes Phil Withall. "Rather touching stuff. Anyway any thoughts on "young" Adrian Shankar? could a similar thing happen at OBO towers? Is Smyth really as young as he makes out?" For those of you who haven't the foggiest what Phil is talking about, county cricket is being rocked by the Shankar scandal, which broke last night . The curious thing about it all is that I'm sure I saw one of Shankar's old teammates from Cambridge break his story in the comments underneath the County Cricket - Live! blog some time last week. I'm not sure whether or not Smyth is lying about his age, but I am positive that he wasn't the top-scorer in a Sri Lankan domestic tournament last winter. Here come the players, trotting out into a half-empty Swalec Stadium. 49th over: Sri Lanka 133-2 (Paranavitana 58, M Jayawardene 4) James Anderson will bowl the first over of the day from the River Taff end, with Jayawardene on strike. The stump mic picks up the sound of the seagulls cawing overhead. This is an excellent first over from Anderson, all four balls landing outside off stump and breaking towards the slips off the pitch. A little fuller, a little straighter and the batsmen will be in all sorts of trouble. As it is Jayawardene watches the six deliveries sail by. "Is Dilshan the only batsman to have a stroke named after him - the scoop?" asks John Starbuck. "While there have been a few bowlers who are known as particular styles, such as Bosanquet, I don't know of any other batsmen to get such a credit, even where they seem to have invented them. Brian Lara's swivel-pull and whoever created the reverse sweep might qualify, but it doesn't happen. Why?" Actually my teammates will tell you all about the Bullworth - a defensive prod down the wrong line. 50th over: Sri Lanka 133-2 (Paranavitana 58, M Jayawardene 4) Broad starts at the other end. From the start his length is a lot fuller than it was yesterday, which suggests he has had a word or two with England's bowling coach David Saker over night. More worryingly still for the batsmen, his third ball dies after pitching, going through at shin height, but his fourth shoots up from the similar length and Prior has to take it up by his head. "Half empty stadium?" bellows Jack Cousens. "Surely it should be half full? Positivity man!" 51st over: Sri Lanka 133-2 (Paranavitana 58, M Jayawardene 4) Anderson is in the middle of one of those spells where you whistle in appreciation of each delivery. He's probing at Jayawardene's off-stump, making the ball swing away from the outside edge. WICKET! Jayawardene 4 c Strauss b Anderson Brilliant cricket from England. Anderson follows a string of ten or so tempting out-swingers with a delivery that comes back the other way. It foxes Jayawardene, and the edge flies off towards slips. Strauss plucks it from the air, stretching his hands out to his right. It's been an excellent start by England, and it has brought them a crucial wicket. Jayawardene, one of the best batsmen in the world, was drawn into a fierce contest from the very first ball of the morning, and it was more than he could do to survive those two overs from Anderson. He was beaten over and again outside off stump, and then bamboozled when Anderson slipped him the other one. A fantastic catch by Strauss too, taking the ball well away from his body in front of second slip. 52nd over: Sri Lanka 135-3 (Paranavitana 60, Samaraweera 0) Samaraweera is the new man in. He's the unsung member of this middle order. His Test average is actually a towering, terrifying 54 from 63 Tests , but the majority of those runs have been scored in Sri Lanka, so he rarely gets any credit for it. "We all remember the Bullworth," says my erstwhile teammate and ersatz spin bowler Max Hildebrand, "But do you remember the walters? A highly original tactic involving ignoring the ball completely and driving the handle of the bat through the line and into one's teeth. The drawing of blood always puts the bowler off for a couple of overs." 53rd over: Sri Lanka 135-3 (Paranavitana 60, Samaraweera 0) "From the description of his bowling, do I take it that Superbad Jimmy is back?" Yes, Richard Jones, yes he is. His spell so far - 3-3-0-1 - has been stupendous. Jimmy is even rocking a little gold medallion around his neck, nestling in his chest hair. Superbad indeed. I presume he's got a white soft top Cadillac parked up out front of the Swalec. Another maiden here, with Samaraweera playing at a wider ball he should have left alone. 54th over: Sri Lanka 137-3 (Paranavitana 61, Samaraweera 0) Paranvitana pats two runs out to fine leg. What about the Marillier scoop? Scooped, not quite over the batsman's own head in the manner of the Dil-scoop, and not as dangerous as Dilshan's, but it did involve a scoop over a very fine, fine leg. And the stroke was referred to as the Marillier scoop, for a while at least, wasn't it?" Indeed it was, Suhrith Parthasarathy. Somehow it didn't quite stick though did it? 55th over: Sri Lanka 137-3 (Paranavitana 61, Samaraweera 0) Another booming inswinger from Anderson. This one moves too much, bamboozling Samaraweera and beating his inside edge but hitting him outside leg stump. 56th over: Sri Lanka 141-3 (Paranavitana 61, Samaraweera 3) Paranavitana knocks a single off his pads down to fine leg. He's bowled well today, just not so well as the man at the other end. Samaraweera follows a wide one, chopping it down to wide third man for three. A curious kind of shot that, smacking slightly of desperation to get off the mark. That puts Paranavitana on strike, and he chases a delivery that slides across his bat towards the slips, almost edging it through. Broad grimaces and looks skywards. 57th over: Sri Lanka 148-3 (Paranavitana 62, Samaraweera 8) Anderson gives up his first run of the morning, Paranavitana glancing a single to fine leg. That's followed by a lovely shot from Samaraweera, a crisp cover drive through extra cover for four. "That's the kind of shot the bowler won't mind seeing," Atherton tells us. You still imagine that Samaraweera will have taken more heart from it than Anderson. He knocks a single away square from the next delivery, and Anderson's dry spell has been broken. The last ball of the over snicks off Paranvitana's edge but falls well short of Matt Prior. 