95th over: Sri Lanka 351-2 (trail by 142; Dilshan 189, Jayawardene 25)
On Sky, Russel Arnold is airing some grievances held against Nasser Hussain since way back, when Nasser apparently called him a "dirty slogger" in a hotel lobby one morning. "I didn't like you very much, but you're not that bad now," he says, jabbing his finger towards his fellow commentator. The lack of runs is eased when Finn bowls an outrageous wide that flies away for four.
94th over: Sri Lanka 345-2 (trail by 142; Dilshan 188, Jayawardene 25)
Jayawardene is yet to reach full fluency, and Tremlett doesn't help him find it, denying him any hint of width. One run in three overs since lunch.
93rd over: Sri Lanka 345-2 (trail by 142; Dilshan 188, Jayawardene 25)
Finn's first two balls both threaten, leading to extended meaningful eye contact between Dilshan and the bowler, and when the third rears up into the batsman's midriff there's a bit of chat as well. Decent over, no runs.
92nd over: Sri Lanka 345-2 (trail by 142; Dilshan 188, Jayawardene 25)
Tremlett takes charge of the new ball's 12th over, with but a single run coming off it. England have put in a third man, as Sky have demanded on several occasions today. "Does anyone else get an uncomfortable feeling when Bumble talks directly into the camera?" ponders Jamie Gull, presumably referencing a lunchtime discussion about cricket oop north. Me, I don't really like anyone talking directly into the camera. Which is why I never watch the news. Well, that and a general sense of apathy. And the fact that as often as not Mrs B will have made me watch Glee.
Hello world! The afternoon session is mere moments away. Will England keep leaking runs? Will it rain wickets? Will it just rain? Time will tell, and that time is now! Or soon, anyway.
LUNCH
91st over: Sri Lanka 344-2 (trail by 145; Dilshan 187, Jayawardene 25)
Dilshan misses a booming drive at a widish delivery from Finn, who then beats Jaywardene with an excellent delivery that seams away just a touch. The next ball turns Jayawardene round, with the ball going off the leading edge, and the one after that is another lovely leg cutter that beats the outside edge. Finally Finn has a big LBW appeal against Jayawardene, although the ball was going over the top and England decide not to review. That was a brilliant over from Finn, really high-class stuff. A good end to the session for England, then, but it has been Sri Lanka's morning, emphatically so. They scored 113 for the loss of Kumar Sangakkara and are on course for a first-innings lead, possibly a big one. Thanks for your emails; Simon Burnton will be here for the afternoon session. You can mither him at simon.burnton@guardian.co.uk.
90th over: Sri Lanka 341-2 (trail by 145; Dilshan 186, Jayawardene 23) Chris Tremlett replaces Stuart Broad for the penultimate over before lunch. He continues to struggle with his line, however, and there's just a single from the over. "In the German grammatical system the rules for multiple apostrophes are very clear," says Ian Copestake. "You cannot place apostrophes after two consecutive vowels unless you have filled out form E17, paid the administrative fee and received the appropriate bescheinigung."
89th over: Sri Lanka 340-2 (Dilshan 185, Jayawardene 23) A better over from Finn, who beats Jayawardene with a very good delivery that swings in and then holds its line. Anyway, with Dilshan closing in on 200, it would be remiss not to look at the full list of Lord's double-centurions. Why, I wonder if anybody managed to make 200 in a Test on this ground in, say, 2004. "Did anyone from Essex or Somerset called De'Ath ever play for their counties?" asks John Starbuck. "It's a common name there, apparently. They'd have been snapped up for the short game." Obviously you're not a golfer acquainted with Gibraltar's finest.
88th over: Sri Lanka 339-2 (Dilshan 185, Jayawardene 23) Broad is too straight – stop me if you think you've heard this etc. before – and Jayawardene pushes him delightfully through mid on for four. That brings up the fifty partnership from just 41 balls. Broad produces a beauty later in the over, a lifter than seams away to find Jayawardene's edge before dropping short of Swann at second slip. That's the line. "Aha - I'm glad you've mentioned Samuel Eto'o as its been troubling me for years. How would one correctly apostrophise "Samuel Eto'o's shooting boots"?" One would completely bottle it and write 'Samuel Eto'o has his shooting boots on', I believe. (I think it's as you typed it.)
87th over: Sri Lanka 335-2 (Dilshan 185, Jayawardene 19) Finn replaces Tremlett, and he also commits the sin of bowling too straight, which allows Dilshan to flick yet another boundary to fine leg. He does exactly the same later in the over, this time to Jayawardene, with exactly the same result. England's line has been really poor this morning – the second new ball has disappeared for 50 in seven overs – and poor Steven Finn is having a nightmare match. "The problem with Alex Coe's theory," says Richard O'Hagan, "is that Manou retired from first class cricket a couple of months ago." Bah. Australian cricketers never actually retire. They just go to the pub and wait for an injury crisis.
