Tag Archives: dilshan

World Twenty20: Sri Lanka and Pakistan set for spin battle semi-final

Posted on by

Sri Lanka and Pakistan set for World Twenty20 semi-final spin-off

|

UPDATED:

16:44 GMT, 3 October 2012


Spin doctor: Ajantha Mendis

Spin doctor: Ajantha Mendis

Sri Lanka and Pakistan are set to serve up a trial by spin for one another in Thursday's first semi-final at the ICC World Twenty20.

Pakistan booked their place at the Premadasa Stadium with a Super Eight win over Australia at the same venue on Tuesday, in a match dominated by 18 overs from their slow bowlers.

Sri Lanka have the personnel to employ similar tactics too, on a pitch likely to reward them.

Captains Mahela Jayawardene and
Mohammad Hafeez did nothing at their preview press conferences on
Wednesday to dispel the notion that there will be little pace or seam in
evidence.

'We have some quality spinners, and we play spin quite well as well,' said Sri Lanka opener Jayawardene.

'It looks a fresh wicket, the one where the first-round games were played.

'Depending on how the wicket behaves, we need to take a few tactical changes. We have to plan accordingly.'

While Sri Lanka can choose between Ajantha and Jeevan Mendis, Akila Dananjaya, Rangana Herath – and opener Tillekeratne Dilshan as a part-time option – Pakistan are even more blessed with possibilities.

Hafeez said: 'It's because of our spinners that we are doing a great job.

Ready for battle: Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene

Ready for battle: Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene

'Sri Lanka also plays spin well. But whatever conditions we have seen here, it suits the spinners.'

The hosts will doubtless respect Pakistan's spin threat, but have another factor to harness – that of expectation from a capacity and partisan crowd.

Sri Lanka are perennial semi-finalists, or finalists, in International Cricket Council tournaments – but have not won one since their shock first success at the 1996 World Cup.

'Yes, we haven't won any of those – and it's a bit of a disappointment,' said Jayawardene.

'But we have to be in those big tournaments, and if we keep getting there we will win.

'Still we are two games away from getting to that title.

Leader: Pakistan's captain Mohammad Hafeez, (right) and teammate Imran Nazir

Leader: Pakistan's captain Mohammad Hafeez, (right) and teammate Imran Nazir

'We are extremely proud to be a part of a group that has been consistent throughout the tournament.'

Jayawardene knows the opposition is full of dangerous players – not least all-rounder Shahid Afridi, yet to fire with the bat here but always a menace with his attacking leg-breaks.

'Shahid is a big-game player, a good all-round cricketer who does well with both bat and ball,' he said.

'It's not just Shahid – they are a dangerous unit and they have some quality players.

'But we have some match-winners and quality players as well. We need them to turn up and perform.'

World Twenty20 2012: England out after defeat to Sri Lanka

Posted on by

Reigning champions England crash out of World Twenty20 after defeat to Sri Lanka

|

UPDATED:

17:49 GMT, 1 October 2012

England came up short in defence of their ICC World Twenty20 title following the 19-run defeat to hosts Sri Lanka, and must head home before the semi-finals.

Stuart Broad's team spluttered to 18 for three, against Lasith Malinga – and despite a maiden Twenty20 international half-century from Samit Patel, could not sustain a telling recovery in pursuit of 169 for six at Pallekele.

Sri Lanka hit seven sixes in all, and it was clear England faced no easy task to win their last Super Eight match – as they had to if they were to qualify on net run rate ahead of West Indies.

Game over: Sri Lanka celebrate their comprehensive victory over T20 holders England

Game over: Sri Lanka celebrate their comprehensive victory over T20 holders England

Sri Lanka v England

Click here for full scorecard

In the event, their attempt was
undermined from the outset as Malinga took three wickets in his first
over on his way to a career-best five for 31 in this format.

That was not quite the knockout blow,
England twice briefly threatening to put themselves back in contention.
But in the end – even with a late hand from Graeme Swann to help narrow
the margin – Patel (67) was left with too much to do on his own.

No Sri Lanka batsman had been able to
single-handedly dominate, after being put in under lights, Broad (three
for 32) faring best of the England bowlers.

But each kept hitting big shots – and
once Malinga got to work, it all proved far too much for the 2010
champions who had rarely convinced in a stuttering group campaign.

Steven Finn and Jade Dernbach used the
new ball well for them, until the latter dropped short in his second
over – and was hooked, by Mahela Jayawardene, and upper-cut, by
Tillekeratne Dilshan, for sixes.

Dernbach had already had Dilshan
dropped head-high at slip by Swann. But it was not a costly miss,
because Finn soon had the opener lbw bang in front.

Flummoxed: England were once again undone by spin as they surrendered their crown in Pallekele

Flummoxed: England were once again undone by spin as they surrendered their crown in Pallekele

Flummoxed: England were once again undone by spin as they surrendered their crown in Pallekele

Jayawardene played and missed at some
early drives but then batted serenely, as he almost always does, to help
his team to 74 for one at the halfway mark.

The 11th over, however, brought an advantageous trade-off for England – eight runs off Swann, and two wickets.

Swann had Jayawardene well-held by
Eoin Morgan, diving in at deep midwicket, and then Kumar Sangakkara
controversially caught-behind next ball.

Sangakkara appeared perplexed to be
given out by Steve Davis, and replays did not obviously demonstrate any
contact with the bat – but Jonny Bairstow, keeping wicket in place of
the dropped Craig Kieswetter, did not mind about that.

Sri Lanka had to start again, with two men in on nought.

But Jeevan Mendis immediately swept
and then slog-swept Swann for boundaries, and at the other end Angelo
Mathews climbed into two off-drives for boundaries off Broad.

After the fourth-wicket pair shared a
half-century stand in five overs, Broad returned to become the second
England bowler to put himself on a hat-trick.

Broad appeal: The England captain took three wickets as Sri Lanka posted a total of 169

Broad appeal: The England captain took three wickets as Sri Lanka posted a total of 169

Broad appeal: The England captain took three wickets as Sri Lanka posted a total of 169

He had Mendis mis-pulling to midwicket, and then Mathews edging on to his stumps as he tried the same shot.