58th over: Sri Lanka 149-3 (Paranavitana 62, Samaraweera 8) The first bowling change of the day brings Chris Tremlett into the attack. A risky leave from Samaraweera - phew, it's hard yakka typing out the overs when these two are together at the crease - sees him sweat on a ball that nips back towards his gut and sail over middle stump. 59th over: Sri Lanka 153-3 (Paranavitana 62, Samaraweera 12) Curious kind of innings this from Samaraweera, either silly or shrewd. We'll have to see how the morning pans out. He clouts four up and over point, then lashes the next ball straight to a fielder. He's trying to hit Anderson out of his rhythm, refusing to be mesmerised by all those hypnotic away-swingers. Perhaps it's working - Andewrson's next ball is speared down the leg side. 60th over: Sri Lanka 153-3 (Paranavitana 62, Samaraweera 12) Paranavitana wears one in what Nasser quaintly refers to as "that sort of area". Ouch. He hops up and down on the spot to try and revive himself, and so the umpires call drinks. In the meantime my colleague Rob Bagchi has point out an absolutely withering piece on serial fraudster Adrian Shankar by George Dobell over on Cricinfo. It's well worth a read: Shankar has also said that he played tennis to national standard as a junior and that he was in the Arsenal academy at the start of Arsene Wenger's tenure. On the field Shankar is, at best, an ordinary player. After a decade in the game, he had a first-class average of just 19 and has passed 50 only once in 21 innings. He made 143 in the Varsity Match of 2002 (as a 17-year-old, if you believe his version of events) but, as Chris Scott, the Cambridge UCCE coach, said: "The bowling was unbelievably bad. He was a poor player and there's no way I would have recommended him." Oddly, however, when Shankar signed for Lancashire, the Cambridge coach was quoted in a press release referring to him as one of the finest young players the side had seen since John Crawley. 60th over: Sri Lanka 154-3 (Paranavitana 62, Samaraweera 12) Is that a wicket? The fans think so, but the bowler doesn't. The ball just slipped off Samaraweera's thigh pad on its way through to Prior. "After reading that piece about Mr Shankar, I'm surprised he isn't claiming to be a relative of George Weah." 61st over: Sri Lanka 158-3 (Paranavitana 65, Samaraweera 12) Broad replaces Anderson. His second ball is driven out to extra cover for three runs, his fourth dropped down to the off for a single. "Over on TMS, Aggers has just told a story about seeing the president of the MCC at breakfast this morning with his shirt tucked into his swimming trunks, and wearing shoes and socks. I was contemplating lunch, but no longer. Can the OBO beat this?" Do you really need to ask? That's out , surely? No. Umpire Doctove does not think so, and Strauss decides not to refer it. Strange decision that. The ball was full and swinging in. It hit Paranavitana on the pads in front of leg stump. Looked plumb to me, and Hawk Eye shows it was hitting the wicket. WICKET! Paranavitana 66 b Tremlett There's not much doubt about that though. Paranavitana is bowled, and now Sri Lanka are four down. He threw a drive at a ball that wasn't far enough outside off and chopped it back into his stumps. That brings a very good innings to an end. And the truth is that England are in to Sri Lanka's tail now. The No6 is Prasanna Jayawardene, an outstanding 'keeper, but an average bat. "Shirt tucked into his swimming trunks, and wearing shoes and socks". When was Smyth appointed President of the MCC?" asks Robin Hazlehurst. "I missed that one." Actually, I have to go to a wedding tonight and have been told to "dress smart but not go for a full suit". Baffling. Shirt tucked into swimming trunks with shoes and socks sounds about right for that. 63rd over: Sri Lanka 160-4 (Samaraweera 13, P Jayawardene 4) Having just called Prasanna Jayawardene a mediocre batsman I'm delighted to see him get off the mark with a wondeful on-drive for four. "You have my deepest sympathy on the wedding attire issue. I can do suit smart and I can do casual (well scruffy and dishevelled) but I have never cracked smart casual. I'm nearly 39 for God's sake." Matthew West is clearly a man after my own heart. I have two sartorial gears - smart and scruffy. Nothing in between. 64th over: Sri Lanka 174-4 (Samaraweera 23, P Jayawardene 4) Tremlett howls in frustration as a thick edge shoots past the slips for four. And that's almost as close! Samaraweera wallops a catch out to cover, where the ball lands just in front of Eoin Morgan. Samaraweera is batting like a man in a hurry here. And I thought I had it bad. "I've got to go to a wedding next week," says Dennis Johns. "The dress code is 'Hawaiian Formal'. Nobody knows what to do." 65th over: Sri Lanka 178-4 (Samaraweera 23, P Jayawardene 8) Four more runs through third man for Jayawardene, these as streaky as a pound of fat back bacon. Broad's having no luck here. His next ball is a beauty that beats the out side edge. More details on the mysterious story of Mr Shankar, from Mike Selvey over on the County Cricket - Live! blog. "I came across Adrian Shankar a couple of years ago. I did a coaching session in the indoor school at Lord's and he was there along with Dawid Malan and BIlly Godleman. He didn't look a bad player although not exceptional. Then the winter before last, I received an email from someone saying that Shankar, having been released by Lancashire, was tearing up trees in the Lancashire League, with hundreds galore. Research showed no mention of him, but subsequently I seem to recall some registration problems ( his club already had a pro, and so he could not qualify, or something like that) as a result if which all his stats were airbrushed from the records and the club docked points. It was all very strange." 