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World Twenty20: England v Sri Lanka live

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

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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.

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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.

LIVE: World Twenty20 – England v New Zealand

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LIVE: England v New Zealand – the action from the World Twenty20 from Pallekele as it happens

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UPDATED:

10:49 GMT, 29 September 2012

Stay up to date with all the action from the second game of the Super Eight's between England and New Zealand in Sri Lanka with Sportsmail's unrivaled team. We'll deliver over-by-over coverage as the action
unfolds at Pallekele. Send me your thoughts on the action to Tom.Bellwood@dailymail.co.uk or via Twitter @TomBellwood

England v New Zealand: Essentials

England: SCJ Broad (captain), C Kieswetter (wicketkeeper), AD Hales, LJ Wright, EJG Morgan, JM Bairstow, JC Buttler, Tim Bresnan, GP Swann, ST Finn, Danny Briggs.

New Zealand (from): LRPL Taylor (captain), RJ Nicol, MJ Guptill, BB McCullum (wicketkeeper), KS Williamson, NL McCullum, JEC Franklin, DL Vettori, TG Southee, KD Mills, AF Milne.

Umpires: S Taufel (Aus) and A Rauf (Pak)

Third umpire: S Davis (Aus)

Match referee: J Srinath (Ind)

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10th over: New Zealand 58-3 (Williamson 13, Taylor 10)

Dross from Broad: banged in short, Taylor swivels and punches the ball in front of square for four runs. Kiwis need more boundaries and can fill their boots if England serve up more of that nonsense… which the England captain duly obliges with a delivery so short in barely makes it half way down the track. Eight runs from the over.

9th over: New Zealand 50-3 (Williamson 12, Taylor 5)

General consensus now is that this will be a low scoring match. Anything over 130-140 will be a massive will be a huge bonus for New Zealand. But with just four more from Swann's over, the Kiwis will be happy to make over three figures.

8th over: New Zealand 46-3 (Williamson 10, Taylor 3)

And now Stuart Broad joins the fray as England keep their foot right on the Kiwi's neck. No wicket, but few runs too – the perfect combination. Just four from the over.

7th over: New Zealand 42-3 (Williamson 9, Taylor 0)

New Zealand are making a hash of this. Swann nabs another wicket in his first over and the Kiwis are already staring down the barrel with their run rate ambling along at 6.6 an over.

WICKET! Rob Nicol c Bairstow b Swann 11

Looked as though Nicol had made solid enough a connection to clear the boundary but his lofted drive square is pouched by Bairstow at deep square leg.

6th over: New Zealand 39-2 (Nicol 10, Williamson 7)

Steven Finn's kicked the stumps over again. he's had this problem in the Tests and now it is irking the umpires in Pallekele. Williamson plays a beauty of a cut for a much needed boundary and then Finn kicks over the wicket and we wait an age to restart. Nicol clubs the final ball of the over mid-on for another four.

5th over: New Zealand 30-2 (Nicol 6, Williamson 2)

First change is Tim Bresnan. And it's a super start from Brezzle. Three singles dabbed on both sides and a no-ball. Excellent pressure in the over after a wicket. new Zealand will need to turn it on in the next couple of overs as they're already a touch behind on the run rate.

4th over: New Zealand 26-2 (Nicol 5, Williamson 0)

It's all going on. Pace, bounce, dip, duck, dodge and dive. Kieswetter can't handle Finn's bounce, the bails are kicked off and there are leg side byes in among that wicket.

WICKET! Brendon McCullum c Wright b Finn 10

Big, big wicket for England. The tournament's top scorer thus far goes on the hook, slices it and finds Luke Wright the rope at third man.

3rd over: New Zealand 19-1 (Nicol 3, McCullum 10)

Here we go. McCullum fancies this against Briggs. He's down the track and firing the ball back past the bowler twice in that over. Once along the deck, the second takes the aerial route. Nice.

Early breakthrough: Steven Finn took a wicket in his first over

Early breakthrough: Steven Finn took a wicket in his first over

2nd over: New Zealand 9-1 (Nicol 2, McCullum 0)

Steven Finn makes the breakthrough straight away. Looks like Guptill was done by the pace of the delivery as he was nowhere near hitting the ball. Brendon McCullum is at the crease now. He's been in fine fettle in this tournament thus far.

