David Warner and Phillip Hughes walk out under a slightly overcast sky in Sydney. It's a humid afternoon. Angelo Matthews has the first new ball and is bowling from over the wicket to Warner. One slip in place.

Toss, 1.50 pm Australia have won it, and Michael Clarke has decided to bat. They were routed for 74 at the Gabba but it's the same team playing today.

Sri: "I think Micheal Clarke's batting is going to be the crucial one for the Aussies to survive this series. He scores a ton today, Aus win !"

Sri Lanka have made two changes, bringing in Rangana Herath and Dinesh Chandimal. Herath comes in for Shaminda Eranga, so Sri Lanka have strengthened their spin attack. Chandimal's inclusion means Sri Lanka have two wicketkeeper-batsmen in the XI. Kushal Perera being the other. Chandimal will keep wicket today, after missing the previous game, in which Perera kept wicket.

Sujan Rao: "Excellent changes by Sri Lanka. Herath had to be there in the squad if SL wanted to have any chance of sealing this series."

Gareth: "During the intro to the coverage, they showed all the Aussie wickets from Friday's game to 'Who's Gonna Save Us', a song by Aussie Band the Living End. Appropriate."

Nan: "Yeeeee..... No Tharanga..Finally SL selectors have heard my request. Kushal and Chandimal will be firing from both ends. Its gonna be pretty AWESOME :)"

smudgeon: "Interesting decision to bring a bowler into the Aussie squad when the bowlers did quite a good job at the Gabba...hard to see who would make way if they wanted Bird to play." He was just cover so maybe Australia were concerned about someone's fitness?

1.45 pm Good afternoon and welcome to ESPNcricinfo's ball-by-ball coverage of the fourth ODI of this series, at the SCG. Sri Lanka lead 2-1 after they rolled Australia over for 74 in Brisbane. Here's Brydon Coverdale's preview of today's game.

Jackson Bird had been added to Australia's squad for this match as cover, but he probably will not play. If he does, what number debut will that be for Australia this summer? Toss in five minutes.

Anushka: "I think SL will have a great chance to pull this off, if they play sensibly. The way the batsmen played in the chase of 74 was absolutely rubbish........"

Duminda Nishad: "Sydney is mostly like old Premadasa, You win the toss and 75% of the job done. Oh so do hope SL win it and create history by sealing the series."

0.1

Mathews to Warner, no run, good length around middle and off, Warner pushes forward and defends on the off side

0.2

Mathews to Warner, 1 run, shorter length on a straighter line, Warner gets on his toes and tucks the ball through square for a single

0.3

Mathews to Hughes, no run, good length on off and middle, with a hint of movement into the left-hander, Hughes stays in his crease and blocks

0.4

Mathews to Hughes, no run, Hughes moves back and across to defend one that seams across him from a good length

0.5

Mathews to Hughes, 1 run, short of a length with some width outside off, Hughes stays back and opens the face to steer behind point

0.6

Mathews to Warner, 2 runs, Warner sees width and goes after the short ball, trying to blast through point, he gets a thick outside edge that flies down to third man, where Kulasekara makes a fine one-handed pick up and throw

Kulasekara will bowl with the second new ball from the other end, over the wicket to Hughes with two slips.

1.1

Kulasekara to Hughes, no run, pitches on a good length around leg and swings towards off, squaring Hughes up as he defends from his crease

1.2

Kulasekara to Hughes, no run, pitches on middle and moves away from Hughes, who defends on the back foot

1.3

Kulasekara to Hughes, no run, good length outside off, Hughes covers his stumps and shoulders arms

1.4

Kulasekara to Hughes, no run, good length pitching outside leg stump and angling towards it, Hughes moves a long way across towards the off side to glance towards square and was beaten, that ball was so close to leg stump

1.5

Kulasekara to Hughes, OUT, caught behind! Kulasekara gets the ball to swing late from a good length from leg and middle stump line, Hughes is caught on the crease and squared up as he prods in defence, the outside edge is taken by Chandimal moving to his left

PJ Hughes c †Chandimal b Kulasekara 1 (9m 8b 0x4 0x6) SR: 12.50

Kulasekara is doing it again for Sri Lanka, Michael Clarke prepares to face.

1.6

Kulasekara to Clarke, no run, good length, but pitching slightly wide outside off stump, the ball cuts into Clarke who thrusts his pad forward to cover off stump and shoulders arms

2.1

Mathews to Warner, 1 run, glanced off the pads behind square for a single, Mathews is a bit too straight to the left-hander from over the wicket

Gareth: "I'm surprised Chandimal has the gloves. He's struggled with injury of late and Kusal was highly impressive behind the stumps so far."

2.2

Mathews to Clarke, FOUR, shot, Clarke! He strides forward to a length delivery outside off and caresses the ball through cover with a flowing drive. That ball moved away from the right-hander a little

2.3

Mathews to Clarke, no run, defended on the front foot towards point

2.4

Mathews to Clarke, FOUR, once more, Clarke gets on to the front foot as the ball begins to move away from him and drives fluently through cover, hitting the ball all along the ground

2.5

Mathews to Clarke, no run, good length just outside off stump, Clarke moves to cover off stump before shouldering arms

Happy: "Is this the same Hughes who the selectors didn't want to expose against SA but wanted to find his footing against lesser SRL? If they have Ashes on their mind, i can't see how he will survive English pace attack in seaming conditions."

2.6

Mathews to Clarke, 2 runs, the line is on the pads this time and Clarke flicks through square leg, Clarke's throwing the counterpunch here

Sujan Rao: "Kulasekara has been the unsung hero for Sri Lanka in recent times. Has always been there for the team whenever required."

3.1

Kulasekara to Warner, no run, Kulasekara gets the ball to go late again, pitching on middle and off before jagging past the outside edge of Warner's forward push at the last moment

3.2

Kulasekara to Warner, no run, defended back to the bowler on the front foot

3.3

Kulasekara to Warner, no run, there's more width outside off to Warner tries to play the cover drive but he gets beaten by the seam movement away from him

3.4

Kulasekara to Warner, 2 runs, pitches outside leg this time, Warner stays back and tucks the ball off his pads behind square

Adam: "I miss Michael Hussey!"