66th over: Sri Lanka 182-4 (Samaraweera 23, P Jayawardene 12) "At nearly 39 Matthew West will soon discover his other options," says John Starbuck reassuringly. "You can at last begin wearing corduroy, plus a casual jacket, with brown shoes, thus looking better than clean jeans and trainers. Add a checked shirt, ironed, and you'll soon begin getting junk mail from Saga and their like." That's a brutal ball from Tremlett, spitting off the pitch straight into Jayawardene's right elbow. Tremlett grins, Jayawardene shouts, and play stops while the magic spray comes out. It seems to have done him good because when play starts again he smacks a short ball for four through cover. "If it helps," says Ant Pease, "I think that Hawaiian Formal means that the grass skirt has to be cut below the knee." 67th over: Sri Lanka 188-4 (Samaraweera 27, P Jayawardene 14) "Hawaiian formal?" muses Chris Harrison, "That means bare to the waist and a grass midi skirt. Both sexes. Trust me, mate." Surely women need to be wearing coconut-shell bikini tops? Once again Broad finds the edge, and once again the ball shoots straight past the slips and away to the boundary. 68th over: Sri Lanka 192-4 (Samaraweera 31, P Jayawardene 14) Graeme Swann comes on for his first over of the day, though he's made to wait while Samaraweera has some more treatment on his knacked elbow. Again it seems to do him good, as he goes on to crack a four past point. "I concur on the whole smart-casual dilemma," says Tom Banks. "I work in an office where Friday is "chino" day. It is dreadful. I have nothing suitable at all and so look like a right goon in my suit on Fridays. Just can't do that whole preppy, Sack Lodge look. Suit or jeans. That's it." Mercy me, I've never been so glad to have the job I do. "Chino day?" That sounds like the seventh circle of hell. What's the dress code at the office party? Deck shoes and polo shirts? 69th over: Sri Lanka 193-4 (Samaraweera 31, P Jayawardene 14) And now Anderson is on as well. His first over back is a maiden. OK. Totally nailed this whole Hawiian formal thing. This is where you need to go, Dennis . 70th over: Sri Lanka 196-4 (Samaraweera 32, P Jayawardene 16) Jayawardene squirts an inside edge past short leg, and then Samaraweera drops to one knee and slashes a sweep away to long leg for a single. 71st over: Sri Lanka 196-4 (Samaraweera 32, P Jayawardene 16) "In the manner of fast-medium and medium-fast, does smart-casual have a slightly scruffier sibling, casual-smart?" wonders Richard Marsden. "Freshly washed ice-white trainers; checked shirt with a woollen tie; jeans with pressed creases; that sort of thing." We've blundered into a sartorial minefield, and if we're honest no one on this OBO knows enough about these things to find a way out. I'll go and find Hadley Freeman during the lunch break. If anyone can help us, she can . Another maiden for Anderson. 71st over: Sri Lanka 203-4 (Samaraweera 34, P Jayawardene 21) A pathetic piece of fielding from KP at mid-on provokes a furious response from Swann, who does his best impression of a teapot. Pietersen dived over the top of the ball, missing it altogether, and it runs away for four. "Love-hate relationship between these two" says Bumble. "There is some love is there?" responds Athers. 72nd over: Sri Lanka 204-4 (Samaraweera 35, P Jayawardene 21) "Simmer down honky cat," says John Hodgson, who has either time travelled his way here from a 1970s ghetto or works somewhere where Fridays are Jive Talk day. "Whilst I fully understand your entirely rational disdain for polo shirts, please don't diss the decks! Deck shoes, are light, airy, and perfect for the man about town. They're also highly adaptable, providing an excellent accompaniment to the following timeless classics: casual slacks; jeans; shorts (either knee high or groin-hugging); cricket whites; etc. There are others, but it seems needless to continue when I have made such a compelling case in favour of deck shoes with everything." Just a single from Anderson's latest over. 73rd over: Sri Lanka 207-4 (Samaraweera 38, P Jayawardene 21) A surprising switch this, Jon Trott is going to get an over before lunch. An innocuous way to finish, and Samaraweera takes three runs from it. Well that was an entertaining session , and no word of a lie. England bowled superbly, especially Jimmy Anderson, whose figures today are 9-7-11-1. I'm off for lunch. I'll leave you with this missive from Barney Ronay: "Hello. I just wanted to alert OBO readers to the fact that cricket film From The Ashes, about the summer of 1981, is out on DVD on Monday. It might make an ideal Father's Day present, even if your name isn't "Liam Botham". Plus you get to see Guardian/Observer eminences Mike Selvey, Vic Marks and Mike Brearley in extreme close-up having opinions about Ashes cricket 30 years ago. If you wanted you could even splice all these bits together into one continuous film, or blow them up as stills and have them as Stalinist-scale Selvey/Marks wall hangings. Obviously I haven't done that." LUNCH So, we're six overs away from the new ball , six wickets away from the end, and a million miles away from a clear definition of Hawiian formal. In the absence of Hadley Freeman, here's the Guardian sport desk's resident Hawiian style guru, Steve Busfield : Surely all your readers need to do is visit this website. As it's Friday I'm currently modelling one in the office. A black suit with a black based Hawaiian shirt looks smart (and tastefully colourful) during the day and during the evening you throw off the suit jacket and just look colourful. Try the Brando Black on this page ." 75th over: Sri Lanka 212-4 (Samaraweera 40, P Jayawardene 24) Jayawardene raises the fifty partnership with a sweep off a quicker, straighter ball that came perilously close to hitting him flush in front. Prior and Swann stand there with their hands on their heads, sighing in exasperation at how close they came to a wicket. "Everyone here just needs to simmer down, because I can help," says Erik Petersen. "If you're looking for casual yet work-smart and vaguely let-me-finish-this-spreadsheet-and-then-it's-daquiri-time tropical, you need only address yourself to the guyabera. This is the multipocketed Latin American top that says "I am stylish, and yet unbothered about tucking in my shirt". Best worn while smoking a fine cigar and telling a younger woman that you are a man of passion and fire. The only downside is that if you get a green one, you will on occasion look more like Castro than anyone bar Moeen Ali in last year's Worcestershire camouflage t20 kit." 76th over: Sri Lanka 220-4 (Samaraweera 45, P Jayawardene 27) And at the other end it will be Jon Trott, a loud and clear signal that Strauss is planning to take the new ball ASAP. Trott really bowls some filth. As far as part-timers go, he is more Marcus Trescothick than Paul Collingwood, although astonishingly enough his best first class figures are 7 for 39, against Kent at Canterbury. God only knows what Rob Key and his team had for breakfast that day. Ketamine and All Bran, presumably. 