Scorecard:

With eight runs to win, Dilshan thumped one from Swann through the covers and did not run. The fielder was up to it and gave it slow chase, letting the ball run for four.

The next two balls provided much needed laughter, as Dilshan played out exxagerated defences, turning over the strike to Tharanga, on 97.

He manages to get one through Tremlett's gates for four to finish it off.

Scorecard:

Dilshan has played himself back into form at a crucial time of the world cup with a trademark 100. In typically aggressive fashion, he took his chances and made them count.

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With his bowlers and fielders contriving not to take a Sri Lankan wicket, Strauss turned to technicality instead and looked up to his long-delayed bowling powerplay to give a wicket.

Dilshan and Tharanga had other plans as they plundered a further 33 runs in the four powerplay overs before the drinks break.

Tharanga in particular made it a point to catch up with his partner's scoring rate and took a four each off Tredwell, Bresnan and Wright.

Matter of time before this is over.

Even the organisers are rushing to clear the dining area, which doubles up as the press conference room at the Premadasa, in order to get it ready in time for the post-match briefings.

Scorecard:

The England bowlers are trying everything but can't dislodge this pair.

After 31 overs, Sri Lanka are 165 without loss.

Tharanga is on 69 from 98 balls while Dilshan is on 77 from 88 balls.

Sri Lanka need 65 more and are on course.

Scorecard:

This is turning out to be match practice for Sri Lanka's out of form openers.

While Tharanga has slowed down to his usual pace, Dilshan is keeping the run rate brisk and healthy.

Probably the one factor that might yet tilt this match is the bowling powerplay, which Strauss has delayed till the halfway mark.

But intriguingly, he has operated with only four fielders -- one more than what the PP mandates -- all the while.

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Just when Tredwell and Wright looked like they may slow down Sri Lanka considerably, Dilshan released the pressure with a massive six over long off.

Strauss had no option but to fall back on Swann and Bresnan again.

Just to put in perspective how this pitch has played, these two have already scored 9 fours and two sixes for 48 out of the 101 runs scored.

England, through the course of their innings, managed 12 fours for 48.

Scorecard:

TRedwell and Wright have slowed down the opening duo, sort of.

In their combined four overs, they have conceded just 17 and given away only one boundary and have made the batsmen work for their runs. A couple of overs of this and Swann will be good enough to come back on to see if he can break this partnership that is threatening to run away with the match.

Scorecard:

These two havent let any bowler settle, and have taken their chances despite being put in the occasional spot or two.

Four bowlers have been used so far and Swann has been the most expensive with 0/20 in 3 overs.

While Tharanga took a fancy for Swann, Dilshan is now going after Tremlett.

He crashed him on the off side for four, and followed it up with a pull for a brace before saying the best of the over for the last.

Tremlett pitched one short, and as it sat up on a lifeless Premadasa pitch, Dilshan crashed it through the covers for another four.

50 up!

Scorecard:

Tharanga and Dilshan have started this chase with intent, and are looking to unsettle Swann.

The spinner dropped one marginally short in his second over, and Tharanga was quick to pounce on it, coming down the track and lofting it over long on for the first six of the match.(For the record, the England innings had only 12 fours)

Scorecard:

Tharanga and Dilshan, who have not really been dominant so far in this tournament, get another shot at imposing themselves on a shaky attack.

After Bresnan's first over, Swann gets straightaway into the attack.

Scorecard:

England finish with 229/6.

They will feel they fell 20 short.

Trott, for all the criticism he has copped for his sedate style, has emerged as England's batsman of the tournament.

Today, he again went about his innings troubled by no opposition bowler, and shored up the England innings with a mature knock. His efforts have also placed him at the top of run gettters list, and if England survive today, he will get another shot at stretching the lead.

Scorecard:

Once again, a batting side has been done in by the powerplay.

England have scored 23/2 in their 5 batting PP overs.

Into the last three overs of this blow-hot-blow-cold England innings.