Once more, two new batsmen were in on
nought. But again, they flourished – Thisara Perera especially with some
muscular hitting to give the hosts the edge at the interval.

That narrow advantage was soon much broader when Malinga, held back until the third over, made an instant and terminal impact.

Luke Wright cut him hard but straight
to point, where Dilshan took the catch; Bairstow, promoted to number
three, lasted only two balls before falling for a change of pace and
getting underneath one to mid-off, and Alex Hales was perhaps a little
unfortunate to be given out lbw.

Patel breathed some life into
England's reply nonetheless, energising a 55-run stand with Morgan as he
took particular toll of Ajantha Mendis with a string of off-side
boundaries.

Man of the moment: Malinga was the star with the ball as England came up well short of the hosts' total

Man of the moment: Malinga was the star with the ball as England came up well short of the hosts' total

Man of the moment: Malinga was the star with the ball as England came up well short of the hosts' total

But Morgan was to fall lbw, trying to
reverse-sweep Akila Dananjaya, and then Ravi Bopara – recalled here as
the extra batsman in place of Kieswetter – confirmed he is still out of
form when no match for Jeevan Mendis' leg-spin variations.

Patel carried on regardless to and beyond an impressive 37-ball 50, containing seven fours and a six.

But no significant support was
forthcoming until Swann helped him plunder 51 from just 28 balls to keep
England in with the slimmest of chances until almost the end.

Malinga returned, however, to bowl Patel off-stump as he made room in the penultimate over.

An inexperienced England line-up
therefore exited, with hints of their potential if nothing more
tangible, from a tournament which perhaps came too soon for several
talented but still developing cricketers.

World Twenty20: England v Sri Lanka live

Posted on by

LIVE: England v Sri Lanka – follow World Twenty20 action from Pallekele as it unfolds

|

UPDATED:

15:13 GMT, 1 October 2012

Stay up to date with all the action from England's third and decisive match in the Super Eights stage of the World Twenty20 as they take on hosts Sri Lanka in Pallekele.

Victory for England will almost certainly put them in the semi-finals because of their superior net run rate over the West Indies and New Zealand. Even a narrow defeat may be enough, should New Zealand beat the West Indies in the day's earlier match.

We'll deliver over-by-over coverage as the action
unfolds, with build-up starting at 2.30pm. Send me your thoughts on the action to adam.shergold1@dailymail.co.uk

England v Sri Lanka: Essentials

England: AD Hales, LJ Wright, JM Bairstow (wkt), EJG Morgan, JC Buttler, RS Bopara, SR Patel, SCJ Broad (captain), GP Swann, ST Finn, JW Dernbach

Sri Lanka: M Jayawardene, T Dilshan, K Sangakkara (captain, wkt), A Mathews, J Mendis, L Thirimanne, T Perera, N Kulasekera, A Dananjaya, L Malinga, A Mendis

Umpires: S Taufel (Aus) and S Davis (Aus)

Third umpire: A Rauf (Pak)

Match referee: J Srinath (Ind)

Click here to read the full scorecard

Sri Lanka (11 overs) 82-3 Mathews 0, Mendis 8

WICKETS! England get their men. Two wickets in two balls and this game has swung right round!

Jayawardene had started like an express train, hitting 42 off 38 balls, but Swann fools him into a loose shot which is caught by Eoin Morgan.

Next ball, unreadable spin and Sangakkara is in a muddle. A faint edge and Bairstow is alert to take the catch.

Mendis the second new man to come in and sweeps Swann for four to dampen the enthusiasm a little. Follows that up with snick to backward square leg for four.

What a crazy over: W,W,0,4,4,0 but England well and truly alive in the game now.

Sri Lanka (10 overs) 74-1 Jayawardene 42, Sangakkara 13

Samit Patel adds another spin option and is promptly struck for a couple of crafty fours to keep up the Sri Lankan momentum.

The boundaries always seem to be in the same areas – on the off side toward backward point and over short fine leg.

Sri Lanka (9 overs) 64-1 Jayawardene 33, Sangakkara 12

Much tighter from Swann, and a suspicion of an edge on the third ball though Bairstow can't grasp the ball.

But the good work is undone as Sangakkara reverse sweeps for four on the penultimate ball. Broad blocks it out with two fielders on that leaky off side.

Sri Lanka (8 overs) 57-1 Jayawardene 28, Sangakkara 10

Bopara is given the ball – he's been busy in the field so far and now properly enters the fray.

Sangakkara places a lovely shot for a couple of runs, prompting Bairstow to don his helmet and come up to the stumps.

Bopara with an assured start, just three from the over and a ball that beats the edge of Jayawardene's bat to finish the over.

Sri Lanka (7 overs) 53-1 Jayawardene 27, Sangakkara 7

Swann comes on to try and find that elusive patch of rough, but it's an expensive start with a brace and then a four sweep by Jayawardene.

Recovers strongly with a dot, then three singles to slow the pace a little.

Sri Lanka (6 overs) 44-1 Jayawardene 19, Sangakkara 6

Broad into the attack and Jayawardene wants to get a move on. The ball swinging and evading the bat twice, before the England captain plants a shorter ball into his midriff.

Jayawardene crumples and next ball knocks one just over the diving Bopara at short extra cover.

Good start by Broad, just three off the over.

Jade Dernbach of England

Steven Finn of England

Agony and ecstasy: Jade Dernbach (left) sees an appeal turned down, but there's joy for Steven Finn as he traps Dilshan leg before wicket

Sri Lanka (5 overs) 41-1 Jayawardene 16, Sangakkara 6

Finn returns for a third over and Bopara saves a certain four as Jayawardene smashes the second ball.

WICKET! Dilshan has another swing – he can't resist – and this time Finn's ball hits his back leg on the thigh. Easy decision for Simon Taufel as it's hitting middle and leg, and England have their breakthrough at 35-1. 16 off 12 for Dilshan.