76th over: Sri Lanka 230-4 (Samaraweera 49, P Jayawardene 32) "Regarding "Hawaiian Formal" - and pace the typically Guardiracista suggestions you've been getting - it means smart trousers and shoes and a tasteful (yes, such a thing exists) Aloha shirt (which is the proper term for an Hawaiian shirt)," says Mac Millings. "I know because I lived there for several years. I also know that this isn't much of an email. Let's face facts, I've only written in to show off the fact that I used to live in Hawaii. Of course, I've since left, because I am a buffoon." I love it when a reader includes his own put down in the email. Saves me a lot of work. Four for Jayawardene, slapped through the leg side. 77th over: Sri Lanka 233-4 (Samaraweera 50, P Jayawardene 34) Samaraweera celebrates his fifty with the briefest wave of his bat. "Is Trott's bowling the evidence for why Bopara should have been picked?" asks Mike Duggan. "With four front-line bowlers you need somebody who can bowl something a bit more credible than Trott." Possibly, though they do have Pietersen to ply a bit of spin as well. Bopara is certainly a decent spare bowler - better than Collingwood, and has got a lot of overs in for Essex this season. But is he so good that it outweighs Morgan's advantage as a batsman? Probably not. "Judging by his email I think it's more likely that John Hodgson has just travelled his way here on fix-wheel bike from Dalston," suggests Andy Plowman. 78th over: Sri Lanka 236-4 (Samaraweera 52, P Jayawardene 34) Samaraweera is really settling in now, hopping across his stumps to steer Swann down to third man for two runs. I've just found a copy of a match report of Trott's 7 for 39. He was so famous back then that the reporter calls him 'Ian'. 79th over: Sri Lanka 242-4 (Samaraweera 58, P Jayawardene 35) Sad to say the brilliantly insightful and witty entry for this over was lost when my computer crashed. 80th over: Sri Lanka 243-3 (Samaraweera 58, P Jayawardene 36) James Anderson has the new ball in his hands then, and Strauss has put three men back into the slips. This innings is delicately poised at the moment. Looking at the scoreboard you'd give the advantage to Sri Lanka, but their tail is so long that England are only a wicket or two away from being well on top. This new ball spell will swing it one way or another. "I have no idea what this is all about because I've been watching some cricket," chunters Geoff Roberts. "What on earth is all this 'well bowled Swanny!' 'Good one Swanny' stuff all about? I suppose it's the English trying to sledge the batsmen, but it's about as challenging as Trott's bowling. The chuntering seems to be emenating from the wicketkeeper who needs to be told that 3 day beards are sported by drug bosses in Mexico (they are only one-day there but there you go.)" Mmm, you have a point. I suspect it is the fault of the Welsh. The crowd is so small that there's no noise to compete with what's being produced by the players, so all their inane comments are being amplified ten-fold. WICKET! Samaraweera 58 c Swann b Anderson Another wicket for the peerless Anderson. You can probably guess how it came: the ball landed on a length and moving away, taking the outside edge and flying straight to slip. Samaraweera was fencing at the ball, prodding at it. More wonderful bowling. Here's Jim Harris: "Re. Mac Millings' laudable and insightful display of self-knowledge, the correct term for the self-putting-down email, I believe, is 'suisnide'." HONK. 82nd over: Sri Lanka 245-5 (P Jayawardene 37, Maharoof 1) Maharoof is the new batsman then, his impressive recent form for Lancashire belying his modest Test record for his country. "I'm afraid I don't know where Dalston is, and I'm not entirely sure what a fix-wheel bike is either," replies John Hodgson. "However, I can confirm that I actually travelled here from Leeds in an avocado green 2001 Nissan Micra." Stylish. 83rd over: Sri Lanka 246-5 (P Jayawardene 37, Maharoof 1) Anderson shaves splinters from Jayawardene's outside edge with an away-swinger. Anxious to get off strike, Jayawardene sprints a madcap single after dropping the next ball down by his feet, Maharoof making his ground moments before Swann's underarm throw broke the stumps. 84th over: Sri Lanka 248-5 (P Jayawardene 37, Maharoof 1) Aleem Dar shakes his head at an LBW appeal from Broad, but England want a referral. REFERRAL! Maharoof 2 lbw Broad Well, the ball would have hit the wicket, but it was outside the line of off stump when it thumped into Maharoof's pads. So the not out decision stands and Maharoof bats on. 85th over: Sri Lanka 255-5 (P Jayawardene 38, Maharoof 6) Four runs fly off Maharoff's outside edge and away through third man. Then its another loud appeal from England and another referral... 86th over: Sri Lanka 258-5 (P Jayawardene 40, Maharoof 9) Broad is having no luck at all, he roars out another lbw appeal here as he beats Jayawardene's drive. Umpire Dar thinks about it, squints, stares at the floor, then shakes his head. Hawkeye shows that the ball was hitting the top of middle stump. This is getting silly. The very next delivery prompts another lbw shout, and this time Broad is absolutely convinced he has his man. He runs down the wicket in celebration, only to turn around and see that Dar is totally unconvinced by the appeal. The replays show that this one was going over the top. 87th over: Sri Lanka 262-5 (P Jayawardene 41, Maharoof 11) Tremlett replaces Anderson, and Maharoof pats his first ball down to Ian Bell's feet at short leg. "As an umpire it must be very tempting to turn down all of Stuart Broad's lbw shouts merely to spite him for his ridiculous 'running off to celebrate with the slips rather than appeal' tactic," suggests Daniel Sixsmith. "The man's a fool. Worst appealer in the game now that Warne's gone?" Sounds like you should be spending your time sending strongly worded letters of complaint to The Times, Dan, rather than emailing us. Half an appeal from England, but they have the good grace not to follow through with it as there was a huge inside edge on the ball. 88th over: Sri Lanka 262-5 (P Jayawardene 41, Maharoof 14) "Come on Ref!" shouts some moron in the crowd as Aleem Dar turns down yet another lbw appeal from Broad. It's enough to make a cricket fan weep. This one his most absurdly optimistic yet. And again Broad does that stupid thing of running down the wicket and celebrating rather than turning to look at the umpire. I've had about a dozen emails from a PR company this week offering me the chance to face Devon Malcolm in the nets at the Oval. I'm going to sign up my colleague John Ashdown instead, who has always been very proud of the fact that he used to open the batting with Derbyshire's Nathan Dumelow in club cricket. "Thanks. My colleague John would love to. He says Dev has lost all his pace. Probably can't top 70mph these days he reckons. Says he is going to make his grovel." 