England v Sri Lanka – day three live!| Rob Smyth and Simon Burnton

• Hit F5 or the auto-refresh button for the latest news • Email your bits and bobs to rob.smyth@guardian.co.uk • Follow the match on the sly with our desktop scoreboard •  Subscribe to our weekly email, The Spin 66th over: Sri Lanka 237-1 (Dilshan 128, Sangakkara 17) Sangakkara gloves a short ball from Broad just wide of Prior, diving down the leg side, and away for four. That was very close. “Why is no one talking about the pitch?” says Richard O’Hagan. “This isn’t a Test match standard surface, in my view. A good pitch is an even contest between bat and ball. This offers so little for the bowlers it might as well be astroturf. On that basis, it might be the worst one I’ve seen at the Home of Cricket in a long time.” Indeed, although 2006 and 2008 were pretty flat too. 65th over: Sri Lanka 232-1 (Dilshan 127, Sangakkara 13) Chris Tremlett’s first ball of the day is a beast, a lifting leg-cutter that growls past Dilshan’s outside edge. Dilshan’s thumb is still sore after that blow from Tremlett yesterday; he will have an X-ray when his innings ends. And what an innings it has been. He played exceptionally well yesterday. A good over from Tremlett, just a leg bye from it. The last ball lifted very sharply outside Sangakkara’s off stump. “Interesting debate on Test Match Special,” says Daniel Clayton. “Alec Stewart is saying that a swing bowler should have been picked as the three tall bowlers are too alike. Nice bit of hindsight there but he has a point. If my eyes are in and I’m seeing it so well then I’d love to see three identical bowlers coming in all day.” Generally I think the point stands – variety, despite what ‘Juice’ Terry Lawson might tell you, is the spice of life – but I don’t think it was that big an issue yesterday. England just didn’t bowl very well. And don’t forget that this lot do swing it, particularly Broad and Tremlett. That said, I would have picked Dernbach, yes. 64th over: Sri Lanka 231-1 (Dilshan 127, Sangakkara 13) Stuart Broad will bowl the first over of the day. Sky have just shown a replay of England warming up this morning, with a ball from Steven Finn deflecting onto the bonce of Jonathan Trott, who went down like a footballer. In fairness, he had good reason. It drew a bit of blood, but he’s fine. There’s a hint of swing for Broad in that over, which will encourage England. Sangakkara defends comfortably, and it’s a maiden. “Sitting in the pavilion in Lord’s getting frowned at by people older than God,” says Alex Robertson. “I believe they see the iPad as the tool of the devil, and they might be right. It’s freezing cold and cloudy that should help us take wickets and I just saw Broad walk past with a can of the mighty energy drink Relentless, so that should help….” The iPad is the tool of the devil; nonetheless, you should devote your day to winding people up. Return after lunch with a retro boombox on your shoulder, playing Andrex-soft jazz, and start demonstratively reading a copy of the Sunday Sport. An email, from Chris Wright “Much as I’d like to see England do well, the fact is that Dilshan, Sangakarra and Jayawardene are three of the best batsmen to watch in all of cricket. I don’t know if they’ve got their names on the Lord’s honours board before now (well obviously Dilshan now will have) but I’d like to see them up there.” Jayawardene’s record at Lord’s isn’t bad , although Sangakkara isn’t on the board yet. Yet . It is the sort of pitch on which those two could bat forever. Preamble Let’s try that one again. England had a chastening afternoon in the field yesterday, but this is a new day, with different overhead conditions. It’s much cooler in north London, a little overcast, and it should be a much better day for bowling. Should . England will hope it is, because if Sri Lanka bat all day today – which they are well capable of doing – England might have a few uncomfortable flashbacks to 1998 , and to Adelaide . Those victories were scripted by Murali and Warne, of course, but if Sri Lanka get a lead of 150 by mid-afternoon tomorrow they will be able to call on one of the most formidable bowling weapons of all: scoreboard pressure. Equally, if England can steal a first-innings lead of around 100 at some stage today, they will fancy their chances of forcing victory on the final day. All of which is a long-winded way of saying what William Goldman said . Sri Lanka in England 2011 Cricket Over by over reports England cricket team Sri Lanka cricket team Simon Burnton Rob Smyth guardian.co.uk

Posted by on June 5, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.