Kumar Sangakkara comes in and is immediately off the mark before nudging a four past Bairstow, who lets the ball squirm through his legs.

Sri Lanka (4 overs) 34-0 Jayawardene 15, Dilshan 16

Dernbach, tattoo sleeves on display as he thunders in, is flicked for a 74-metre six by Jayawardene second ball.

And Dilshan comes to the party too, hitting a six in the opposite direction which evades Luke Wright's despairing dive at third man.

Taufel calls a wide as Dernbach tries to con Dilshan into a scoop with the fourth delivery.

16 from the over, Sri Lanka revving up now.

Not hanging around: Dilshan attempts a shot in the early stages of the Sri Lankan innings

Not hanging around: Dilshan attempts a shot in the early stages of the Sri Lankan innings

Sri Lanka (3 overs) 18-0 Jayawardene 7, Dilshan 9

Finn tries a shorter delivery and Jayawardene reads it. Over the shoulder for four runs.

But Finn recovers with a couple of balls which fizz through past Jayawardene, who wafts the bat.

Six from the over but a penny for Swann's thoughts right now after that chance.

Sri Lanka 12-0 (2 overs) Jayawardene 2, Dilshan 8

Dernbach forces Dilshan into a top edge with the second ball of the over, the ball falling well short of square leg however.

DROPPED! Massive chance on the fourth ball of the over. Dilshan's top edge and a dolly for Swann, who somehow drops it over his head. Big opportunity missed there.

Strong lbw appeal on the final ball – full length, but sliding down the leg stump and Taufel is unmoved.

Sri Lanka 8-0 (1 over)

Disciplined start by Finn – who has not been struck for six in 102 balls in this tournament – until the final ball when Dilshan plays a sweetly timed four under the dive of Ravi Bopara.

3.22pm Stuart Broad, the captain, setting out the last of the instructions in the huddle and we're about to get underway in front of a full house in Pallekele.

First out to bat for Sri Lanka will be Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Steve Finn will hope to make the early inroads for England.

3.21pm Lots of the England lads belting out God Save the Queen with pride. Sri Lanka has a lovely, melodic anthem which has been going now for the best part of three minutes…

3.18pm Here we go then! The two sides are on the field and in line for the national anthems.

3.14pm England find themselves in this do-or-die situation after a win and a draw in the Super Eight stage.

On Thursday, they were hit all over the place by the West Indies, who recorded 179-5 from their 20 overs. After losing Kieswetter and Wright in consecutive balls in the first over, England rallied thanks to Hales's 68 but ultimately fell 15 runs short.

They rediscovered their form on Saturday, restricting New Zealand to 148, before knocking off the runs for the loss of four wickets. Wright was choice batsmen, hitting 76 off 59 balls, including a series of towering sixes.

3.09pm The atmosphere is building under the floodlights in Pallekele. Lots of England flags dotted around the ground but they will, of course, be vastly outnumbered by the colourful and very noisy home fans. Less than ten minutes hopefully now until the teams emerge.

3.01pm For Sri Lanka, Jayawardene is taking the evening off captaincy duties, with Sangakkara deputising. The usual skipper is still playing though.

2.55pm In this afternoon's team news, England have brought in Samit Patel, Ravi Bopara and Jade Dernbach.

Craig Kieswetter, Danny Briggs and Tim Bresnan will sit this one out.

ENGLAND WIN THE TOSS AND WILL BOWL FIRST

2.51pm Another match to wrap up from today is the Women's Twenty20 group match between England and Australia in Galle.

And it's good news for England, who set up a semi-final date with New Zealand after a seven-wicket victory.

Sarah Taylor struck 65 not out from 53 balls, sharing an unbroken 63-run stand with Danielle Wyatt (33no from 17) as England posted 146 for three in response to Australia's 144 for five.

2.47pm The England match was due to start at 3pm UK time but we'll now see a delay of 15-20 minutes as the games are being played back-to-back at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium and we have the presentations to do first.

2.44pm Now that's entertainment. Things are black and white now – England need to win to advance, otherwise the West Indies will join Sri Lanka in the semi-finals.

WEST INDIES BEAT NEW ZEALAND IN THE SUPER OVER

The Windies stay alive in the competition and their fate now rests on the outcome of England against Sri Lanka. New Zealand are eliminated.

2.39pm Half-way through the Super Over and the Windies have 11 runs. They need seven to win from three deliveries.

2.36pm Thwack! Perfect start for the West Indies – Southee bowls a no ball, Gayle smacks him for six.

2.34pm From an English perspective, this Super Over is beneficial because the net run-rates of New Zealand and the West Indies will not change. It gives England a little more margin for error.

DM.has('rcp',”twitter”);

Twitter Avatar

Loading tweets…

In the meantime, you can read Paul Newman's preview of England's final Super Eight fixture.

2.32pm The late finish to this first match will mean a slight delay to the start of England's game – but you can't fault this entertainment!

Talking of which, Chris Gayle has just strode to the crease to reply for the West Indies…

2.30pm Good afternoon and welcome to our live over-by-over coverage of England's decisive World Twenty20 Super Eight match with Sri Lanka in Pallekele.

You join us at a crucial point in the day's other match between the West Indies and New Zealand, which has gone to a Super Over.

New Zealand have just posted 17, so the Windies require 18 to win from their six balls.

World Twenty20 2012: Sri Lanka beat new Zealand

Posted on by

Sri Lanka edge thriller against New Zealand as it takes 'super over' to separate teams

|

UPDATED:

15:01 GMT, 27 September 2012

Sri Lanka won the opening match of the World Twenty20 Super Eights in dramatic fashion after a 'super over' was required to settle the clash with New Zealand in Pallekele.

Batting first in the extra over, Sri Lanka made 13 without managing to hit a boundary off Tim Southee, who bowled two costly wides.

That left New Zealand needing to score 14 to claim victory but they fell well short as Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga proved too good for Black Caps openers Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum.