89th over: Sri Lanka 269-5 (P Jayawardene 44, Maharoof 15) Let's be honest, it has been a bad day for the OBO. Between the Hawiian formalwear, deck shoes and avocado green Nissan Micras, any ideas we had about being in any way hip or cool have been utterly debunked. Now this from Tim Horner: "Umm, I think the term used is 'fixed-gear'. Fixed wheel bikes don't tend to move much. Unless they're chained up in Dalston." 90th over: Sri Lanka 275-5 (P Jayawardene 45, Maharoof 16) The slough of despond grows ever deeper. I've had word back from the Guardian's fashion sage Hadley Freeman: "OK, I'm more concerned about the chosen friends of the OBO community than the clothing dilemmas. What kind of cruel twisted despot would throw out a "smart but not suits" edict? And don't even get me started on "Hawaiian formal." OK, so I have a friend who had a Hawaiian themed wedding last year, but the orders stopped at "Hawaiian", there was no "formal" thrown in the mix. So my advice would be, get new friends because you're all friends with sadists and in abusive relationships." 91st over: Sri Lanka 278-5 (P Jayawardene 49, Maharoof 16) "I have a great mental image of you, Andy," writes Alex McGillivray, "clad in white school shirt, grey shorts and Dunlop Green Flash, adorned with the raggedy 'buckle' pads that were always in schools cricket bags and nervously wielding a battered SS Jumbo or DF Hick 405, facing down an age-defying and surprisingly lithe Devon Malcolm who wanders up to you in the nets and whispers, 'You're history.' Just before sending down some 95mph bouncers." That's not a prediction, it's a vision. There's no way I'm going near that net with Devon. I've still not recovered from my practice session with the England U16 girls team. And the best part of it is, you all think that I'm joking. There's a long and tedious delay while the groundstaff repair the pitch. A Bumble monologue about string vests is cut short when the camera picks out a spectator in a tree outside the ground. He's high up. Really high up. And he's wearing sunglasses, a straw hat and has a Welsh flag. "That's Tommy" says Bumble. "I met him last night." 92nd over: Sri Lanka 278-5 (P Jayawardene 52, Maharoof 16) Jayawardene has his fifty then. What was I said called him when he came in? "An average bat"? "Surely the 'Come on Ref!' shout is the final straw," writes Robert Wickes. "Upon hearing that, the Umpires and Captains should have come together and agreed to pack everything up and transport it up the road to Edgbaston and resume play there in a few hours." 93rd over: Sri Lanka 278-5 (P Jayawardene 52, Maharoof 16) For the first time today I'm a little disappointed with Strauss' captaincy. Jon Trott is coming in to the attack, with a ball that is 12 overs old. James Anderson has been off the pitch having a little treatment on his back, but why not bring on Swann? WICKET! Maharoof 16 run out Trott Well I'll be... Of course Trott has got a wicket now. I'm beginning to suspect I know as much about cricket as I do about Hawiian formalwear. It was a flukey wicket in a way, though it took a little skill to pull it off. Jayawardene patted a straight drive down the ground, Trott bent over and flicked it with his finger tips and then it ricocheted into the non-striker's stumps. Maharoof was out of his ground, backing up too far down the pitch. Brilliant captaincy from Strauss there. Never doubted him for a moment. 94th over: Sri Lanka 286-6 (Jayawardene 55, Perera 5) The new batsman is Thisara Perera, on his Test match debut. He takes a run from his very first ball. I don't think he is going to dawdle over his work, Perera. Later in the over he slashes four runs through third man. "Hawaiian formal = morning dress, holding a pineapple." When you put it like that, Paul Ashby, I don't know how we got into such a tangle. 95th over: Sri Lanka 292-6 (Jayawardene 60, Perera 6) Trott delivers a long-hop, which Jayawardene carts to the mid-wicket boundary with as much disdain as Egon Ronay might have mustered in a Little Chef. "I used to live in Dalston and rode everywhere on my pink fixed-gear bike, I also own a pair of "Luxury M&S Chinos", which my mother bought me. I am 37. Ladies..." As personals go, you might be better off sticking with GSOH, Jon Stibbs. 96th over: Sri Lanka 298-6 (Jayawardene 60, Perera 11) Tremlett is back into the attack, Strauss perhaps having spotted how uncomfortable Perera looked facing a short ball from Broad in his last over. Not nearly as uncomfortable as Strauss looks himself when Tremlett pitches a ball up and Perera clatters it back over the bowler's head and away through long-on for four. 97th over: Sri Lanka 299-6 (Jayawardene 61, Perera 11) Swann's on. He slips his second delivery through Perera's gate, but it slides on past his off stump. Later in the over though, the 300 comes up with a single to mid-wicket. 98th over: Sri Lanka 307-6 (Jayawardene 68, Perera 12) Pietersen misses with an underarm shy at the stumps from cover, and the ensuing single brings up the 300. Moments later an edge disappears through the slip cordon and away for four. Here's Ben Howarth: "Devon Malcolm on his funniest cricketing incident: "We were doing fielding drills under lights and I threw the ball in from the deep towards John (Morris). I really let it rip. He lost the ball in the lights and missed it completely. He took it straight between the eyes. Man, it felled him! We all cracked up". Just the man you want bowling at you in the Oval nets." 99th over: Sri Lanka 310-6 (Jayawardene 69, Perera 13) A single here, a leg bye there. England are coasting in to Tea. One eye on their crumpets, no doubt. 