86th over: Sri Lanka 323-2 (Dilshan 180, Jayawardene 12) Dilshan invokes Mac Millings' golden rule – if you're gonna flash, flash hard – and the ball flies through the gap for four. Broad is going for plenty with the new ball, and Jayawardene rolls the wrists to tuck four more behind square on the leg side. Too straight again from England. "Hit the ODI button on your cricinfo link and look who's top of the list - Mr Pippa Middleton," says Tom Sutton. "If we email her the link do you think she'll dump him?" It's a masterful plan with only two teensy-weensy problems: love's stubborn and hopelessly old-fashioned refusal to be compromised by a few random emails, and the fact none of us have her email address anyway.
85th over: Sri Lanka 312-2 (Dilshan 173, Jayawardene 8) A much better over from Tremlett, who sneaks one past Jayawardene's outside edge. It swung in a touch and then held its line. That was beautifully bowled. "Pre-nup, Ian Copestake?" sniffs Mac Millings. "Really? If (and what a big 'if' that is) the poor unfortunate in question is of sound mind, how do you propose persuading her to sign the document? Hypnosis? At gunpoint? Perhaps hitting her over the head or feeding her a drugladen cheeseburger, like BA Baracus in the A-Team. 'Crazy fool, I ain't signin' no pre-nup.' Go on Smyth. Do your impression." Have you been eating some special cheeseburgers of your own, Millings?
84th over: Sri Lanka 311-2 (Dilshan 172, Jayawardene 8) Jayawardene gets a peculiar boundary. He tried to leave a delivery from Broad but was a touch too late on the shot, and the ball ran off the face of the bat to third man for four. "Re over 79: Neil Mallender was not an 'average county trundler'!" says Edmund King. "When he was playing for Otago in the early '90s, he was regularly one of the fastest bowlers on the NZ domestic circuit, and would have gone into the national team in a heartbeat had he been eligible. OK, at the time he was competing for the title of "fastest bowler in New Zealand" with the likes of Murphy Su'a and Justin Vaughan, but my point still stands. I think." Fair point, and nor was Steve Watkin really. But it's probably fair to say that they weren't quite Test-class. Anyway, why didn't you give us Murphy Su'a's full name? Good old Murphy Su'a, owner of the most awkward apostrophe in sport until Samuel Eto'o arrived.
83rd over: Sri Lanka 306-2 (Dilshan 171, Jayawardene 4) A fullish delivery from Tremlett swings down the leg side, bounces just front of Prior and runs away for four byes. Tremlett is getting a bit of inswing, but that's a mixed blessing and later in the over Jayawardene is able to tickle one to fine leg for four more. Too straight from Tremlett, who boots the ground in disgust. "Re: the Aussie one cap wonders, I'd say Khawaja, George, McKay and Beer will play again and that'll bring the numbers right down," says Alex Coe. "Perhaps even Graham Manou. I was really disappointed with Manou: I'd love to hear Richie Benaud drawling that one…. A slightly disturbing confession I now realise."
82nd over: Sri Lanka 297-2 (Dilshan 171, Jayawardene 0) Stuart Broad's first delivery is eased back whence it came for four by Dilshan, and two balls later he pulls majestically for four more. That shot needing a Batman-style 'KAPOW!', so viciously was it struck. It takes Dilshan him past his previous career-best, 168 against Bangladesh in 2005. What a time to make your highest Test score. "What's noticeable about the Aussie one-cap wonders is that there is just one in that golden age of 1998-2008," says Dan Lucas. "It seems that since then the majority are hapless spinners and workmanlike seamers, brought in to try (and fail) to patch up the side in the absence of Warne, MacGill, McGrath, Gillespie and Mitch's Mojo."
81st over: Sri Lanka 288-2 (Dilshan 162, Jayawardene 0) As Tom Rothery points out, Dilshan had turned a single the ball before Sangakkara was dismissed, which will make the wicket even more exasperating for Sangakkara. "I'd like to share with the group that I've spent years willing key opposition batsmen well," says Matt Delargy. "It was the source of much childhood angst to watch, exhilarated, as Viv and co tore into us with such genius. Phew, feels better, good to share. Go England."
WICKET! Sri Lanka 288-2 (Sangakkara c Prior b Tremlett 26) The second new ball brings an immediate wicket. It was a good delivery from Tremlett, excellent line and length and swerving away just enough to take the edge as Sangakkara pushed forward defensively. Matt Prior took a comfortable catch behind the stumps, and Sangakkara continues to struggle in England. With hindsight he didn't have to play, yet the length was good enough to make a defensive stroke an instinctive reaction.