Just about: Mahela Jayawardene and his team celebrated a thrilling win on home turf

Just about: Mahela Jayawardene and his team celebrated a thrilling win on home turf

SRI LANKA V NEW ZEALAND

Click here to view the full scorecard

The match went to the eliminator after Sri Lanka batsman Lahiru Thirimanne was run out in hugely fortuitous fashion off the final ball of the game with the scores tied on 174.

Set a tough 175 for victory, Sri Lanka looked favourites for much of their run chase thanks to openers Tillakaratne Dilshan (76 off 53) and Mahela Jayawardene (44 off 26).

Even when man-of-the-match Dilshan was run out in the penultimate over Sri Lanka still seemed in control, needing only 14 needed off 10 balls with six wickets in hand.

However, New Zealand turned up the heat on the new batsmen and the Black Caps suddenly looked the likely winners as Sri Lanka were left needing five runs off the final two balls of the match.

The pendulum swung back Sri Lanka's way again when Thirimanne used a ramp shot to deflect the first of those two deliveries for four but, with one run needed off the final ball, New Zealand enjoyed a huge slice of luck.

Support: The colourfully clad home crowd were out in full force

Support: The colourfully clad home crowd were out in full force

Gotcha! Lahiru Thirimanne didn't quite make it back to his crease to prevent being run out

Gotcha! Lahiru Thirimanne didn't quite make it back to his crease to prevent being run out

Black Caps captain Ross Taylor looked to have cost his side the game when, standing over the stumps at the non-striker's end, he failed to collect James Franklin's throw with Thirimanne short of the crease as he attempted to scramble a single.

However, the ball bounced out of Taylor's hands and on to the stumps and, after a lengthy wait while replays were studied to determine if it was indeed the ball that had dislodged the bails and the diving Thirimanne was out of his ground, the run out was confirmed.

That sent the match to the super over, where Sri Lanka edged home to claim a thrilling win.

Earlier, New Zealand's top order had powered their side to 174 for seven after winning the toss, with Rob Nicol top-scoring with 58 off 40 balls and Guptill (38), Brendon McCullum (25) and Taylor (23) also contributing quick runs.

Physical: Nathan McCullum of New Zealand collided with Tillakaratne Dilshan in an exciting encounter

Physical: Nathan McCullum of New Zealand collided with Tillakaratne Dilshan in an exciting encounter

Ouch! Akila Dananjaya was struck in the face by the ball

Ouch! Akila Dananjaya was struck in the face by the ball

Sri Lanka v England: Graeme Swann takes two late wickets on day four

Posted on by

Swann strikes late to leave England in the driving seat to win second Test

|

UPDATED:

12:18 GMT, 6 April 2012

Graeme Swann took two wickets in a dramatic penultimate over to raise England's hopes of a series-levelling victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka.

England had started the day solidly but went 43.3 overs without success in the evening as their nemesis Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera put on 90 for the fifth wicket.

Jumping for joy: Swann celebrates after taking two late wickets on day four in Colombo

Jumping for joy: Swann celebrates after taking two late wickets on day four in Colombo

Sri Lanka v England

Click here for the full scorecard

Then, with the tourists fatigued by
heat and humidity and facing a tricky chase on day five, Swann bowled
Samaraweera and Suraj Randiv in the space of three balls.

His ecstatic celebrations as the
stumps parted on each occasion showed just how important this could be
for England – who need victory to draw level with Sri Lanka at 1-1 and
preserve their world No 1 status.

At the close the hosts were 218 for
six – a fragile lead of 33 – but with Jayawardene on 55 not out and in
sight of his third century in a remarkable series.

Bowled him: Suraj Randiv was dismissed by Swann in the closing stages

Bowled him: Suraj Randiv was dismissed by Swann in the closing stages

Delight: Swann acknowledges the importance of his late breakthroughs as England chase the victory in Colombo

Delight: Swann acknowledges the importance of his late breakthroughs as England chase the victory in Colombo

England, who had time for just one
over last night, were hoping to knock nightwatchman Dhammika Prasad over
early but he quickly became a bigger problem than regular opener Lahiru
Thirimanne.

Swann came on after six overs and
soon had Thirimanne in strife. Matt Prior missed a simple stumping but
it did not cost England as the opener guided James Anderson to slip for
11.

Tillakaratne Dilshan arrived next and
immediately went into defensive mode – something of a rarity for the
flashy all-rounder. Prasad continued to ride his luck, edging Swann just
past Prior for four and then being dropped badly by Steven Finn two
balls later.

Thorn in the side: Jayawardene continued to impress on Friday

Thorn in the side: Jayawardene continued to impress on Friday

His frustrating cameo was finally ended on 34 when he lifted a Finn bouncer down Tim Bresnan's throat at fine leg.

Kumar Sangakkara's woeful series
almost continued when Finn drew a thick edge off the new man, but he
hung on and lunch came with the score 84 for two. Sangakkara, though,
was far from his best – prodding and fending at Anderson at the start of
the second session.

Samit Patel was getting good turn but
lost his length as he gave Sri Lanka 12 runs in two overs to chip away
at the lead. Swann was summoned to replace the slow left-armer and
struck with his first ball.

Early strike: Anderson is congratulated after taking the wicket of Lahiru Thirimanne in the ninth over

Early strike: Anderson is congratulated after taking the wicket of Lahiru Thirimanne in the ninth over

He turned one in to Dilshan's bat
and pad and appealed as soon as Anderson accepted a looping catch at
slip. Umpire Bruce Oxenford upheld the shout but Dilshan immediately
called for DRS.

There was no conclusive proof either
way, meaning the dismissal was upheld to Dilshan's clear chagrin. The
referral system was in use again three balls later when Oxenford
rejected a big lbw appeal from Swann against Sangakkara.

In tandem: The England fielders unsuccessfully appeal for a wicket on day four of the Test

In tandem: The England fielders unsuccessfully appeal for a wicket on day four of the Test

This time technology frustrated
England, reprieving the batsman by the smallest of margins. But there
was no doubt when Prior gathered a thin edge off Swann to send
Sangakkara back for 21 and leave the hosts 60 behind at 125 for four.