100th over: Sri Lanka 316-6 (Jayawardene 69, Perera 19) The last over of the session will be bowled by Tremlett. Perera clobbers a drive over mid-on. The man has no conception of playing for the break. Tremlett doesn't find this nearly so funny as I do, and so he whistles down a bouncer by way of a rebuke. Perera ducks underneath it. He doesn't duck the next one though, but stands up and hooks it for four through square leg. So much for that theory then. Another absorbing, intriguing session comes to a close then. Rob Smyth will be here after the break, so please send your emails to him now on [email protected] . Cheerio. TEA Hello . No time for niceties, a bumper three-hour evening session is about to begin. 101st over: Sri Lanka 324-6 (P Jayawardene 73, Perera 19) Jimmy Anderson is going to start after the tea, despite that sore back, and almost golden-arms a wicket with the first ball of the session. It was a filthy loosener to Jayawardene, who inside-edged an attempted pull onto the pad and then just wide of the off stump. Jayawardene is beaten by the next two deliveries before inside-edging a lifter past the left hand of the diving Matt Prior and away for four. It should have been runs, but Billy Doctrove gave it as byes. An eventful over concludes with Jayawardene gliding a boundary to third man. Good shot. "Sorry," says Sarah Bacon, "but after seven weeks straight of IPL, I have to see this thing through to the end and have switched over to watch Bangalore v Mumbai . I've been dying for this Test to start, truly I have, but even the tuneless strains of 'Delilah' can't compete with the White Mischief cheerleaders, Kieron Pollard chatting on the field mic, and Gayle whacking it all over the park. I feel so dirty." 102nd over: Sri Lanka 329-6 (P Jayawardene 77, Perera 19) It's Broad at the other end, and he has Perera dropped with his third ball. It was a full delivery across Perera, inviting the drive, and it flew off the edge to the left of England's new third slip, Alastair Cook. He couldn't hang on to what was, in his defence, a very sharp chance – not just a fair way to his left but low as well. There's another edge later in the over, when Jayawardene slices a big drive wide of gully for four. He is closing in on his third Test century. 103rd over: Sri Lanka 335-6 (P Jayawardene 78, Perera 24) Jimmy Anderson has left the field, which is a big problem for England. He is replaced by Graeme Swann, and Perera drives his first ball not far over the man at extra cover. Then Perera punches crisply down the ground for four. He won't hang around here. If England lose this match, which is far from inconceivable at this stage, it would be their most unexpected defeat in a home Test since, what, Lord's 1999? The Oval 1998? I suppose Trent Bridge 2006 was fairly unexpected. 104th over: Sri Lanka 340-6 (P Jayawardene 83, Perera 24) More dumb luck for Broad. First Jayawardene edges short of slip, and then he squirts a thick edge past backward point for four to bring up Broad's century. He could really do with a couple of wickets, for cosmetic reasons as much as anything; since the start of the Ashes series he has two wickets for 260-odd. 105th over: Sri Lanka 343-6 (P Jayawardene 85, Perera 24) Swann has a half shout for LBW against Perera, but the ball was drifting down the leg side. In fact it would barely have hit another set, and it was also too high. That aside, it was plumb. WICKET! Sri Lanka 346-7 (Perera c Tremlett b Broad 25) Stuart Broad gets his 100th Test wicket, just six months after his 99th, when Perera clunks an attempted drive straight to mid on. He's the second youngest Englishman to reach that milestone, after Mark Ealham. 106th over: Sri Lanka 346-7 (P Jayawardene 87, Herath 0) Rangana fresh airs a huge mow at his first delivery. "I'm devotedly following the OBO," says Ryan Dunne, before detailing the full extent of that devotion. "I'm also listening to a Star Wars podcast and perusing Cracked.com at the same time. Not sure if that's cheating." We will take absolutely anything and anyone, so, no, it's not cheating. 107th over: Sri Lanka 350-7 (P Jayawardene 91, Herath 0) Swann has a huge shout for LBW turned down when Jayawardene misses a sweep and is hit on the back leg. That looked pretty close, but England have no reviews left. Hawkeye shows it was an excellent decision from Billy Doctrove, with the ball turning enough to miss leg stump. Then Jayawardene is dropped by Strauss at slip. It was a beautiful slider that zipped on to take the edge, but Strauss – standing at slip because Collingwood has retired and Anderson is off the field – was beaten for pace and the ball rebounded off his forearm. A terrific over from Swann. "think everyone has gone out to buy their Hawaiian shirts," says Hannah Shortley. 108th over: Sri Lanka 356-7 (P Jayawardene 91, Herath 5) Herath looks half decent for a No9 – he has a Test best of 80 against India – and when Broad overpitches he square-drives confidently for four. "I was trying to cobble a joke about formal Hawaiian being a pizza with Parma ham and pineapple rings?" says Doug Campbell. "Too late?" The punctuality of the joke isn't a problem... 109th over: Sri Lanka 364-7 (P Jayawardene 99, Herath 6) A Friday-afternoon statgasm: this is the first time that Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have been the only members of Sri Lanka's top six not to make a half-century in a Test innings. The other Jayawardene isn't content with just fifty, however, and a luscious cover-driven four off Swann takes him to 96. Later in the over he misses a sweep and is nearly bowled round his legs, and then a two into the leg side takes him to 99. He sure deserves a hundred. "Apropos eff all," says Tom Payne, "I love this man." I expected a link to Mac Millings' Facebook page, but I can't argue with the link Tom did send . 