3.5

Kulasekara to Warner, no run, a huge appeal for lbw but the umpire says not out. Warner got an inside edge on to the pad as he pushed forward to defend. Looked like the ball hit both pad and inside edge around the same time. Pitched outside leg stump too

3.6

Kulasekara to Warner, no run, wider outside the off stump, Warner lets it go

4.1

Mathews to Clarke, 3 runs, once again Mathews is too straight to Clarke and the batsman flicks the ball into the huge expanse of vacant outfield at deep midwicket

Andy: "I think Sri Lanka are doing this wrong. While I am sure SL are looking for a good wicketkeeper-batsmen after Sangakkara but going with Chandimal with the gloves might be a mistake. While he is not bad, Chandimal seems to be better suited to play a pure batsmen's role, while Kushal seems to be better with the gloves and also able to play the dasher role with the bat. As good as these guys are it will take some doing to replace Sanga at what he does."

4.2

Mathews to Warner, no run, that ball came back into the left-hander, Warner wanted to drive on the off but adjusted his shot into a defence

4.3

Mathews to Warner, 2 runs, short of a length outside off and Warner drags it from all the way there with a flat-bat and pulls it over mid-on, didn't time it at all and the ball plugs in the outfield

4.4

Mathews to Warner, FOUR, he's timed this alright, width outside off stump and Warner slashes hard to cut the short ball to the point boundary

4.5

Mathews to Warner, 1 run, pushed into the off side for a quick single

Dave: "Can we stop the barrage of hate every time Hughes or Warner don't score a century? I don't see such nastiness when Cooks pokes and prods his way to another twenty-odd for England in 50 balls."

4.6

Mathews to Clarke, 2 runs, Clarke's timing is superb, he simply pushes a ball that angles into him through wide mid-on, giving Malinga some running to do

5.1

Kulasekara to Warner, 1 run, tucked off the hips towards square for a sharp single

5.2

Kulasekara to Clarke, no run, another loud appeal for lbw but the umpire Paul Reiffel says not out. Mahela decides not to review. Kulasekara got the ball to nip back into Clarke from outside off, Clarke had got his front pad outside the line of off stump so that wouldn't have been reversed

5.3

Kulasekara to Clarke, 1 leg bye, another appeal for lbw but I suspect the ball was missing leg this time. Clarke moved forward and across to try and flick a full ball that swung into him, and was hit on the pad

5.4

Kulasekara to Warner, no run, Warner stays in his crease and defends on the leg side

5.5

Kulasekara to Warner, no run, a third appeal for lbw in the over but umpire Reiffel is unmoved again. I think that pitched outside leg stump, but Mahela has asked for a review. He seemed to ask Kulasekara whether it pitched in line and the bowler seemed to indicate that it did. I did not. It pitched well outside leg and wouldn't have hit the stumps anyway. A horrid review from Sri Lanka.

5.6

Kulasekara to Warner, 1 run, Warner stays back and gets squared up by one that pitches leg and seams across the left-hander, he gets an outside edge that goes along the ground behind point

Malinga replaces Mathews, bowling over the wicket.

Greg: "These boys are going at it as though they want to have a big enough total on the board (like more than 74) before the wickets start to tumble."

6.1

Malinga to Warner, no run, he starts with a slower ball on a tight length and line, Warner was on the front foot a little early and he defends back to the bowler

6.2

Malinga to Warner, no run, he tries to hit the good length ball through cover but the room isn't there for the shot, he gets an inside edge on the leg side

6.3

Malinga to Warner, no run, played off the back foot to cover point, a slower ball that was

6.4

Malinga to Warner, 1 run, a mis-field at cover point allows the single after Warner slapped it off the back foot

6.5

Malinga to Clarke, no run, Clarke takes his bottom hand off the bat as he defends one that rises from a length

Happy: "I hope Kula bowls a long spell of 6-7 overs with attacking fields. He is the troubling both and these 2 are key to Aus putting up a good score."

6.6

Malinga to Clarke, no run, good length outside off, Clarke lets it go

Hayden: "There isn't a barrage of hate against Hughes because he hasn't scored a century. It's because he's follwed up his MoM with three consecutive failures, 7 runs in 3 innings. His place should be questioned and Finch is probably at home laughing his head off."

7.1

Kulasekara to Warner, FOUR, Warner's blasted this off the front foot, the length was a bit too full outside off and Warner flayed it past mid-off with a fierce drive

John: "Essential to effective operation of the DRS is calmness about asking for the review. It might even be a good idea not to "appeal" for everything, as that encourages the team to "see" all sorts of wickets!"

7.2

Kulasekara to Warner, no run, good length, pitches around off and seams away from Warner, who watches it go past

7.3

Kulasekara to Warner, 2 runs, look at the timing on that! Warner simply moved forward and punched at a length ball going away from him, it screamed through cover point, and Jeevan Mendis just about caught up with it

7.4

Kulasekara to Warner, no run, that's rash, Warner tries to drive away from his body and is beaten by a big away swinger

7.5

Kulasekara to Warner, 2 runs, pushed off the pads between mid-on and midwicket

7.6

Kulasekara to Warner, no run, good length just outside off stump, Warner lets it go through to Chandimal

Mike: "Hughes is definitely a very shaky starter. It always seems like he is going to get out any time at the beginning of most of his innings. Luck and not so accurate bowling often play a significant role in his not getting out early, apart from his own skill. Once set though, things magically fall in place and nothing can stop him ...."

8.1

Malinga to Clarke, no run, played off the back foot towards point

poosh: "@Gareth - Kushal is not keeping because he'll probably open with Dilshan today."

John: "It is essential for SL to get the most out of the new balls, but it is not in their interest to use up too much of Malinga and Kulasekara too early. There are powerful hitters down the order."

8.2

Malinga to Clarke, 1 run, Clarke moves forward and turns the length ball through square leg

Happy: "@Dave: If you want to live in a cocoon, goodluck. For one Cook has been much more consistent - no comparison with Hughes over a long period of time. Then he has been pretty unlucky during his time in India with respect to umpiring errors. And third he has no such prominent issues of getting out behind the stumps like Hughes."