Scorecard:

England sent in Graeme Swann ahead of Prior and Wright in an attempt to utilize the powerplay, but Mendis traps him leg before as he tried a wild reverse sweep

Scorecard:

England took the batting powerplay in the 42nd over in an attempt to finish what Eoin Morgan started.

Malinga came on, and since stumps seldom break these days, took a crack at Morgan's bat, as he neatly separated a chunk off the bottom of the bat.

The new bat did what Sri Lanka couldn't do and Morgan skied one more and Matthews this time keeps the catch.

Scorecard:

This England innings is neatly beginning to define itself in two phases: Pre-Morgan and post-Morgan.

The 30 overs before the Irishman came to the crease were all Sri Lanka's with the England openers gifting their wickets, and the spinners slamming the choke.

The highlight was the Sri Lankan fielding, with players in the ring forming an impregnable wall and on the outfielders patrolling the boundary line like they owned the turf.

England prodded and poked, as they struggled to 112/3 in 30 overs.

Then Morgan came in and set about showing Trott that this pitch did not hold any demons.

Suddenly, the Sri Lankan spinners, who till then had looked like magicians all, began looking like pretenders, and the fielding came apart.

As Morgan was hitting it to all parts of the ground, for the Sri Lankan fielders, the ground gave way as they dropped three sitters.

The first off Ajanta by Samaraweera.

Then came two chances off a Murali over. Angelo dropped him in the deep, and not having learnt his lesson Morgan slashed again, this time to be dropped by Herath at point.

Murali did not have words to curse his understudy!

Scorecard:

Morgan's arrival and his suubsequent reprieve by Samaraweera has meant England's bid to better the dot ball record has taken a severe beating.

The ease with which he has batted makes it look like the English top order were struggling against some other attack on some other track.

He has looked to take at least a single off every ball he faces, and the effect seemed to have rubbed off on Trott, who even got his first boundary (He is now the tournament's leading run-scorer)

Morgan has also gone hard at the bowling; even his edges are slashed so hard they are flying away to the fence.

Sanga brings on Herath in a bid to regain control as Trott and Morgan try to take the initiative into the final third of the match.

Scorecard:

Trott faced up to Murali, still operating from around the wicket, in the 31st over and after a brace off the first ball, got his first boundary with a backfoot drive.

Another two and single followed, before Morgan late cut the last ball for four.

Murali went for 13 in the over, by a distance the most expensive so far.

Off the last ball of Mendis's next over, Morgan skied one on the offside, only for Samaraweera to drop a sitter.

The last 12 balls of this innings have seen more action than the previous 30 overs!

Scorecard:

Murali has completed five overs from around the wicket now for 21 and the wicket of Bopara.

Dunno whether it was a plan, but he got the two Englishmen down on their knees sweeping him most of the time.

In his fifth over he got a fine leg in the circle and had a man backing him up in the deep.

Bopara still went for the sweep. and off the last ball of that over, Murali pitched one too full for a sweep. But Bopara was already on his knees, and the only thing the ball, which hit him on the pads on the volley, was doing from there on was hit the middle of middle.

Gone!

Scorecard:

England haven't lost a wicket since the 9th over. But they haven't done much in the following 12 overs either.

Unless they are playing for the consolation prize, Trott and Bopara need to step up the rate from here.

Ajanta and Herath have made the odd ball dance in this period, but they haven't really been threatening.

Even Murali has been straying towards leg since he came on two overs ago.

If there are any devils, it is not in this track which has been slow, but nothing bangerous, but more in the batsmen's minds.

Bopara and Trott have raised the 50 partnership, but it has not been with the most exciting cricket.

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The twin blows by Tilakaratne Dilshan and Angelo Mathews, against whom Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell threw away their wickets respectively, set the perfect stage for Sanga to bring on Herath and Ajanta.

In Ajanta's first over, Bopara missed one on his forward stride and Sanga, in trademark fashion, whipped the bails off in a flash.