That brought Sri Lanka's most
diligent pairing, Jayawardene and Samaraweera, together and they calmly
added 14 before tea. Eight balls after the restart Jayawardene offered
up a rare chance, miscuing Patel in the direction of mid-on.

In the runs: Jayawardene ended the fourth day on 55

In the runs: Jayawardene ended the fourth day on 55

Bresnan was the fielder but could
not cling on one-handed and, instead of heading back for 20, Jayawardene
picked up his second boundary. It had the feel of a crucial moment.

He pulled Bresnan for a third four,
this a much more commanding stroke, to bring up the 150 as England began
to show signs of weariness.

Their advantage slipped into the
teens as Jayawardene swept Swann for four and when Samaraweera eased
Patel for a single, Sri Lanka took the lead.

As if to celebrate moving into
credit Samaraweera plundered successive boundaries off Kevin Pietersen
and drove Swann for a magnificent straight four.

Jayawardene's fifty arrived with his 125th ball as England continued to search unsuccessfully for a fifth wicket.

Their best hope now lay with the new
ball and, after nine overs of seam, it was Swann who made the
breakthrough in the last over of the day. He turned one sharply at
Samaraweera, who was shocked by the spin and ended up dislodging a bail
as he ran the ball off the face of the bat.

Swann summoned up one more piece of
magic to bowl Randiv through the gate, giving England some much-needed
momentum to use on the fifth morning.

Sri Lanka v England: Second Test, day four, Colombo, live

Posted on by

LIVE: Sri Lanka v England – follow the action on day four of the second Test in Colombo

Stay up to date with all the action on
day four of the second Test between Sri Lanka and England with Sportsmail's
unrivalled team. We'll deliver over-by-over coverage as the action
unfolds at the P Sara Oval in Colombo while our brilliant team of
writers will update with their insights from the ground. Email your thoughts to joe.ridge@dailymail.co.uk or Tweet to @JoeRidge87

Sri Lanka v England: Essentials

England:
A Strauss (c), A Cook, J Trott, K Pietersen, I Bell, M Prior (wkt), S Patel, T Bresnan, G Swann, J Anderson, S Finn.

Sri Lanka: T Dilshan, L Thirimanne, K Sangakkara, M
Jayawardene (c), T Samaraweera, A Mathews, P
Jayawardene (wkt), S Randiv, R Herath, S Lakmal, D Prasad.

Umpires: A Rauf (Pak), B Oxenford (Aus).

Third Umpire: R Tucker (Aus).

Match Referee: J Srinath (Ind).

First innings: Sri Lanka 275, England 460.

Click here for a full scorecard

DM.has('rcp',”twitterCombined”,
feeds : 'newman_cricket, the_topspin',
tweetCount : 4
);

Cricket writers on Twitter

Twitter Avatar

Loading tweets…

Feeds provided by Twitter

WICKET! Thirimanne c Strauss b Anderson 11

8th over: Sri Lanka 22-0 (Prasad 6, Thirimanne 11)

Swann gets an early bowl, replacing Finn. Can he strike in his first over as he so often does Chance! Prior misses the stumping as Thirimanne comes down the track and gets beaten. That was a pretty easy chance for Prior. Appeal! Not out. And they decide against the review… wisely. The ball was missing off, but another poor leave from the opener, who got out leaving off Anderson in the first innings. Great start from Swann. Maiden.

7th over: Sri Lanka 22-0 (Prasad 6, Thirimanne 11)

Anderson into his fourth over. Close! Thirimanne nearly chops on attempting the cut. Three added as Strauss cuts off the drive at the cover boundary.

6th over: Sri Lanka 19-0 (Prasad 6, Thirimanne 8)

Finn to Thirimanne, around the wicket. He adds a single after a good stop from Pietersen at mid on. Prasad sees off the rest.

5th over: Sri Lanka 18-0 (Prasad 6, Thirimanne 7)

Anderson to continue his spell. Oof! Jimmy gets one to rear up and nip back and it just beats Prasad's edge. Swing and a miss again from Prasad, if he's going he's going out swinging… Close! He prods one up in the air that falls between the bowler and Bresnan at cover. Maiden.

4th over: Sri Lanka 18-0 (Prasad 6, Thirimanne 7)

Thirimanne tucks Finn off his hips for a single down to fine leg. Three more singles in the offing. Nothing to alarm the batsmen from this pitch yet.

3rd over: Sri Lanka 14-0 (Prasad 4, Thirimanne 5)

Anderson to bowl the second over of the day. Appeal! Not out. That was probably going down leg, and they won't want to waste on appeal on the nightwatchman – leg bye added. Thirimanne tucks a single to midwicket. Shot! Prasad shows he's no slouch with the bat with well-timed off drive for four.

2nd over: Sri Lanka 8-0 (Prasad 0, Thirimanne 4)

Steven Finn to bowl the second over of the innings and the first of the day. Thirimanne is on strike. Shot! He drives behind square on the back foot for the first boundary of the day.

5.28am: England's attack have been outstanding throughout the winter, now they have their chance for glory after their batsmen finally laid a decent platform. The players are out in the middle. Here we go…

5.25am: First task for England is to remove the nightwatchman Prasad. Sri Lanka will need a big knock or two from the likes of Jayawardene and Sangakkara if they are to save the match and win the series, which would see England knocked off their perch as the world's No 1 Test side.

5.20am: England's seamers will have been buoyed some very uneven bounce extracted by Lakmal and Prasad yesterday. And if Swann looked good on days one and two here, then he'll be relishing the prospect of turning it on this deteriorating track.

Hunting as a pack: England appeal for the wicket of Prasad late on day three

Hunting as a pack: England appeal for the wicket of Prasad late on day three

5.15am: Here's your essential reading for today before we get under way at 5.30am…

Paul Newman's report on day three is here.

Pietersen tells Lawrence Booth England have turned the corner with the bat here.

Lawrence writes on the switch-hit controversy here.

And his final installment for today is Top Spin at the Test, here.

5.10am: Kevin Pietersen's exceptional innings of 151 yesterday has left England with two whole days to sew this one up, and Andrew Strauss has a five-man attack of Anderson, Finn, Bresnan, Swann and Patel with which to try and do so.