8.3

Malinga to Warner, no run, Warner hits the length ball hard off the front foot, the fielder at cover dives to his right to make the stop

8.4

Malinga to Warner, no run, the slower ball outside off, Warner had moved forward and waited for it, before driving to cover

8.5

Malinga to Warner, FOUR, shot! He's ramped it over the keeper and the cordon. Warner swayed out of the line of the short of a length ball and angled his bat so the ball could bounce off the middle and fly to the third man boundary

8.6

Malinga to Warner, no run, Malinga responds with a yorker that Warner digs out on the leg side

9.1

Kulasekara to Clarke, 2 runs, Kulasekara seams the ball on to the pads, Clarke moves across his crease and turns the ball through square leg

9.2

Kulasekara to Clarke, no run, defended on the front foot towards mid-on

9.3

Kulasekara to Clarke, no run, Kulasekara gets one to hold its line outside off and has Clarke playing inside it, the ball beat the outside edge

9.4

Kulasekara to Clarke, 2 runs, turned off the pads through square, Malinga charges in, picks up with one hand and throws on the bounce to Chandimal, who fails to collect and concedes an overthrow

9.5

Kulasekara to Clarke, no run, defended from the crease

9.6

Kulasekara to Clarke, OUT, Clarke's been given lbw and he's asked for a review too. Kulasekara hit the pad with a big inswinger, it moved sharply into Clarke off the seam. Clarke was pushing forward and was hit in line too. Replays indicate the ball would have clipped the top of middle. He's got to go.

MJ Clarke lbw b Kulasekara 20 (38m 20b 2x4 0x6) SR: 100.00

David Hussey is at the non-striker's end.

10.1

Malinga to Warner, 1 run, short of a length into the body, Warner plays the short-arm pull behind square

10.2

Malinga to Hussey, no run, what a ball that is, Hussey did superbly to get out of the way. Malinga got the ball to rear up sharply from just short of a length, Hussey smelled that as he leapt back and swayed out of the way.

10.3

Malinga to Hussey, no run, another short ball, which is a bit easier to leave

10.4

Malinga to Hussey, no run, good length with some movement away from Hussey who swishes and is beaten

John: "That was a dismissal of some significance. As well as allowing a couple more overs of swing, it also clears the way to the introduction of spin."

10.5

Malinga to Hussey, no run, short of a length and straight, Hussey jumps back and defends on the off side

10.6

Malinga to Hussey, 1 run, Hussey stays in his crease and steers a length ball behind point to get off the mark

11.1

Kulasekara to Hussey, no run, Kulasekara gets the ball to swing into Hussey who closes the face and plays towards square

11.2

Kulasekara to Hussey, no run, pitches outside off on a good length and seams into the right-hander, Hussey moves back and defends on the off side

11.3

Kulasekara to Hussey, 1 leg bye, strays on to the pads this time so Hussey taps it behind square for a single

It's been a while since Warner had the strike.

11.4

Kulasekara to Warner, no run, good length on middle and off, Warner defends on the off side

11.5

Kulasekara to Warner, no run, Warner defends one that pitches around leg and begins to seam across

Josh: "Re: Clarke's dismissal as significant... I think if Warner is still at the crease come over 30 that supersedes the significance stakes!"

11.6

Kulasekara to Warner, no run, that's hit him where it hurts most and Warner's down on his knees. That ball wasn't short enough to pull and Warner tried to short-arm pull it through square. Not sure whether that hit him off the inside edge but Warner needs a couple of minutes to gather himself. That hit him flush on the box off the bottom edge.

12.1

Malinga to Hussey, OUT, Thirimanne's caught it after a juggle at first slip! Malinga bowled a beautiful outswinger, pitching around off and moving away. Hussey, having been peppered by the short stuff, stayed back and prodded away from his body, nicking it to Thirimanne's left. He caught it, lost grip but grabbed it again before falling to the ground.

DJ Hussey c Thirimanne b Malinga 1 (11m 9b 0x4 0x6) SR: 11.11

George Bailey is the new batsman.

12.2

Malinga to Bailey, no run, he gets beaten by one that pitches on a good length outside off and seams away from the right-hander

Sam: "Why has Hussey come out ahead of bailey the last two innings? Bailey looked the best of the batsman in the 2nd ODI and it was he who built the innings so well in the 1st ODI with Hussey finishing it off so well. Why change something that worked so well? Perhaps a hint at who Clarke prefers for the India/England tours?"

Three slips in place.

12.3

Malinga to Bailey, no run, What a ball that is, Malinga pitches on a great length around off stump and gets it to move ever so late to beat the outside edge of Bailey's forward defence

12.4

Malinga to Bailey, no run, this is some special bowling from Lasith, another one beats the outside edge after angling into the right-hander, pitching around off and moving away late

12.5

Malinga to Bailey, no run, he's been beaten four times in a row by the one that moves away late, Malinga must be wondering what he needs to do to hit that outside edge

12.6

Malinga to Bailey, no run, Malinga tries to swing it away from the right-hander from a straighter line but doesn't get the ball to move as much, Bailey finally gets bat on ball as he moves forward and defends, the SCG crowd gives him a cheer

13.1

Kulasekara to Warner, no run, Warner, who's been camped at the other end, hits a short of a length ball to cover

13.2

Kulasekara to Warner, 1 wide, the bouncer also swings, a touch down leg side, Warner lets it go and Chandimal has to dive to his right to collect

13.2

Kulasekara to Warner, 1 run, short ball and Warner pulls with power to deep square leg

13.3

Kulasekara to Bailey, no run, nips into Bailey from off stump, glanced off the pads towards square

13.4

Kulasekara to Bailey, no run, defended on the front foot on the on side

13.5

Kulasekara to Bailey, 1 run, steered off the back foot behind point

Round the wicket to the left-hander.

13.6

Kulasekara to Warner, no run, good length outside off, Warner covers his stumps and blocks

14.1

Malinga to Bailey, no run, Malinga's tormenting Bailey with these fast outswingers. Bailey tries to push off the front foot once again but is beaten

14.2

Malinga to Bailey, no run, pitches on middle this time and begins to move away from Bailey, who gets squared up as he defends

14.3

Malinga to Bailey, no run, defended on the front foot towards cover

14.4

Malinga to Bailey, no run, Bailey moves forward and defends on the off side once again, not as much outswing from Malinga this time

14.5

Malinga to Bailey, no run, the outside edge, Malinga's found it, but the ball goes on the bounce to third slip. Bailey pushed from his crease at one that pitched off and began to move away

14.6

Malinga to Bailey, 4 runs, Bailey clips one that is nearly in the blockhole between midwicket and mid-on, the fielder has a long chase and I think he manages to pull the ball back in the nick of time, but the batsmen have run four

The players have finished their first break for drinks. Thisara Perera replaces Kulasekara, bowling over the wicket.