80th over: Sri Lanka 285-1 (Dilshan 159, Sangakkara 26) I didn't see Swann's over as I was typing the below. There was just one from it, and now England are going to take the new ball. "Is it necessarily a bad thing if teams don't pick players under 25?" says Jon Ryan. "The international careers of Mike Hussey and now Graeme Swann support the case for allowing players to develop their game in first-class cricket before making the step up. Conversely, there will be plenty of next-big-things who crashed and burned because they had to learn their trade in international cricket. Clearly there will be exceptions - Tendulkar being the obvious example. But with fitness levels now allowing players to continue deep into their thirties, age is no longer such an issue." Oh I agree, I only said it in reference to the regular claim (often made in this country, actually) that Australia prioritise youth and England don't. There's no right or wrong answer. Adam Gilchrist is the ultimate example of the value of a late start, and many careers have been ruined by a premature selection (Mark Lathwell springs to mind). But there are also plenty of examples of players who were correctly blooded in their youth. When someone is as obviously talented and mentally tough as, say, Ricky Ponting, Mike Atherton and of course Tendulkar, you might as well get them in.
79th over: Sri Lanka 284-1 (Dilshan 158, Sangakkara 26) KP is given an over before the new ball. Just one from it. If these two get through the new ball, Sri Lanka are going to score millions. It wouldn't surprise me if they were 550 for two or three at the close, although that is contingent on Dilshan and Sangakkara surviving the new ball. "The list suggests that England had a highly effective policy under Graham Gooch of preparing unplayable green tops and then unleashing average county trundlers (Mallender, two Tests, 10 wickets at 21 and Watkin, three Tests, 11 at 27) to utterly humiliate the opposition," says John Culley. "As an advocate of fair play that is appalling. As an England fan – why the heck did we stop?"
78th over: Sri Lanka 283-1 (Dilshan 157, Sangakkara 26) Swann goes around the wicket to Dilshan. He can be a real threat bowling around the wicket to right-handers, particularly because of the one that goes straight on. Was it Clarke he got that way in the Ashes? Nothing doing in that over, however, which brings three singles and four leg byes. "In any pre-nup agreement I am going to insist that our first born (be it male, female or a Millings) be named Tillakaratne," says Ian Copestake. "The name will alas be mangled to become Tilly or Karate, and the father may suffer the fate of being as popular as a cucumber, but I think it's a majestic name."
77th over: Sri Lanka 276-1 (Dilshan 155, Sangakkara 25) One from Finn's over. This is a bit of a quiet spell, with the second new ball approaching as inexorably as baldness. "Ellcock never made it onto the tour," says Richard O'Hagan. "He withdrew with the stress fracture in his back that eventually ended his career. And Medlycott, like me, got the yips." You're absolutely right. I thought Ellcock played one of the early tour games, but he didn't. One thing that has always intrigued me about that tour is this game, and particularly the performance of Mervin Durand. It was his first-class debut, at the age of 29; he was a slow left-arm spinner, and he took seven for 15 in 19 overs. It's not like he was a Gleesonian genius, either, as he only ever played three first-class games after that. The England dressing-room must have been an interesting place as he ran through them.
76th over: Sri Lanka 275-1 (Dilshan 154, Sangakkara 25) A good maiden from Swann to Sangakkara. "If Niall Mullen gets enjoyment from saying Tillakaratne, maybe he should try singing Inzamam-ul-haq to the tune of 'Ilkley moor bah tat'," says Jo Beasley. "Amusement for simply seconds. Not that I ever do that, obviously."
75th over: Sri Lanka 275-1 (Dilshan 154, Sangakkara 25) Finn almost sneaks a inswinger through Dilshan, who is saved by an inside edge. The next ball is in a similar slot and this time Dilshan crunches it down the ground for four. As Nasser Hussain says on Sky, his hands are devastatingly fast. "Unless I've misused Statsguru," begins Mac Millings, promisingly, "the number of Australian one-cap wonders in the past 20 years isn't strikingly different from England's - and note, only one in the 80s, when they were frequently an inferior side to England." There has always been a bit of a myth about Australia's selection policy – especially the claim that they give young players much more of a chance than England. That simply hasn't been the case in the last 20 years. In fact, in the last 20 years Australia have given Test debuts to 25 under-25s, which puts them bottom of the list. (I realise this is partly because they have had fewer debutants, but the point stands.)