110th over: Sri Lanka 370-7 (P Jayawardene 102, Herath 9) Tremlett is going to replace Broad, and Jayawardene reaches his hundred with a wristy flick off the pads for three. It's his third Test hundred, and it's been a lovely effort. "I'm intrigued by the idea of a Star Wars podcast, and would like to know more about what it comprises," says Fiona Dunlop. "Not that I'm going to listen to it. But maybe I would if it was a Back to the Future podcast…" I'm still waiting for the Dawson's Creek podcast. 111th over: Sri Lanka 371-7 (P Jayawardene 103, Herath 9) Sri Lanka have been very aggressive since tea, which is the right approach against a tiring, depleted and slightly grouchy bowling attack. Herath goes a for big slog sweep and is beaten by a good delivery from Swann. 112th over: Sri Lanka 374-7 (Jayawardene 105, Herath 10) Herath edges Tremlett low towards Strauss at first slip, who takes the catch and then tells the umpires that he thinks he's caught it. Once these decisions go to the third umpire, however, they are usually given not out – and that's the case again here even though, on balance, you suspect that was out. In fact I'm fairly sure that was a clean catch, and David Gower and Nasser Hussain – who know almost as much about playing top-level cricket as I do – are certain it was a clean catch. If Strauss had run away beaten his chest like Tarzan in celebration, that would probably have been given out because it would not have gone upstairs. 113th over: Sri Lanka 376-7 (P Jayawardene 106, Herath 11) "Fans of the great Marcus Trescothick, Rob, might be interested to know that his autobiography appears at no 82 on R5Live's Up All Night Virtual Bookshelf," says Clare Davies. "On this programme books are suggested by listeners and then voted for by other insomniacs. Suggest that a fair few cricket fans listen to late night radio. No doubt we are all honed by following the exploits of England in various time-challenging parts of the world." 114th over: Sri Lanka 386-7 (P Jayawardene 107, Herath 20) That's what I'm talking about! Tremlett sends down a length delivery and Herath, who was reprieved in Tremlett's previous over, smears it mightily over mid on for four. Two balls later Tremlett drops short and Herath pulls him for four more. " For Fiona Dunlop ," says Ryan Dunne. "Should say that I usually just listen to the weekly two-hour episode, as listening to all the other collecting and Indiana Jones ones would obviously be a bit too geeky." 115th over: Sri Lanka 392-7 (P Jayawardene 109, Herath 23) Herath gets away with it when a top-edged slog sweep off Swann plops gently between three converging fielders. "So," says Tom Rothery, "who is the best man for first slip for Swann now Collingwood's gone?" As England's best all-weather fielder, Anderson is the right choice. Strauss was only there because he is off the field. But it does show how important Collingwood was in the field. England have already put down two sharp chances that he would probably have taken. 116th over: Sri Lanka 395-7 (P Jayawardene 111, Herath 24) Stuart Broad is also off the field now. England are down to two frontline bowlers, and now Kevin Pietersen is coming into the attack. His first ball is a beauty that spits past Herath's outside edge. Not much happens thereafter. England look pretty flat. "Rob, I'm confused (a normal state I admit) but how on earth could Mark Ealham have got 100 Test wickets?" says Jeremy Hodges. "According to trusty Cricinfo he took 17 in eight Tests. Please help." He didn't. I was making the mischief. And what mischief it was. Anyway, the youngest Englishman to 100 Test wickets was, of course, Sir Ian Botham. WICKET! Sri Lanka 397-8 (Herath c Trott b Swann 25) Moments after bringing up the fifty partnership, Herath clatters a wide, flighted delivery from Swann straight to Trott at extra cover. I think the ball slipped out of Swann's hand, as it went very high in the air, but he can now claim it was all part of the master plan. 117th over: Sri Lanka 397-8 (P Jayawardene 112, Mendis 0) "Except that we can't use Anderson as a slip because his injuries (side and back) mean he may not even be able to resume in this match," says John Starbuck. "How about Bell? He's pretty good close to the wicket in other positions." I thought about Bell, but a) are the reactions not pretty different at slip and short leg and b) why take him away from short leg, where he is arguably the best in the world? WICKET! Sri Lanka 397-9 (P Jayawardene c Prior b Broad 112) Stuart Broad comes back into the attack, and he strikes with his third ball when Jayawardene snicks a big drive through to Matt Prior. That was a fine delivery, moving away just enough to take the edge. Jayawardene walks off to a deserved ovation after a splendid innings. 117th over: Sri Lanka 399-9 (Mendis 0, Lakmal 2) England can still win this game, of course. The relevant precedent is surely Headingley 2004 . WICKET! Sri Lanka 400 all out (Lakmal c Broad b Swann 2) Stuart Broad ends the innings with a glorious catch. Lakmal smeared Swann towards mid off, and Broad ran to his left before swooping to take a diving two-handed catch. Lovely stuff. See you in 10 minutes for the England innings. INNINGS BREAK 1st over: England 4-0 (Strauss 4, Cook 0) The right-arm swing bowler Suranga Lakmal will open the bowling. This is only his third Test , and he starts with a few innocuous deliveries well wide of Andrew Strauss's off stump. When he bowls a bit straighter, Strauss squeezes a soft-handed boundary to third man. 2nd over: England 7-0 (Strauss 6, Cook 1) The debutant Thisara Perera starts at the other end, bowling to Alastair Cook. This is an interesting mental challenge for Cook, because the only way is down after the Ashes. That said, he is mentally tougher than most. He's beaten third ball by a good delivery that seams away, and then a very late inside edge stops him from being plumb LBW. "Another thing about a shortage of Andersons: who will be nightwatchman now?" says John Starbuck. "Both Broad and Swann would be insulted, so they'd have to be persuaded by team spirit. Is Tremlett's batting sufficiently adequate? His forward defensive ought to be a lulu, he could probably interrupt the bowler in his run-up." Tremlett can bat, yeah, even if he's more of a hitter than a classical nightwatchman. 3rd over: England 10-0 (Strauss 8, Cook 2) This has been a very comfortable start for Strauss, who is able to leave almost everything from Lakmal. These little sessions at the end of a day's play can be awkward for a batting side, with relatively little to gain, but Strauss and Cook are as good as any when it comes to that particular mental challenge. They have a big bubble. 