15.1

NLTC Perera to Warner, 1 leg bye, pitches outside leg and Warner gets hit on the pad as he tries to glance behind square

15.2

NLTC Perera to Bailey, no run, good length outside off stump, Bailey shoulders arms

15.3

NLTC Perera to Bailey, no run, short of a length outside off stump, Bailey tries to slap it through cover point but doesn't time it

15.4

NLTC Perera to Bailey, FOUR, shot! A half-volley from Perera and Bailey dispatches it to the straight boundary with a fluent straight drive. Kulasekara chases but the outfield is too quick for him

15.5

NLTC Perera to Bailey, no run, played off the front foot with a closed face towards midwicket

15.6

NLTC Perera to Bailey, no run, Perera gets the ball to nip sharply into Bailey from outside off, he gets hit on the pad

Mathews is back for his second spell after three expensive overs - 0 for 27 in his first spell.

16.1

Mathews to Warner, no run, length ball angling away from Warner who moves forward and plays to point

16.2

Mathews to Warner, no run, defended on the off side

16.3

Mathews to Warner, 1 run, short of a length just outside off stump, Warner goes back and cuts to third man

16.4

Mathews to Bailey, no run, defended on the off side

16.5

Mathews to Bailey, no run, Bailey jumps back and tries to defend a short of a length ball, he gets a bottom edge on to his thigh

16.6

Mathews to Bailey, no run, a fuller ball around off stump, Bailey drives fluently off the front foot but can't beat mid-off

17.1

NLTC Perera to Warner, FOUR, Warner hasn't had much strike in the last ten overs and so he attacks when he can. The ball was full and Warner launched it off the front foot over mid-on, didn't time it perfectly but it was hit well enough

17.2

NLTC Perera to Warner, 1 run, driven through point for a single

17.3

NLTC Perera to Bailey, 1 run, Bailey carves the short of a length ball towards third man and the ball bounces a few metres short of the fielder

17.4

NLTC Perera to Warner, 2 runs, pitches outside leg stump and Warner taps the ball into the gap in front of square to take a hard-run double

Gareth: "What's Bailey doing? He's hogging the strike and leaving the thunderous Warner in a lull. He needs to pinch more singles and rotate the strike."

17.5

NLTC Perera to Warner, 2 runs, short of a length and Warner pulls the ball along the ground through midwicket for two more

17.6

NLTC Perera to Warner, 1 run, tapped off the back foot through midwicket for a single, 11 off the over

18.1

Mathews to Warner, 1 run, length ball pitching in line with the stumps and angling across the left-hander, Warner stays in his crease and lets the ball slide off the face of the bat towards third man

18.2

Mathews to Bailey, 2 runs, Bailey steers the short of a length ball down to third man

18.3

Mathews to Bailey, no run, Bailey gets hit on the pad as he moves across and tries to glance a good length ball, Matthews appeals but that was missing leg

18.4

Mathews to Bailey, no run, defended on the off side

18.5

Mathews to Bailey, no run, the slower ball angling into the right-hander, nudged off the front foot towards midwicket

18.6

Mathews to Bailey, no run, defended back to the bowler

Rehan: "@ Gareth: Didn't you hear Bailey this week? He's not very happy with all the rotating..."

Spin for the first time today, Herath from round the wicket.

19.1

Herath to Warner, 1 run, Warner goes back and cuts the ball from middle stump towards point

One slip for Bailey.

19.2

Herath to Bailey, 3 runs, drifts on to the pads with fine leg in the circle, Bailey goes back and works the ball off his pads towards fine leg, Malinga chases and fumbles a little on the slide

19.3

Herath to Warner, 1 run, cut off the back foot through cover point

19.4

Herath to Bailey, no run, defended back to the bowler

19.5

Herath to Bailey, 1 run, Bailey steps out of his crease and pushes toward mid-off

Keith Bennett: "It's not rotating the strike, it's "informed player running"."

19.6

Herath to Warner, no run, Warner dabs the ball close on the off side, he had come out of his crease and then had to adjust

20.1

Mathews to Bailey, no run, Bailey stays in his crease and punches to cover

20.2

Mathews to Bailey, no run, played from the crease towards cover again, no real movement from Mathews

20.3

Mathews to Bailey, no run, good length outside off, Bailey moves forward and defends towards point

Chard: "Why is everyone so anti George Bailey. He has the second highest average in the side behind only Clarke. He is trying to rebuild after another top order collapse and will end his innings with a strike rate of over 100!"

20.4

Mathews to Bailey, FOUR, shot! Bailey moves forward to a length ball and drives it fluently through extra cover, splitting the gap between cover and mid-off

20.5

Mathews to Bailey, no run, just a bit short outside off and Bailey pulls it to mid-on, I suspect he wanted to hit that squarer

20.6

Mathews to Bailey, no run, good length around off stump, Bailey moves forward and defends

21.1

Herath to Warner, 1 run, Warner stays back and pushes the ball from leg and middle in front of square

21.2

Herath to Bailey, 2 runs, Bailey pushes forward and then opens the face late to steer the ball towards third man, Herath hasn't turned the ball

21.3

Herath to Bailey, OUT, what has Bailey done! He came down the pitch and tried to hit over the top, instead he mis-hit it straight to Thisara Perera at mid-on, he's thrown away a start, and after he battled hard early on. Bailey was beaten in the flight

GJ Bailey c NLTC Perera b Herath 22 (43m 39b 2x4 0x6) SR: 56.41

Matthew Wade takes strike.

21.4

Herath to Wade, no run, Wade stays back and defends towards the bowler

21.5

Herath to Wade, 1 run, played through point for a single

21.6

Herath to Warner, no run, pushed off the front foot towards point

Adam: "That's the problem, Chard. Like Cameron White, he [Bailey] starts exceptionally slow. If he gets into gear it's fine, but if he plays a rash shot like that, he's wasted a lot of balls."