WICKET! Martin Guptill lbw b Steven Finn 5

Finn's yorker is inch perfect, swinging in to Guptill's pads and hitting him plumb in front of middle stump. No doubt about that one.

1st over: New Zealand 6-0 (Guptill 1, Nicol 5)

Danny Briggs begins the attack for England. Left arm spin finds some turn immediately. Nicol takes a trot down the track and fires the first boundary of the innings. There follows a right hash in the field as England waste a guilt-edged run out chance. Jos Buttler at point threw to the wrong end with Nicol stranded.

10.59: Right, here we go. England to win this one at a canter. Right

10.52: Right, here come the players. We'll have anthems, the Haka and then we're off and running. Haka's optional, mind.

10.45: So: Would you move Eoin Morgan up the batting order lest he's kicking his heels while England do their utmost to chuck in the towel Email and twitter above. Tar.

Broad appeal: England are already battling to stay involved in the tournament

Broad appeal: England are already battling to stay involved in the tournament

Broad appeal: England are already battling to stay involved in the tournament

10.40: Team news: New Zealand have won the toss and will bat first. The Kiwis are without Jacob Oram, he's replaced by Doug Bracewell. England swap Danny Briggs and Tim Bresnan for Samit Patel and Jade Dernbach. That's your lot.

10.30am: England's Twenty20 hopes could all-but end today. Who would have thought that After the 15 run defeat to West Indies, Stuart Broad's side must overcome New Zealand to be confident of moving into the semi-finals.

Defeat – if Sri Lanka also beat West Indies later on at Pallekele – will spell the end already of their attempt to defend the only International Cricket Council trophy they have ever won.

Broad's side made the worst possible start against the Windies. and were 0-2 from the first two deliveries – a situation the captain does not want to see another repeat of that.

'What we have to do is stop losing early wickets,' he said.

'It has not been the same guy every time, but the number three has been in in the first couple of overs in every game we've played – which is not good enough.

'That can really hurt you.'

Hurt you it will. Time for Hales and Kieswetter to prove their value at the top of the order and time for England to really get their tournament firing.

Work to do: England cricket captain Stuart Broad talks with coach Andy Flower

Work to do: England cricket captain Stuart Broad talks with coach Andy Flower

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

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

Stay up to date with all the action on
day five 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

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98th over: Sri Lanka 227-6 (M Jayawardene 59, Mathews 8)

They scamper a quick single with a prod into the off side. Mahela adds one of his own. Edge! But it's wide of Cook. Mathews has ridden his luck this morning. Good from Swann again.

97th over: Sri Lanka 225-6 (M Jayawardene 58, Mathews 7)

Anderson continues to Mathews. Edge! It falls well short of second slip. He gets a thick down to third man for one.

96th over: Sri Lanka 224-6 (M Jayawardene 58, Mathews 6)

Mathews nudges a single into the off side. Brilliant bowling from Swann who is beating Jayawardene both sides of the bat. He survives though.

WICKET! Jayawardene is reviewing it… This could be huge! It looks like there's an inside edge on Anderson's inswinger… IT'S OVERTURNED! Right decision and a rare mistake by the umpires, the first successful review of the match.

95th over: Sri Lanka 223-6 (M Jayawardene 58, Mathews 5)

Jaffa! Anderson squares Mathews up and just beats his edge with one that moves away. Mathews drives a single to extra cover.

94th over: Sri Lanka 222-6 (M Jayawardene 58, Mathews 4)

Mathews pushes a single to cover. A couple of half-hearted appeals as Jayawardene offers no shot outside off.

93rd over: Sri Lanka 221-6 (M Jayawardene 58, Mathews 3)

Anderson to bowl the second over of the day. He as outstanding without success last night. Jayawardene edges on to his pads and picks up a couple down to fine leg.

92nd over: Sri Lanka 219-6 (M Jayawardene 56, Mathews 3)

Strauss gives the ball to Swann for the first over of the day. A bold statement of intent. Jayawardene is on strike. Close! He beats the edge with the first ball of the day. One swept to fine leg. Drop! Mathews fends to Cook at short leg but he can't grab it low down. Great start!

5.28am: Right then, here we go. The first two wickets are key for England. If they can get them in the first session, they should win. Remember to email or tweet your thoughts by clicking on the links above.