74th over: Sri Lanka 271-1 (Dilshan 150, Sangakkara 25) Dilshan has been pretty urgent this morning, even by his hyperactive standards, and he takes consecutive boundaries off Swann with a sliced cut and a brilliant extra-cover drive on the run. A single later in the over takes him to a marvellous 150, from only 192 balls. It's been an exceptional and very modern captain's innings.
73rd over: Sri Lanka 262-1 (Dilshan 141, Sangakkara 25) Dilshan tucks Finn's last ball off the hip for a single. Finn has been bowling very full, with 70 per cent of his deliveries this morning full of length and another 10 per cent yorker length. "What is interesting about that list is how few there are from 1948 to 1979, including a 14 year gap from Ken Palmer to Alan Butcher," says Richard O'Hagan. "Given that there were fewer games in those days the lack of turnover of players is surprising." It's also interesting that a few of them were unlucky not to get another cap, especially, in my time, Joey Benjamin and Mark Benson (51 in the match doesn't seem like a lot, but given that England were 0 for 2 he did pretty well). I'm also fascinated with the no-cap wonders, folk who went on a tour but never played Test cricket. Ashley Cowan, Keith Medlycott, Ricky Ellcock, Jason Brown. And don't get me started on the A tourists. Whatever happened to Tony Middleton?
72nd over: Sri Lanka 261-1 (Dilshan 140, Sangakkara 25) Dilshan gives Swann the charge and drives wide of mid off, where Broad makes an excellent save. Then Swann spears some rare filth down the leg side for four byes. "I recall spending a happy Saturday at The Oval in 1990 watching Neil Fairbrother rack up a triple century," says Gary Naylor. "Very early in the piece, the little lefty turned down a short single and a bloke in front of me said that he was on for 300 – from that moment, it never seemed in doubt. Dilshan had that same air of inevitability about him yesterday and has picked up where he left off." Ah yes, Grahame Clinton's match.
71st over: Sri Lanka 256-1 (Dilshan 139, Sangakkara 25) A double bowling change, with Finn replacing Tremlett. Dilshan fresh-airs an almighty drive at the first delivery, which was well of off stump, and then cuts a single to that man on the point boundary. That brings Sangakkara on strike, and he eases a pristine drive through extra cover for four. That was as near to technical and aesthetic perfection as dammit. Wonderful.
70th over: Sri Lanka 251-1 (Dilshan 138, Sangakkara 21) Swann is on. The Sky chaps were talking about some fielding position or other – a man on the fence at point for Dilshan, I think – when Bumble proudly announced, "If he's caught there, I'll show my backside on Blackburn Boulevard!" So if you see a fire engine on Blackburn Boulevard, you'll know Dilshan has holed out to deep point. "One of my favourite things from the 90s were the one-cap wonders England regularly picked," says Steve Churnin. "Now our selection policy seems so settled though, who was the last genuine one? Has Shahzad only played one game? (Not much danger of him never playing another, I suppose.)" Here you go. Interestingly, there have been more in the last ten years than in the previous ten. That said, there were many more two- and three-cap wonders in the 1990s. (And, as Steve points out, at least one of England's current one-cap wonders will play again.)
69th over: Sri Lanka 250-1 (Dilshan 137, Sangakkara 21) Dilshan, on the drive, edges Tremlett low to third man for four. There was a bit of swing for Broad in the first over, but since then there has been hardly any sideways movement in the air or off the seam. So England will now move their eggs from basket into the one marked 'the second new ball'. It's due in 11 overs' time. "I've been put up to this," lies Ethan Dean-Richards. "As well as bothering you, Mac Millings also bothers other parts of the internet. Look. I do read the OBOs as well as email you links that are semi-related to them. Promise."
68th over: Sri Lanka 245-1 (Dilshan 132, Sangakkara 21) Sangakkara gets the first boundary of the day, slapping a short one from Broad up and over point. He has a peculiarly modest record in Tests in England, with a highest score of 66. This is a great opportunity to improve that. "The best thing about Dilshan is his first name," says Niall Mullen. "I can't think of any others in cricket that are more fun to say than Tillakaratne. On an unrelated note, I have no life." You should have been in Galle on 9 March 2004, as Sri Lanka's fifth-wicket pair put on 100.
67th over: Sri Lanka 238-1 (Dilshan 129, Sangakkara 17) A challenging, over from Tremlett to Sangakkara. One delivery jags back to hit him in the babymaker, and Sangakkara jams the next into the turf at his feet. For a moment it looked like it might roll back towards the stumps. "Is it wrong to want to Sangakkara to make it onto the boards at Lord's?" asks Len Lenford. In a losing cause of course." Crikey, not at all. The fact that most supporters are so two-eyed is one of endearing features of cricket.
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.
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