5.05am: Today could well be the final day of the series. England will certainly be hoping so. They lead by 181 runs with the hosts just one over into their second innings.

5.00am: Good morning everyone and welcome to the fourth day of the second and final Test between Sri Lanka and England in Colombo.

Ton-derful: Pietersen hails his magnificent century

Ton-derful: Pietersen hails his magnificent century

Sri Lanka v England: Don"t penalise Kevin Pietersen"s switch hit

Posted on by

Don't penalise Pietersen's switch hit, Test cricket thrives on the excitement
digg]

|

UPDATED:

11:02 GMT, 5 April 2012

Lawrence Booth gives his verdict for
MailOnline from Colombo on day three of the second Test match between Sri
Lanka and England…

Cricket does like its rules, doesn't it Sorry – its Laws. Note the upper-case L: cricket takes its Laws very seriously indeed.

Six years ago, a Test match at The Oval was called off because the Laws took precedence over common sense. Umpires everywhere nodded sagely. For without the Laws, where would we be!

On Thursday, Kevin Pietersen found the Laws uncongenial to his unique brand of genius and, in particular, to his switch hit. (Or was it the playing regulations that scuppered him We lose track. It doesn't really matter.)

What's the problem Pietersen argues the odds with the umpires

What's the problem Pietersen argues the odds with the umpires

The only question that did matter, at least from a legal perspective, was whether or not Pietersen was altering his grip or stance in preparation for the switch hit before Tillekeratne Dilshan had begun his delivery stride.

Umpires Asad Rauf and Bruce Oxenford decided he was doing precisely that, and – because Dilshan pulled out of delivering the ball three times in one over – warned Pietersen under Law 42.10, which covers time-wasting.

Top Spin

Forget for a moment the gorgeous irony of punishing a player for time-wasting in an over that cost 19, and with a 109-ball Test hundred on a deathly slow pitch only moments away – and in a game England must win to retain their No 1 status.

And snigger at cricket's fussiness when a coach feels obliged to enter the match referee's office to ascertain whether a bowler's delivery stride begins when his back foot plants itself or his front foot lands (it's his back foot, apparently).

Instead, consider this. Can cricket afford to be as po-faced as this, not least in a series in which the Sri Lankan board has enraged sections of England's travelling support by making up ticket prices as they go along, and the locals have been either priced out of the market or cunningly not told about the cheaper seats until the last minute

Law-beaker The switch hit was the cause of much debate on day three

Law-beaker The switch hit was the cause of much debate on day three

Can Test cricket in particular afford to look down its nose at a time when Twenty20 and its innovations are forcing the five-day game into an even smaller corner

And do the fans really want moments such as these – when a batsman responds inventively to a 7-2 leg-side field with an off-spinner operating round the wicket – to be legislated out of existence

The counter-arguments came thick and fast on Twitter. What if a bowler suddenly changed hands without warning the batsman, or swerved at the last minute to go round the wicket rather than over it

Well, good luck to them! If you've got it, flaunt it.

Game over: KP's stand ended on 151 runs as England forged a lead

Game over: KP's stand ended on 151 runs as England forged a lead

Game over: KP's stand ended on 151 runs as England forged a lead

Which is precisely what Pietersen was
doing. When MCC gave their blessing to the stroke in 2008 after he had
first caused a stir by switch-hitting Scott Styris out of
Chester-le-Street, they noted that it was a 'difficult shot to execute
and that it incurs a great deal of risk for the batsman'.

MCC went on: 'It also offers bowlers a good chance of taking a wicket and therefore MCC believes that the shot is fair to both batsman and bowler.'

If the switch hit is such a liberty, why is it played by virtually no one else in the world game Answer: it's tricky to pull off, and you'll look pretty silly if you get out.

This is not to blame the umpires: theirs was the call to make, even if the call was a tight one. But when cricket gets bogged down in semantics – in delivery strides and altered grips – it loses part of its charm.

Sri Lanka v England: Second Test, day three, Colombo, live

Posted on by

LIVE: Sri Lanka v England – follow the action on day three of the second Test in Colombo

Stay up to date with all the action on
day three of the second Test between Sri Lanka and England with Sportsmail's
unrivalled team. We'll deliver over-by-over coverage as the action
unfolds at the P Sara Oval in Colombo while our brilliant team of
writers will update with their insights from the ground. Email your thoughts to joe.ridge@dailymail.co.uk or Tweet to @JoeRidge87

Sri Lanka v England: Essentials

England:
A Strauss (c), A Cook, J Trott, K Pietersen, I Bell, M Prior (wkt), S Patel, T Bresnan, G Swann, J Anderson, S Finn.

Sri Lanka: T Dilshan, L Thirimanne, K Sangakkara, M
Jayawardene (c), T Samaraweera, A Mathews, P
Jayawardene (wkt), S Randiv, R Herath, S Lakmal, D Prasad.

Umpires: A Rauf (Pak), B Oxenford (Aus).

Third Umpire: R Tucker (Aus).

Match Referee: J Srinath (Ind).

First innings: Sri Lanka 275.

Click here for a full scorecard

DM.has('rcp',”twitterCombined”,
feeds : 'newman_cricket, the_topspin',
tweetCount : 4
);

Cricket writers on Twitter

Twitter Avatar

Loading tweets…

Feeds provided by Twitter

77th over: England 187-1 (Cook 83, Trott 39)

Herath goes too straight to Trott and he's able to flick two runs to midwicket. One more added to cover, England ticking along nicely here.

76th over: England 184-1 (Cook 83, Trott 36)

Randiv to Cook, who pushes a single to wide of mid off. Shot! Trott picks up on a wide one from Randiv and plays the reverse sweep expertly. Randiv comes round the wicket… and bowls a shocking leg stump full toss that Trott only manages to add one from to fine leg.

75th over: England 178-1 (Cook 82, Trott 31)

Herath continues… Trott picks up two through midwicket.