5.26am: That being said, Jayawardene is well on his way to a third century of the series, and his partner Angelo Mathews showed with with 57 in the first innings. After that comes Prasanna Jayawardene, who scored a ton against England in Cardiff last summer. Rangana Herath at 10 has also shown he's capable of slogging a few, so the job is far from done and the hosts will still fancy their chances of a draw. Mind you, the way England's fifth innings have gone this summer they may fancy their chances with a lead of 120!

5.23am: The draw was the looking like the favourite result after Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera put on 90 for the fifth wicket. But Swann's removal of the latter, quickly followed by the wicket of the nightwatchman Suraj Randiv, has left the hosts in peril.

5.16am: As far as the match situation goes, England are firmly in the driving seat, thanks largely to two wickets late last night from Graeme Swann. Sri Lanka are leading by just 33 runs with only four wickets remaining, so they are effectively 33-6.

In control: Jayawardene brought up his half century in the evening session on day three

In control: Jayawardene brought up his half century in the evening session on day three

5.12am: Before play gets under way, make sure you read our experts' verdicts…

Paul Newman's report on day four is here.

Top Spin at the Test is here.

Tillekeratne Dilshan tells Lawrence Booth he didn't edge the ball he was given out to on day four here.

And our experts give their views on the ongoing DRS debate here.

5.07am:
Anyway, I'm not going to start ranting at the ICC as I'd be opening
several cans of worms. Instead I'm looking forward to what promises to
be a dramatic day of cricket on what is an increasing rarity: a fifth
day. Incredibly, you have to go back five matches since we saw a Test
involving England last five days – the fifth Test against India at the
Oval in September.

5.03am: What
a travesty it is that this series only lasts two matches, it feels like
we're just getting started! Personally I think it should be a
regulation that every Test series lasts at least three matches.

5.00am: Good morning everyone and welcome to Sportsmail's live coverage of the fifth and final day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and England in Colombo.

What a finish: Swann took two wickets in his final over on day three

What a finish: Swann took two wickets in his final over on day three

Sri Lanka v England: Kevin Pietersen century on day three puts England in driving seat

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Pietersen's dazzling century fires England into driving seat as Sri Lanka toil in field

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UPDATED:

12:12 GMT, 5 April 2012

Kevin Pietersen was back to his explosive – and controversial – best as his stunning century put England in control of the second Test against Sri Lanka.

He came to the crease with a top score of 32 in eight innings this year but by the end of day three at the P Sara Stadium he had become the sixth man to score 20 Test centuries for England, with his 151 helping England reach stumps 181 ahead.

His innings contained six sixes and 16 fours but also included an official warning from the umpires for altering his stance before the bowler's delivery stride, collected during an eventful passage of play where Tillakaratne Dilshan twice refused to bowl after Pietersen re-set his position at the crease.

Daddy hundred: KP's quick-fire century has swung the game firmly England's way

Daddy hundred: KP's quick-fire century has swung the game firmly England's way

Sri Lanka v England

Click here for a full scorecard

Had he transgressed again, England would have been given a five-run penalty by the match referee, Javagal Srinath.

Alastair Cook had earlier fallen six
short of his own 20th hundred and Jonathan Trott contributed a fluent 64
in England's total of 460 all out.

They started the day on 154 for one, Cook on 77 and Trott with 15.

That left Sri Lanka's lead at 121, a
figure they whittled down to 100 inside six overs. With Cook quiet,
Trott was doing most of the scoring in ones and twos, adding the
occasional boundary.

Cook's stately knock had reached 94, in 278 balls, by the time he edged Tillakaratne Dilshan to slip.

Initiative: KP's creativity landed him in hot water with the officials (below)

Initiative: KP's creativity landed him in hot water with the officials (below)

Initiative: KP's creativity landed him in hot water with the officials (below)

His replacement, Pietersen, pulled
Suranga Lakmal contemptuously for his first boundary, while Trott was
typically ruthless through the on-side as he passed 50.

Pietersen offered one half-chance
before lunch, looping over short-leg via bat and pad, but England
reached the interval without further loss on 239 for two.

Pietersen resumed on 18 and settled into his afternoon's work with a mighty straight six off Dilshan.