22.1

Mathews to Wade, no run, defended on the front foot on the leg side

22.2

Mathews to Wade, no run, short of a length on middle and off, Wade stays back and blocks

22.3

Mathews to Wade, no run, driven on the front foot towards cover

22.4

Mathews to Wade, no run, Wade pushes forward at a ball that seams away from a good length and beats the outside edge, not much excitement from the Sri Lankans for the caught behind, no edge

22.5

Mathews to Wade, no run, defended back to the bowler

22.6

Mathews to Wade, no run, Wade jumps across his stumps and defends on the off side

23.1

Herath to Warner, 1 run, played off the pads behind square

23.2

Herath to Wade, 1 run, nudged off the pads behind square for a quick single

23.3

Herath to Warner, no run, Warner attempts to play the ball down the ground but gets an inside edge on to his boot

23.4

Herath to Warner, FOUR, a superb shot, Warner steps out of his crease, gets to the pitch of the ball, and drives along the ground to the extra cover boundary to bring up a half-century that has held Australia together at the SCG

23.5

Herath to Warner, no run, defended on the front foot to the bowler

23.6

Herath to Warner, no run, hit off the back foot to the fielder at short midwicket

Agnare: "Good comeback-spell from Mathews, this!" He went for 0 for 27 in his first three overs.

24.1

Mathews to Wade, no run, defended on the back foot towards point, Mathews is keeping it simple and straight

24.2

Mathews to Wade, no run, played back to the bowler

24.3

Mathews to Wade, 2 runs, in the air but through point, Wade came forward and played the square drive to a length ball outside off

24.4

Mathews to Wade, no run, good length and straight, Wade moves forward and defends

24.5

Mathews to Wade, 1 run, driven off the front foot towards cover

24.6

Mathews to Warner, no run, Warner square drives a good length ball and it falls just short of the fielder diving forward at point

25.1

Herath to Wade, 1 run, steps out of his crease and hits the ball through square

25.2

Herath to Warner, no run, comes forward and pushes to cover

25.3

Herath to Warner, 1 run, Warner cuts hard and late, Mahela moves quickly to his right and dives to stop the ball with one hand. He throws to the keeper while on the ground but Wade had run quickly as well to complete the single

25.4

Herath to Wade, no run, played towards midwicket

25.5

Herath to Wade, no run, defended on the leg side

25.6

Herath to Wade, no run, driven from the crease to mid off

Thisara Perera is back for a second spell.

26.1

NLTC Perera to Warner, 1 run, Warner is smacked on the glove by one that bounces sharply from a good length, he plays the ball towards point and shakes his hand in pain as he runs the single

26.2

NLTC Perera to Wade, 1 run, played towards midwicket for a single

26.3

NLTC Perera to Warner, 2 runs, short of a length outside off, hit off the back foot through cover

Agnare: "With five Malinga overs in the tank, MJ needs to get a move on to beat the clock... Maybe a few quick'uns (overs) from Dilshan?"

26.4

NLTC Perera to Warner, no run, Warner stays in his crease and drives a fuller ball to mid-off

26.5

NLTC Perera to Warner, no run, short of a length just outside off, Warner stays back and plays towards point

26.6

NLTC Perera to Warner, no run, a fuller ball but Warner does not come forward, he stays in his crease and drives to cover

27.1

Herath to Wade, FOUR, lovely use of the feet from Wade, who skipped down the track to get to the pitch of the ball and drove along the ground to the extra cover boundary

27.2

Herath to Wade, 1 run, he comes out once again and turns the ball off his pads in front of square

Shiraz: "Oh boy, even though the Aussies are not batting like rainbows but I feel they have already scored enough runs for their bowlers to defend..."

27.3

Herath to Warner, no run, defended on the front foot on the leg side

27.4

Herath to Warner, 1 run, Warner steps out and drives to cover

27.5

Herath to Wade, 2 runs, gets down low this time and paddles the ball behind square

27.6

Herath to Wade, no run, Wade steps out and clips the ball off his pads to short midwicket

28.1

NLTC Perera to Warner, 1 bye, Chandimal fails to collect cleanly after Warner is beaten by one that pitches on a good length around off and seams away, he was trying to drive from the crease

28.2

NLTC Perera to Wade, 1 run, short of a length outside off, Wade stays back and cuts the ball hard through point

Daminda : "MJ is going to score a century today !! we feel it coming, he is going to say good bye to captaincy in style !!!"

28.3

NLTC Perera to Warner, FOUR, edged but there's no slip and it's gone to the third man boundary for four! Chandimal didn't dive for it, it was a tough one but I reckon he could have attempted it. Warner had tried to cut one that seamed away from him

28.4

NLTC Perera to Warner, 1 run, steered behind point for a single

28.5

NLTC Perera to Wade, 1 run, Wade moved forward to play on the off side but got an inside edge on to leg

28.6

NLTC Perera to Warner, OUT, a huge appeal for lbw and the umpire raises the finger though I thought Warner had got a big inside edge on to his pad. Warner is dismayed as he sees the finger go up and he can't review it because Clarke had used up the only review available. And he had got a massive inside edge as he played from his crease at a good length ball that pitched around leg and middle

DA Warner lbw b NLTC Perera 60 (132m 73b 6x4 0x6) SR: 82.19

29.1

Herath to Wade, no run, defended on the front foot

29.2

Herath to Wade, 1 run, steps forward and drives through midwicket for a single

Mat: "absolutely disgusting decision by the umpire on Warner....You could clearly see in real time there was inside edge...Could cost Australia the match!"

29.3

Herath to Henriques, no run, nudged on the leg side

29.4

Herath to Henriques, no run, a half-appeal for lbw as Henriques is beaten by the one that slides into him from round the wicket

29.5

Herath to Henriques, no run, driven to cover off the front foot

29.6

Herath to Henriques, 1 run, defended on the off side

cam: "Ridiculous decision. I suppose you could say that Clarke shouldn't have reviewed his but that's not a mistake that should be made. Huge edge."

30.1

NLTC Perera to Henriques, no run, good length outside off stump, defended on the front foot

Sanju Zacharias: "I think DRS is currently used too liberally by the players. It is supposed to be used to correct shockers like the Warner decision. The blame goes on the players for wasting them on most 50/50 calls."

30.2

NLTC Perera to Henriques, no run, the ball bounces a bit more from short of a length and beats Henriques on the cut

30.3

NLTC Perera to Henriques, no run, defended on the back foot on the off side

Trevor: "Clarke's selfish use of the DRS has cost Warner his wicket. Why don't players understand that they should only use DRS when they are absolutely certain that it's not out, not when they hope it isn't out."