4th over: England 17-0 (Strauss 10, Cook 7) Jimmy Anderson has back and side problems, and will be going for a scan later. He must be doubtful for the second Test, which starts a week today. Ajmal Shahzad is the likeliest replacement, I suppose, with Tim Bresnan out injured. "John Starbuck is surely a glass-half-empty man, Rob," says Clare Davies. "Why dwell on a nightwatchman? Strauss and Cook are well able to bat out the remaining overs. Starbuck needs to take an optimism pill!" 5th over: England 17-0 (Strauss 10, Cook 7) A maiden from Lakmal. This is innocuous fare, with the ball barely deviating off the pitch or in the air. England are only really playing when they have to, which isn't often. Sri Lanka's best hope of whipping England out for under 300 or so is surely the two spinners, Herath and Mendis. "Surely in this particular match situation Trott actually fulfils the brief of next man in and nightwatchman?" says Phil Sawyer, not unreasonably. "He can waste time with his gardening antics and diligently block out the remaining overs without being tempted to hit out." We need a latter-day Robin Marlar, who is surely the only nightwatchman in cricket history to be stumped second ball for six. 6th over: England 21-0 (Strauss 11, Cook 10) Cook flicks Perera off the pads for a couple. England's openers are getting their runs in the usual unobtrusive fashion. "Clare should try reading Moby Dick," says John Starbuck. "It's established that people called Starbuck usually look on the gloomy side and and are usually proved right, especially when no-one believes their predictions. We're a bunch of Cassandras, but the plus is that when England do win, the victory is all the sweeter." 7th over: England 21-0 (Strauss 11, Cook 10) Lakmal bowls, Cook leaves. Repeat, and fade. "A shortage of Andersons?" sniffs Neil Withers. "Are we back to yesterday's band-name riff? In that case I'll go for A Surfeit of Caddicks for the barbershop-glam fusion outfit I formed the other day." 8th over: England 27-0 (Strauss 17, Cook 10) The captain Dilshan turns to spin – but he brings on himself rather than Herath or Mendis. Maybe he is hoping to play on the fact that he dismissed Strauss so emphatically in that World Cup quarter final. That was a different context, of course, and this time Strauss defends the good balls and cuts the bad one for four with the minimum of fuss. 9th over: England 27-0 (Strauss 17, Cook 10) Lakmal's third consecutive maiden. He's not making the openers play enough. This is pretty boring cricket which, in the circumstances, means it's good cricket from England. "John Starbuck should try watching the original 80s version of Battlestar Galactica," says Phil Sawyer. "It's established that people called Starbuck are usually optimistic mavericks that make their own rules. It might change his life." 10th over: England 30-0 (Strauss 18, Cook 12) Dilshan continues. It's harmless stuff, and Cook has time to ease into his crease and play an accomplished back-foot drive for two. 11th over: England 31-0 (Strauss 19, Cook 12) Farveez Maharoof, who has an average of 61 from 21 Tests, comes on for Lakmal. He has the same problem, however, with Strauss able to leave almost everything in that over. This is scruffy stuff. Sri Lanka's seam attack will not, you suspect, be troubling any pantheons in the near future. "To the best of my knowledge, there isn't a Dawson's Creek podcast," says Ryan Dunne. "However the mighty Van der Beek is on Twitter ! Warning: the photo reveals that he has un-Dawsonlike black hair in real life, which doubtless shattered many a childhood dream." Yeah, yeah. Next you'll be telling me he doesn't do this in real life , and that he uses some words with fewer than 12 syllables. 12th over: England 35-0 (Strauss 20, Cook 15) Perera is back on in place of Dilshan, and Cook works him crisply off the hip for three. England are extremely comfortable. 13th over: England 35-0 (Strauss 20, Cook 15) Maharoof shuffles in almost apologetically, and it's a maiden to Cook. It's partly down to the pitch, of course, but this Sri Lanka seam attack does look seriously innocuous. 14th over: England 35-0 (Strauss 20, Cook 15) More of the same. 15th over: England 37-0 (Strauss 20, Cook 17) Maharoof continues. His run up is remarkable. He looks an old man trying to run for a bus, shuffling along with his elbows pointing out to the side. Two from the over. 16th over: England 39-0 (Strauss 20, Cook 18) Sri Lanka are persisting with the seamers, which is a bit of a surprise. I thought they might give Herath and Mendis half an hour. I know who I'd rather face. Cook pulls Perera for a single. 17th over: England 41-0 (Strauss 20, Cook 19) Maharoof bowls a no-ball. That, reader s , is the most excitement we've had in the last 10 minutes. 18th over: England 46-0 (Strauss 20, Cook 24) Lakmal is back into the attack. It's a surprise they haven't bowled the two main spinners. Lakmal's figures look good (5-3-7-0), but his has been a Mullally-style economy, a consequence of the fact that the batsmen have not been made to play enough. Mind you, when he does make one of them play, Cook pulls handsomely for four. 19th over: England 46-0 (Strauss 20, Cook 24) Ajantha Mendis is coming on at last. His Test average has sneaked into the thirties, with a few sides demystifying him, but he'll still be a threat to England. He can turn it every which way but loose (even though most of his deliveries actually go straight on), and there's a pretty big shout for LBW against Cook from the second ball; he was outside the line. It's a maiden, and a pretty good one. WICKET! England 46-1 (Strauss c M Jayawardene b Lakmal 20) That's why you need to make the batsmen play. Strauss, who has been so comfortable, fiddles at a good lifter and edges it low to second slip, where Mahela Jayawardene takes a classy catch. 20th over: England 47-1 (Cook 24, Anderson 1) Jimmy Anderson does come in as nightwatchman. Remember the last time he batted here in a Test ? Anderson sees out the last five balls of the day, so England trail by 353 and will hope to bat all day tomorrow. Thanks for your emails; night.