Trott did not seem as comfortable as
he had before the break and should have been stumped before steering
Herath into Mahela Jayawardene's hands for 64.

Pietersen was not affected by the
dismissal, taking fifteen off Suraj Randiv's next over including fours
on each side of the wicket and another six down the ground.

Heart breaker: Cook is dismissed just shy of his century on 94 by Dilshan

Heart breaker: Cook is dismissed just shy of his century on 94 by Dilshan

Heart breaker: Cook is dismissed just shy of his century on 94 by Dilshan

A third maximum, again off Randiv,
brought up a 59-ball half-century and, more importantly, took England
into the lead. Pietersen looked in particularly inspired form, thrashing
back-to-back fours off the victimised Randiv and carving Herath to the
extra-cover ropes.

Jayawardene duly packed his leg-side
field and ordered defensive lines in an attempt to stifle Pietersen, who
responded by unveiling a series of pre-meditated paddles, reverse
sweeps and even his seldom-seen switch-hit.

The runs kept flowing but Sri Lanka
were unhappy with Pietersen's tactics and Dilshan twice aborted his
run-up as the batsman got into position too early.

The umpires took Dilshan's side, with
Asad Rauf formally warning Pietersen and indicating a five-run penalty
should he transgress again.

Athletic: Thirimanne's attempted catch wins points for effort, but he failed to pouch the ball

Athletic: Thirimanne's attempted catch wins points for effort, but he failed to pouch the ball

But it was Dilshan who lost his
composure. Pietersen took 18 runs off the over in question, smashing
three terrible deliveries for two fours and a six.

Pietersen, never shy of a
confrontation, went down early again to reverse-sweep Dilshan for the
two runs that brought up his century and celebrated with an exaggerated
sprint and air-punch.

Amidst the drama Ian Bell made a low-key 18 before being caught at mid-wicket just before tea.

Matt Prior was Pietersen's new foil, but managed only 11 before skying Rangana Herath to long-off early in the evening session.

Early gains: Trott fell after adding 49 runs to his overnight score

Early gains: Trott fell after adding 49 runs to his overnight score

Early gains: Trott fell after adding 49 runs to his overnight score

Pietersen was in the zone, though,
clearing the ropes again off Herath and Lakmal as he almost
single-handedly moved England from 350 to 400 in the space of 65 balls.

He took his own tally to 150 soon
after but added just one more single before eventually missing one and
departing lbw to Herath.

That left England 411 for six, a lead of 136.

Tim Bresnan followed closely behind,
bowled by Herath for five, but England's lead ticked beyond 150 when
Graeme Swann got off the mark with a boundary.

Man of the moment: KP acknowledges the crowd after passing his century on another sweltering day in Colombo (below)

Man of the moment: KP acknowledges the crowd after passing his century on another sweltering day in Colombo (below)

Man of the moment: KP acknowledges the crowd after passing his century on another sweltering day in Colombo (below)

Samit Patel was playing responsibly at
the other end, allowing the tail-ender to attack. Swann obliged with
six over long-on but was out next ball, mis-hitting a Herath full toss
to cover.

James Anderson (two) gave the tireless Herath a sixth success before Patel holed out for 29.

Anderson then had one unsuccessful over at nightwatchman Dhammika Prasad before the close.

Fun in the sun: Umpire Asad Rauf practices with the bat during a break as the fans soak up some rays (below)

Fun in the sun: Umpire Asad Rauf practices with the bat during a break as the fans soak up some rays (below)

Fun in the sun: Umpire Asad Rauf practices with the bat during a break as the fans soak up some rays (below)

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

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

Stay up to date with all the action on
day two 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 tom.bellwood@dailymail.co.uk or tweet to @TomBellwood

Sri Lanka v England: Essentials

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

Click here for full scorecard

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100th over: Sri Lanka 257-6 (Mathews 53, Randiv 12)

Ah, here we go. Time for a bowling change. Graeme Swann joins the attack. Silly point, forward short leg and slip in place. Encouraging signs as Swann guiles one in, Randiv goes on the drive but fails to lay the spin and inside edges back down the track but wide of the bowler. There's a decent lbw shout which looked promising but struck Randiv just outside the line.

99th over: Sri Lanka 256-6 (Mathews 53, Randiv 11)

The – relatively still hard – ball is doing nowt for the seamers. Time for a bowling change soon, Mr Strauss, please. Maiden.