30.4

NLTC Perera to Henriques, 1 run, short of a length outside off, Henriques cuts off the back foot behind point

Bomberman: "....and this is why reviews shouldn't be used for 50/50 lbw decisions. Leave it for the decisions like Warner's!"

John: "Warner's decision once again reinforces my view that ALL decisions should be made by the three umpires working together. That's the only way to get the best decisions possible every time and surely that's what everyone should want?"

30.5

NLTC Perera to Wade, no run, Wade takes his bottom hand off the bat to fend one that rises sharply from a good length down on the leg side

30.6

NLTC Perera to Wade, no run, defended on the off side

Dave Angel: "Actually, Clarke could hold himself responsible for Warner's dismissal. DRS was designed to correct decisions like the one Warner got, the absolute howlers, not the "maybe, was it? I'm not sure" ones like Clarke got. If teams continue to gamble with DRS, situations like this will keep occurring. Clarke abused DRS and his team has now paid the price."

31.1

Herath to Henriques, 1 run, Henriques moves forward and defends on the off side

31.2

Herath to Wade, 1 run, Wade leans forward and pushes the ball into the gap at cover for a single

31.3

Herath to Henriques, no run, goes deep into his crease to defend on the pitch

31.4

Herath to Henriques, OUT, another lbw, and the umpires have missed another inside edge! Herath bowled the one that goes on with the arm to Henriques, who prodded forward to defend. The ball went on to the pad off the inside edge, and like Warner, Henriques has to go too

MC Henriques lbw b Herath 3 (10m 11b 0x4 0x6) SR: 27.27

Australia have lost their last two wickets to poor umpiring decisions. They didn't have a review left to use because Clarke thought he was not out when he was quite plumb lbw and asked for the review.

Johnson is the new batsman.

31.5

Herath to Johnson, no run, defended on the front foot

Rave: "All this talk of the DRS beging Clarke's fault is missing the point. The point is that two very poor decisions have been made, and that there needs to be some system in place to prevent that"

31.6

Herath to Johnson, 2 runs, Johnson pushes forward and dabs the ball in front of point for a risky single, the throw misses at the bowler's end and the batsmen run an overthrow

32.1

NLTC Perera to Wade, 1 run, full ball outside off, Wade drives firmly to mid-on

Rob: "Fatuous to suggest that the players use of the DRS is the problem - take it out of their hands by having an automatic review."

32.2

NLTC Perera to Johnson, 2 runs, Johnson flicks the full ball off his pads behind square and there maybe a run-out here. No, Johnson's safe as he hares back for the second, it needed a direct hit to run him out

32.3

NLTC Perera to Johnson, no run, good length outside off, Johnson lets it go

32.4

NLTC Perera to Johnson, no run, a fuller ball outside off and Johnson drives to mid-off

32.5

NLTC Perera to Johnson, 1 run, short of a length on the hips, worked from the crease through square

32.6

NLTC Perera to Wade, 1 run, good length on middle and off, Wade moves forward and across to push the ball to mid-on

33.1

Herath to Wade, no run, Wade steps out of his crease, isn't to the pitch of the ball, and defends on the leg side

33.2

Herath to Wade, no run, dabbed off the pads towards square and Johnson sets off, Wade sends him back and Johnson had to dive desperately, the throw missed at the bowler's end

33.3

Herath to Wade, no run, driven firmly back to the bowler

33.4

Herath to Wade, 1 run, played off the front foot towards mid-off, not timed well

33.5

Herath to Johnson, no run, wider outside the off stump, Johnson lets it go

33.6

Herath to Johnson, no run, Johnson moves forward and defends on the leg side

34.1

NLTC Perera to Wade, 1 run, Wade tries to drive through cover but gets a thick outside edge towards third man

34.2

NLTC Perera to Johnson, no run, the ball rears up from just short of a length and Johnson lifts his bat out of the way

34.3

NLTC Perera to Johnson, 2 runs, a full ball outside off and Johnson plays a straight drive past the bowler for two runs

34.4

NLTC Perera to Johnson, no run, Johnson lets another one go outside off after the ball lifts from a good length and angles across the left-hander

34.5

NLTC Perera to Johnson, no run, this time Johnson chooses to drive away from his body and gets beaten on the inside edge by one that slants away from him

34.6

NLTC Perera to Johnson, no run, good length outside off, Johnson lets it go this time

It's time for the batting Powerplay. Only three fielders outside the circle.

35.1

Herath to Wade, 1 run, Wade steps out of his crease and works the full ball off his pads in front of square

35.2

Herath to Johnson, no run, Johnson stays in his crease and taps the ball towards midwicket

35.3

Herath to Johnson, no run, punched off the back foot towards mid-off, Herath is keeping the ball on a tight line and length

35.4

Herath to Johnson, no run, pushed off the front foot but the ball goes on the leg side off the inside edge

35.5

Herath to Johnson, no run, Johnson tries to drive but gets an outside edge towards backward point

35.6

Herath to Johnson, no run, in the blockhole and Johnson digs it out towards cover

Malinga's back to bowl in the Powerplay. He has five overs left, 1-12 off his first five.

36.1

Malinga to Wade, no run, the slower offcutter, pitching on leg and moving across Wade, who stays in his crease and defends

Wade is standing way, way outside his crease. A metre at least, presumably to reduces the chances of him being given lbw.

36.2

Malinga to Wade, no run, Malinga greets him with a fast bouncer, forcing Wade to duck in a hurry

36.3

Malinga to Wade, no run, Wade's still outside his crease as Malinga delivers a fuller ball outside off, Wade defends on the off side

36.4

Malinga to Wade, no run, the slower ball on middle stump, defended on the off side

36.5

Malinga to Wade, no run, another short ball, and Wade lets it go outside off stump

36.6

Malinga to Wade, no run, Wade's going to struggle to play short balls standing where he is, a metre outside his crease, Malinga bangs it in again and Wade lets it go

Fazli: "How far from the crease should a batsman be allowed to stand?" I think he can stand where ever he likes.