But replays showed Bopara's backfoot was always grounded.

In the next over, Herath pitched one on middle and turned in towards leg, rapping Trott on his pads. Sri Lanka reviewed this, and thanks to the 2.5 metre rule, the call stayed with the on field umpire.

These two haven't really been able to get on top of the spinners, especially Bopara, who under similar circumstances bailed England out against South Africa in Chennai.

Scorecard:

That was a Chris Harris!

Angelo pitched one on good length and angled it towards leg, Bell chipped it and midwicket was there to pouch it.

Herath comes on in the 9th over... he was probably worried there wouldn't be enough wickets to take at this rate.

Scorecard:

If there was one bowler Strauss was unable to get away in this opening period, it was the unlikely Dilshan.

The the part-timer's fourth over (His first three had 13 dots, mostly to Strauss) with the frustration mounting, Struass looked to slog him in the vacant on side outfield, and missed the line to one that kept marginally low and was bowled.

England a wicket down, and Murali and Co havent come on yet!

Scorecard:

Sri Lanka have used three bowlers already in the first five overs, but have delayed unfurling their spin trio.

Malinga opened the bowling, and Strauss and Bell were quite comfortable in the two overs they faced off him, and Sanga probably because he thought there was nothing in the pitch to aid express pace, brought on Angelo in the 5th over.

Dilshan hustled through two overs in the meanwhile.

There hasnt been big turn yet, and the two openers have looked assured.

Standout moment of the period: Strauss scorched a cover drive and took off, only to see Chamara Silva at covers take off too, for a quick intersection and return to the 'keeper.

If there is one word to explain the cricket till now, it's brisk.

Scorecard:

Ian Bell, opening the innings in place of Matt Prior who was tried out without much success after Kevin Pietersen's departure, works his first ball off his hips for four to square leg.

England have tried out three opening combinations in this tournament, and barring the first couple of matches, they have come unstuck.


Both outfielders for Malinga are behind square.

Fifteen out of the last 18 matches at this venue have been won by the team batting first.

But you know how little these things matter if you remember what Pakistan's spinners did to Australia the last time a match was played here.

Even if Sri Lanka win today, at the next match we will still be going, 15 of the lasy 19 matches at this venue was won by the team batting, blah, blah, blah...

The Sri Lankan team is out in the middle, and the openers have walked in.

Malinga to open.

Scorecard:

Kulasekara, who probably has bowled better and more consistently than Malinga through the tournament, is sacrificed for the third spinner.

Can England negate the three-spinner strategy now that they are batting first?

Andrew Strauss has won the toss and elected to bat.

They have an unchanged side -- James Anderson sits out again.

England XI:
Strauss, Eoin Morgan, Bell, Trott, Prior, Bresnan, Swann, Tremlett, Tredwell, Luke Wright, Bopara

Lanka XI:
Sanga, Mahela, Dilshan, Tharanga, Samaraweera, Chamara, Angelo, Malinga, Murali, Ajanta and Herath.

Shane the Octopus has spoken: "England to win today," Warne tweets.

Remember he got the Aus-Ind QF wrong. He predicted Aus to win by 17 runs.

Wonder if, following the controversy after his Eng-Ind tie prediction, he has decided to predict unlikely results and even out his record.

Around 8.30 am, a huge thunderclap cued in a spell of sharp showers in Colombo.

Around 11:30 am, as we drove to the stadium from the offices of Sri Lanka cricket, the drizzle held steady.

As we approached the ground, the rain stopped and the roads were dry.

While there was no rain over and around the stadium in the morning, it had rained late in the night. The whole ground was covered, and as the covers came off at noon, they revealed a dry outfield.

As of now, it is bright and sunny at the stadium, and the match should get underway as scheduled.

However, officials say the rain clouds are 12 kilometres south of the stadium and are expected to move further south. But, depending on the wind direction, there is a minor likelihood that rain may threaten play.