98th over: Sri Lanka 256-6 (Mathews 53, Randiv 11)

Well, in these early exchanges you have to say it's advantage Sri Lanka. The England quicks have varied line and length stuff with shorter variations to try and unrest Mathews and Randiv. But to no avail. The scorecard is ticking over and England need wickets. Two runs from the final over from a steer down to third man.

97th over: Sri Lanka 254-6 (Mathews 53, Randiv 9)

Boom! Now that's an impressive way to bring up your half-century. The Sri Lanka vice-captain pulls the ball hard through midwicket for four runs.

96th over: Sri Lanka 248-6 (Mathews 47 Randiv 9)

Hello! What's this Some uneven bounce causes Mathews all kinds of problems as the ball spits up off the deck, hits his bat, pads and rattles away onto the off side. 'Randiv is a competent batsman', Nick Knight tells us, 'He has a first-class hundred', as if to forewarn us if he hangs around to torment England for a time. Just the single from the over.

95th over: Sri Lanka 247-6 (Mathews 46 Randiv 9)

Two slips in place for Anderson who is briefly immersed in a chat with umpire Bruce Oxenford over his follow-through strides. Another maiden, England are starting to turn the screw here.

94th over: Sri Lanka 247-6 (Mathews 46 Randiv 9)

The Barmy Army serenade Steven Flinn (As he will be known from here on in) with a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday to You. Forget the singing, let's hope he can deliver the best of presents: a couple of wickets. Finn to Mathews: six dots, that's a maiden.

93rd over: Sri Lanka 247-6 (Mathews 46 Randiv 9)

A word on the pitch: Sky have stuck their cameras in close to reveal a myriad if cracks which will only deteriorate at a rate of knots as the sun continues to beat down on the track over the coming days. It could become a nightmare for England batting, let alone batting last. second Rabndiv angles a couple past the man at slips and there's a play-and-miss in there to keep Anderson interested.

92nd over: Sri Lanka 243-6 (Mathews 45 Randiv 6)

Two slips and short leg in place for birthday boy Steven Finn (23 today, no less). The huge scoreboard displays a congratulatory message reads: 'Happy Birthday Steven FLINN'. Brilliant! Mathews rocks back on his heels as Finn delivers some dross: short, wide and sent packing to the boundary via point in a flash.

91st over: Sri Lanka 238-6 (Mathews 41 Randiv 5)

Aaaaah, there it is! The strains of Jerusalem ring down from the stands as Billy the Trumpet leads the massed choir and James Anderson is handed the ball to begin England's attack. Maiden over gets us off and running for the day.

5.27: Players and officials on their way out. No sound of the Barmy Army singing Jerusalem just yet, but I'm sure it can't be far away. Live cricket is imminent. Tidy.

5.25: So, what are we expecting this morning Lower order resistance or more imperious bowling from England's lead attack James Anderson This is 'moving day' for England, they need to force the issue and try and keep the score under 260-275. Anything above that and they're are right behind the eight-ball.

5.20: And if you've finished that, I can tell you there was DRS controversy yesterday and some more excellent bowling from James Anderson.

5.15: While we have a few minutes to kill before the resumption of play, why not have a quick nose of Paul Newman's report here. And here are the thoughts of the Top Spin's Lawrence Booth.

5.05am: Hello one, hello all and welcome to Sportsmail's coverage on day two of the second Test between Sri Lanka and England at the S Para Oval in Colombo. Eyes down for another fascinating day of Test cricket.

Day one in Colombo was a carbon-copy of the opening in Galle: three early wickets for James Anderson, England elated, then it became the Mahela Jayawardene show. The Sri Lanka captain is highly adept at pulling his team from the fire.

His stand was ended on 105 runs and late wickets for the visitors means this game hangs firmly in the balance, even if the hosts have the slight edge as England will not relish batting last on this track.

And so onwards. Early wickets for England will put them firmly in control. But. And it's a big but. Can the jittery nerves with the bat be held in check on the subcontinent The empirical evidence would suggest the visitors' struggles will continue.

Imperious: Mahela Jaywardene once again led his team from a precarious position

Imperious: Mahela Jaywardene once again led his team from a precarious position

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

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Stay up to date with all the action on
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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

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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