37.1

Herath to Johnson, no run, defended on the front foot

37.2

Herath to Johnson, no run, driven off the front foot to cover

37.3

Herath to Johnson, 2 runs, Jonson pushes forward and gets an outside edge that runs towards third man

37.4

Herath to Johnson, no run, defended from the crease back to the bowler

37.5

Herath to Johnson, no run, played from the crease towards cover

37.6

Herath to Johnson, 1 run, clipped off his toes towards long-on, and that's the end of Herath's spell - 2 for 37

CSB: "Wade is being over-optimistic if he thinks anything will reduce the chance of LBW in this match. Seems like currently the only criteria required is that the ball hits the pads at some point."

38.1

Malinga to Johnson, OUT, Johnson isn't standing outside his crease, and he's fallen lbw, that is plumb. Malinga delivers a full ball that slants across Johnson from over the wicket before it tails late into the left-hander. Johnson is caught prodding from his crease, the ball beats the inside edge and crashes into the pad. No doubt there.

MG Johnson lbw b Malinga 10 (24m 25b 0x4 0x6) SR: 40.00

Mitchell Starc is the new batsman, he can bat.

38.2

Malinga to Starc, 2 runs, a full ball outside off and Starc drives from his crease through point

38.3

Malinga to Starc, FOUR, there he goes! Starc lines up a length ball and hits through it, carting the ball over mid-off to the boundary

38.4

Malinga to Starc, no run, Malinga replies with a bouncer and Starc ducks under it

38.5

Malinga to Starc, no run, a low full toss wide outside off, Starc reaches for it and plays the ball on the off side

38.6

Malinga to Starc, no run, played off the pads towards midwicket

smudgeon: "Does anyone else feel a touch of optimism when Starc comes to the crease? Can't wait for Doherty to be out in the middle to grind out a patient 20 or 30..."

Kulasekara is back, from over the wicket ...

39.1

Kulasekara to Wade, 1 run, short of a length around off, punched off the back foot in front of point

39.2

Kulasekara to Starc, no run, pitches on a good length around middle and seams across the left-hander, who pushes from his crease and is beaten

39.3

Kulasekara to Starc, no run, loud shout for lbw as Starc is squared up and beaten, that hit him on the thigh so too high

39.4

Kulasekara to Starc, 2 runs, a flashy drive from Starc and he hits the ball in the air past a diving Dilshan at point

39.5

Kulasekara to Starc, no run, a fuller ball on leg and middle stump, Starc gets a bit of a leading edge towards mid-off

39.6

Kulasekara to Starc, no run, Starc pushes forward at another good length ball that seams away from him and is beaten

Perera to begin his third spell, from over the wicket.

40.1

NLTC Perera to Wade, 1 run, short of a length and straight, nudged off the body through midwicket

40.2

NLTC Perera to Starc, 1 run, Starc chips a length ball in the air and into the gap at deep midwicket

40.3

NLTC Perera to Wade, no run, Wade tries to blast a good length ball that angles across him over cover but misses

Did I mention there's a slip in the 41st over?

40.4

NLTC Perera to Wade, no run, driven from the crease to mid-off

40.5

NLTC Perera to Wade, 2 runs, Wade takes a hand off the bat as he dabs close on the leg side and runs, there's no one in the circle so the bowler has to field himself, they run two and Wade has to hurry to complete the second but the throw to the keeper is poor

40.6

NLTC Perera to Wade, 2 runs, once again Wade plays the ball into the empty infield at midwicket and the batsmen run two before the fielder in the deep can run in and try to prevent it

Dilly: "Did anybody notice that Starc's average is much better than Warner, D. Hussey, Wade and many other top-order batsmen ?"

Mathews from over the wicket.

41.1

Mathews to Starc, 1 run, that's top edged but it's fallen safe! Starc tried to hook a short ball from Mathews and was hit on the glove. The ball lobbed up towards where a leg gully would have been and Chandimal could not reach it

41.2

Mathews to Wade, 1 run, played to backward point for a single

Greg: "Despite the jubilation of the Sri Lankans, any score of 200+ is going to be hard to get on this wicket."

41.3

Mathews to Starc, no run, the slower ball and Starc stays in his crease and defends

Epic Fail: "That awkward moment when your No.9 batsman averages more than your No.6"

41.4

Mathews to Starc, 2 runs, too straight and Starc glances the ball off his pads into the gap behind square leg

41.5

Mathews to Starc, no run, the short of a length delivery down leg side, Mathews has got away with that as Starc missed the swat behind square

41.6

Mathews to Starc, no run, a sharp bouncer this time and Starc is beaten on the hook

Tim: "@Dilly, did you also notice he's only made 75 runs in his career. A little early to call him a batsman don't you think?"

Daniel Alexander: "Malinga should be bowling now, SL should go for the kill" Perera to continue.

42.1

NLTC Perera to Wade, 1 run, played with an open face towards third man for a single

42.2

NLTC Perera to Starc, 1 run, a full ball outside off and Starc drives the ball hard to long-off, where the fielder covers good ground to prevent the second

42.3

NLTC Perera to Wade, OUT, caught at third man! Wade's gone. The ball was short of a length outside off, Wade got under it and cut hard off the front foot, slashing it straight to Kulasekara as he ran in from the third man boundary, Australia lose their eighth

MS Wade c Kulasekara b NLTC Perera 31 (85m 53b 1x4 0x6) SR: 58.49

Vamsi: "That awkward moment when your highest score is less than your batting average." McKay is the new batsman, but he's at the bowler's end.

42.4

NLTC Perera to Starc, FOUR, Starc swings a length ball from leg and middle to the backward square leg boundary

shaun: "As an Aussie fan, something I've admired about Sri Lankan one-day cricket over the last 5 years, is that they play a totally fearless brand of cricket. They never ever give up. It's something that Australia should really take a good look at."

42.5

NLTC Perera to Starc, 1 run, Starc rides the bounce of a short of a length ball and taps it through square leg

42.6

NLTC Perera to McKay, no run, short of a length outside off, McKay lets it go

43.1

Mathews to Starc, 1 run, nudged off the back foot through square leg

James: "Can't honestly remember the last time Australia were bowled out before the allotted overs 3 games in a row.. Crisis time."