74th over: England 176-1 (Cook 82, Trott 29)

The off-spinner Randiv comes in to replace Prasad. Trott picks up a single. Randiv gets one to turn sharply away from Cook but beats his outside edge. Just one from the over… a good first half hour from England.

73rd over: England 175-1 (Cook 82, Trott 28)

Herath continues his opening spell. Cook can't quite find the gaps for the single, but there's not enough turn from the portly spinner to worry him. Maiden.

72nd over: England 175-1 (Cook 82, Trott 28)

Prasad comes around the wicket to Cook to bring lbw into the equation, perhaps in response to that one that kept low in his last over. Cook pushes a single to cover. Four… Prasad's off cutter gets a thin edge from Trott's bat. The ball falls well short of Prasanna Jayawardene though and the bounce beats him to allow the ball to run away to the boundary. That brings up the 50 partnership.

71st over: England 170-1 (Cook 81, Trott 24)

Jayawardene has the field up to Trott to stop him accumulating the singles as he so loves to do. Trott clips a leg side delivery from Herath through midwicket for three. Cook adds one more to square leg.

70th over: England 166-1 (Cook 80, Trott 21)

Prasad into his second over of the day. This time he has Cook on strike. Signs of wear and tear in the pitch as one completely dies on Cook, luckily it was well outside off though. Cook pushes two through the covers to move into the 80s.

69th over: England 164-1 (Cook 78, Trott 21)

Herath continues to Cook. The opener works a single to midwicket. Two leg byes fine as Trott attempts to sweep one outside leg stump.

68th over: England 161-1 (Cook 77, Trott 21)

Dhammika Prasad to bowl his medium-fast seamers. Trott punches through the covers off the back foot two score the first two runs of the day. Wide called as a Prasad bouncer flies high over Trott. Four! Trott guides one past gully for the first boundary of the day.

Accumulating: Alastair Cook works the ball into the leg side

Accumulating: Alastair Cook works the ball into the leg side

67th over: England 154-1 (Cook 77, Trott 15)

Sri Lanka will open up with the left-arm spin of Rangana Herath. The new ball is 14 overs away. It's a maiden to start up with.

5.28am: Nearly time to get play started on yet another scorching day in Sri Lanka. Fans will be thinking of what total England can get, preserving their world No 1 status, putting some gloss on a poor winter, etc etc. But rest assured, all England will be thinking about is winning this session, the rest then will start to take care of itself.

5.15am: To ensure victory England will want plenty of time to defend and unassailable lead. They'll be hoping the steady progress continues throughout the first two sessions then, if wickets are still intact, expect them to kick on as the day wears on.

Vital runs: Strauss scored 61 on day two

Vital runs: Strauss scored 61 on day two

5.10am: Here's some reading for you all to get stuck into before we get under way at 5.30am…

Paul Newman's report on day two is here.

Graeme Swann hits out at the 'witch-hunt' for captain Andrew Strauss here.

And the Top Spin, Lawrence Booth, muses from Colombo here.

5.05am: It may not be one for the neutrals so far but make no bones about it, England need to win this one, and they've gone about it in the right way so far. Don't expect any fireworks from Cook and Trott – England will be hoping their two most consistent batsmen of the last 18 months can do what they do best: dig in and accumulate.

5.00am: Good morning everyone and welcome to Sportsmail's live coverage of the third day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and England in Colombo…. What a refreshingly boring day of cricket that was yesterday. Just one wicket falling for England at a run rate of less than 2.5 an over… Just what we've been missing!

Cooking with gas: England have built a great platform from which they can dominate the Test

Cooking with gas: England have built a great platform from which they can dominate the Test

Sri Lanka v England: Colombo, second Test, day one, live

Posted on by

LIVE: Sri Lanka v England – follow the action on day one of the second Test in Colombo

Stay up to date with all the action on
day one of the second Test between Sri Lanka and England with Sportsmail's
unrivalled team. We'll deliver over-by-over coverage as the action
unfolds in Colombo while our brilliant team of
writers will update with their insights from the ground. Email your thoughts to tom.bellwood@dailymail.co.uk or tweet to @TomBellwood

Sri Lanka v England: Essentials

England: Strauss (c), Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Bell, Prior (wk), Patel, Bresnan, Swann, Anderson, Finn.

Sri Lanka: M Jayawardene (c), A Mathews, T Samaraweera, T Dilshan, R Herath, P Jayawardene (wkt), S Randiv, S Lakmal, D Prasad, K Sangakkara, L Thirimanne.

Umpires: A Rauf (Pak), B Oxenford (Aus).

Third Umpire: R Tucker (Aus).

Match Referee: J Srinath (Ind).

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat.

Full scorecard will appear here

DM.has('rcp',”twitterCombined”,
feeds : 'newman_cricket, the_topspin',
tweetCount : 4
);

Cricket writers on Twitter

Twitter Avatar

Loading tweets…

Feeds provided by Twitter

6th over: Sri Lanka 21-2 (Thirimanne 7, M Jayawardene 0)

England's decision to select Tim Bresnan – who hasn't even bowled a ball yet – already looks vindicated given how much movement there is across this track. Finn continues, a series of dots and that's a maiden.

5th over: Sri Lanka 21-2 (Thirimanne 7)

Life's never boring with Dilshan about, is it England's ploy to try and tempt Dilshan outside off stump produces two stunning cover drives. Then England strike. And hard. Double blow provides England a real boost.

WICKET! Kumar Sangakarra c Strauss b Anderson 0

Have a look at that! Anderson pitches it on middle, the ball jags away a touch and zooms through to Strauss who makes a right hash of the catch, but just grabs it at the second bit. Second golden duck of the series for Sangakarra!

WICKET! Tillakaratne Dilshan c Prior b Anderson 14

Full and straight from Anderson, Dilshan feels for it just outside his off stump and only edges through to Prior. Early breakthrough England wanted.

4th over: Sri Lanka 13-0 (Thirimanne 7 Dilshan 6)

Lovely morning in Colombo, weather reports say it shouldn't be as hot as the four sweltering days in Galle. And there's even talk of some showers dotting around the ground later on this afternoon. Officially this ground holds 15,000 spectators and once again it is England fans who have taken the majority of the tickets. Finn pitches up it up full, Thirimanne's eyes light up and he thrashes it back down the ground, past mid-off for four more.