43.2

Mathews to McKay, no run, defended on the front foot on the off side

43.3

Mathews to McKay, 1 run, McKay tries to pull a short ball and top edges it, the ball falls safely in the vacant midwicket region

43.4

Mathews to Starc, 2 runs, Starc stays in his crease and chips a length ball towards wide long on

43.5

Mathews to Starc, FOUR, shot! Starc moves forward and swings a length ball cleanly from around off stump for a one-bounce four to wide long-on

43.6

Mathews to Starc, no run, Starc begins to move forward and then is beaten by the bouncer

Malinga's back ... he has three overs left.

44.1

Malinga to McKay, no run, McKay pulls his bat away from a delivery that pitches on a good length around off and moves away

44.2

Malinga to McKay, no run, McKay moves forward and pushes at an outswinger, which beats the bat

44.3

Malinga to McKay, no run, pushed off the front foot towards cover

Karnain: "Wonderful comeback by Mathews after being hit for 27 in his first 3 overs by Warner & Clarke. Next 7 overs cost him only 23 runs."

44.4

Malinga to McKay, no run, good length and very straight, McKay defends on the front foot

Adib: "Situations like Australia have been in during the past three matches remind you of how valuable a player like Mike Hussey was."

44.5

Malinga to McKay, 1 run, some width outside off and McKay goes after it, he gets an outside edge that falls safely at third man

44.6

Malinga to Starc, 1 run, short ball and Starc pulls along the ground to deep square leg

Kulasekara to bowl the first of his last two overs, from over the wicket.

45.1

Kulasekara to Starc, no run, hit off the front foot towards cover

45.2

Kulasekara to Starc, 1 run, length ball and Starc hammers it off the front foot to deep midwicket

45.3

Kulasekara to McKay, no run, played towards mid-off off the front foot

45.4

Kulasekara to McKay, no run, driven on the front foot on the off side

45.5

Kulasekara to McKay, OUT, bowled him! McKay came out of his crease and tried to hammer the ball down the ground. It was the slower one and McKay was beaten

CJ McKay b Kulasekara 2 (16m 11b 0x4 0x6) SR: 18.18

Paul: "Every night has a day.....this might be australian crickets lowest point or a new beginning...all we have to do is support them to come through...."

Xavier Doherty is the last man.

45.6

Kulasekara to Doherty, no run, defended on the front foot towards point

46.1

Malinga to Starc, FOUR, shot! Starc stays in his crease and drills a full ball wide of the diving fielder at mid-on, he's playing a gem

46.2

Malinga to Starc, 1 run, full and straight, Starc drives to long off for a single

TheGenuineTailender: "Mitchell Starc's now got the best ODI batting average out of all the players in the match. And he's batting 9!"

46.3

Malinga to Doherty, no run, short of a length, and straight, Starc nudges the ball off his hips towards square

46.4

Malinga to Doherty, 1 wide, too full down the leg side, that's a wide

46.4

Malinga to Doherty, no run, Doherty gets smacked on the glove by a short ball but it falls short of Jeevan Mendis running in and diving forward from point

46.5

Malinga to Doherty, 1 run, short of a length outside off, steered towards third man off the back foot

46.6

Malinga to Starc, 1 run, length ball outside off, steered from the crease behind point for a single, he keeps the strike

47.1

Kulasekara to Starc, 3 runs, Starc was looking to swing through the leg side but got a leading edge that flew between point and cover, that almost reached the boundary. Dilshan did well to slide and save

47.2

Kulasekara to Doherty, no run, Doherty moves back and across to defend on the off side

47.3

Kulasekara to Doherty, no run, driven off the front foot to cover

Fred: "@TheGenuineTailender: Starc has also only had six innings (including today) and bats at the stage of the innings where he can throw caution to the wind with no concern for his place in the side (he is a bowler after all). So calm down."

47.4

Kulasekara to Doherty, FOUR, a short ball and Doherty pulls with power into the gap on the cow corner boundary, Kushal Perera sprints to his right from deep square leg and dives full length in desperation, he manages to tap the ball back but it goes on to roll into the rope

47.5

Kulasekara to Doherty, no run, left alone outside off stump

47.6

Kulasekara to Doherty, no run, good length and straight, the batsman defends

48.1

Malinga to Starc, no run, that's full, wide outside off stump, Starc tries to reach for it but can't make contact

48.2

Malinga to Starc, FOUR, that's streaky, and Australia go past 200 thanks to Starc. He tried to dig out a blockhole delivery outside off stump and got an inside edge that sent the ball racing to the fine leg boundary

48.3

Malinga to Starc, 1 run, driven from the crease towards long off

WeFoundHim!: "I think we just found Australia's all-rounder : Starcy! Looking at his performance this ODI and last in batting, as well as 2nd Innings in the Perth test - he looks more and more the role. Plus, he's part of the 'youth' generation for the team. And hope he keeps Maxwell out!"

48.4

Malinga to Doherty, 4 leg byes, another boundary, off the pad this time. Doherty moved across his crease to a full ball and missed the glance. Malinga thought he had a chance for lbw but that was missing leg stump

48.5

Malinga to Doherty, no run, defends a straight ball quite calmly

48.6

Malinga to Doherty, no run, a short ball, and Doherty lets it go, Starc will have first strike for the final over

Can Starc get to his 50?

49.1

NLTC Perera to Starc, 1 run, short ball, Starc pulls with power along the ground to the fielder at deep midwicket, they decide against the second

49.2

NLTC Perera to Doherty, FOUR, another edge to the boundary! Doherty charges and slogs, nicking a short of a length ball to third man for four

49.3

NLTC Perera to Doherty, 1 run, a full ball outside off, Doherty squeezes it through point for a single

49.4

NLTC Perera to Starc, FOUR, short ball, on leg stump, Starc gets down on one knee and pulls the ball to the backward square leg boundary, he moves on to 46, playing a blinder, the SCG love it

49.5

NLTC Perera to Starc, FOUR, there's his 50! Starc raises his bat to a massive ovation from the funnily dressed and the normally clothed at the SCG. He got there with another pull while down on one knee, that ball screamed to the midwicket boundary

49.6

NLTC Perera to Starc, 2 runs, a low full toss and Starc hits it to deep midwicket for two more, he's unbeaten on 52, having led Australia to 222, which is far more than seemed possible when Wade fell

6.10 pm This is a very decent score on this SCG pitch. There's been something in it for the quicks all through and Sri Lanka will have to bat sensibly to chase this down and win the series. No doubt Starc will come out firing with the ball after his brilliance with the bat. I'll be back in 30 minutes for the chase. See you then.