3rd over: Sri Lanka 9-0 (Thirimanne 3 Dilshan 6)

There really does look like there's plenty in this track to encourage the England bowlers early on: puffs of dust coming off the wicket, movement off the seam. A result wicket if you will. I like it. Big lbw appeal as Dilshan is trapped trying to lean across to midwicket, England decide against the review. And there follows a mighty impressive straight punch back down the ground for four.

2nd over: Sri Lanka 3-0 (Thirimanne 3 Dilshan 0)

Steven Finn has been waiting patiently in the wings for some time now – since last June, to be precise – but has his opportunity now to impress. He starts a little full, drags it back a touch, there's a misfield at mid-off which allows a couple of runs then a juicy outside edge bounces just short of the man at second slip. Good start.

1st over: Sri Lanka 1-0 (Thirimanne 1 Dilshan 0)

The start of a Test. Possible my favourite time. James Anderson has the new cherry, England fans singing Jerusalem. What more could you want Anderson gets some movement off the seam, encouraging signs early on. Chance for England to make early gains.

Coining it: Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat

Coining it: Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat

5.27: Right, players and officials are making their way out on to this famous old ground – where Sri lanka played their first Test against England, no less. Huge Barmy Army following again, action is imminent. Excellent!

5.21: To sweep or not to sweep That really is the question for the England batsmen. Nasser Hussain has all the answers here.

5.15: Right, we've got a few minutes before the start of play, time to have a read of Paul Newman's match preview and details of Andrew Strauss's press conference which was abruptly cut short.

5.10am: BREAKING NEWS: Sri Lanka have won the toss and Mahela Jayawardene says he will have a bat. Two changes for England: Stuart Broad misses out with a calf injury and is replaced by Steven Finn and Monty Panesar is replaced by Tim Bresnan.

As for Sri Lanka, Angelo Mathews is in for Dinesh Chandimal. Chanaka Welegedara is out injured and is replaced by Dhammika Prasad.

5am: Morning all and welcome along to Sportsmail's coverage on day one of the second Test between Sri Lanka and England from the P Sara Oval in Colombo.

To summarise: England's winter of discontent continued in Galle where a first-innings capitulation laid the foundations for a fourth straight Test defeat on the subcontinent. Not the form of a team with desires on remaining No 1 in the world.

News of the toss and teams on the way in a moment and all the action as it happens from 5.30am.

Winter warmer: England have five days to register a win on the subcontinent

Winter warmer: England have five days to register a win on the subcontinent

Stuart Broad out of England second Test in Sri Lanka

Posted on by

Bad to worse for England as Broad is ruled out of second Test in Sri Lanka

|

UPDATED:

12:47 GMT, 30 March 2012

Ruled out: Broad injured his calf in the first Test

Ruled out: Broad injured his calf in the first Test

England seamer Stuart Broad is to fly home after being ruled out of the second Test against Sri Lanka with a calf strain.

Broad played in England's first Test defeat in Galle despite struggling with a sprain to his left ankle in the build-up to the match.

He then suffered an injury to his right calf during the game and was in visible discomfort as he batted in the second innings.

England sent him for scans on Friday and have opted to fly him home for rehabilitation.

The Nottinghamshire quick tweeted his disappointment on Friday, writing: 'Annoyed to be going home a week early. Not a major injury just couldn't get through a whole Test match.'

Broad took two wickets in the first Test, removing the dangerous Tillakaratne Dilshan with the new ball in each innings.

There are now question marks over his participation in the Indian Premier League for the second year running.

He signed a three-year deal with King's
XI Punjab but missed last year's tournament with a stomach injury
sustained at the World Cup.

An England and Wales Cricket Board
statement read: 'England pace bowler Stuart Broad has been ruled of the
final Test against Sri Lanka after a scan today confirmed a right calf
strain.

Not pretty viewing: Andrew Strauss saw England lose the first Test in Galle

Not pretty viewing: Andrew Strauss saw England lose the first Test in Galle

'Broad will return to the UK
immediately for further assessment before beginning a rehabilitation
programme which will determine his availability for all cricket
including the IPL.'

With just Tuesday's second Test left
on their tour of Sri Lanka England have not sent for a replacement,
leaving Tim Bresnan and Steven Finn to battle for a place in the side, although both could be selected if England opt for a five-man attack.

Bresnan or Finn

BOWLING ATTRIBUTES – Bresnan has all the confidence to be expected from a Yorkshire paceman and despite his burly frame proved admirable stamina in Bangladesh two years ago – a big plus in the Sri Lankan conditions.

He is not as obvious a wicket-taking threat as Finn but is better at drying up runs and can reverse swing the ball. Finn's strength lies in the extra yard of pace he has found in the last six months and his happy knack of picking up wickets, sometimes in the middle of average spells. Broad at his best is capable of attacking batsmen and keeping the run-rate down. England may now have to decide between the two.

Head-to-head: Either Bresnan (left) or Finn (right) will replace Broad

Head-to-head: Either Bresnan (left) or Finn (right) will replace Broad

Head-to-head: Either Bresnan (left) or Finn (right) will replace Broad

BATTING – Bresnan is a clear winner in this comparison. A genuine No 7, he averages 45 in Tests, has a top score of 91 and ensures the side's tail does not engorge as a result of Broad's departure.

Finn, on the other hand, averages only 8.75 in the longer format and has a best of 19. With James Anderson and Monty Panesar already in place as genuine tail-enders, picking Finn would provide an element of risk but at 1-0 down, England could choose to gamble.

RECORD – Finn has played 12 Tests to Bresnan's 10 and has nine more wickets, with 50 to his name.

He has already taken five wickets in an innings three times, to Bresnan's once, and enjoys a superior strike-rate.

Yet Bresnan revels in the fact that England have won all 10 of the matches he has been involved in and both his bowling average and economy (23.60 and 2.85) outstrip Finn's (26.92 and 3.89).