We are about to begin. The pitch has been under covers for the last three-four days because of the rain, so it is a bit of an unknown factor. Jayawardene, however, had no hesitation batting first. We are back in the subcontinent, but Jayawardene continues opening with Tillakaratne Dilshan. I like this actually. It tells Upul Tharanga being a good opener just in the subcontinent is not good enough

2.20pm Pakistan and Sri Lanka have faced each other a bit too much since the start of the last year, but they have historically produced some frenzied cricket too. The fastest ODI century and fifty have come in Pakistan-Sri Lanka matches. As have some of the crazy turnarounds. I remember two of them: one in the game that Jayasuriya scored the fastest fifty when captain Aamer Sohail set in Test-match fields despite Jayasuriya's innings, and benefitted. Then there was the game that Razzaq reverse-swung the daylights out of a Sri Lankan chase in Sharjah. The Sri Lankan fans may take issue, but generally good memories

2pm Sri Lanka have won the toss and are batting first. Mahela Jayawardene is back as captain, as is Misbah-ul-Haq for Pakistan. Lasith Malinga is back for Sri Lanka. Rangana Herath is their spinner. Umar Gul comes back to the otherwise retained attack from the Twenty20s. Younis, Misbah, Azhar Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed are back too

1.45pm Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the first of the five ODIs between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The first thing you notice about this contest of late is that Sri Lanka have won only two of their last 10 ODIs against Pakistan. Four of those 10 matches were at home. We'll find out soon if Sri Lanka can wriggle out of this hold Pakistan seem to have on them. More statistical aspects here, and the match preview is here. The toss is in 15 minutes

0.1

Umar Gul to Jayawardene, no run, short of a length, holds its line, around off, MJ defends off the back foot. Slightly squared up

0.2

Umar Gul to Jayawardene, no run, holds its line outside off again. Defended to cover

Two slips in place. A pretty regulation ODI field

0.3

Umar Gul to Jayawardene, no run, persists with that line, just outside off, just short of a length, defended towards cover again

0.4

Umar Gul to Jayawardene, no run, pretty tight again, Jayawardene looks to tip and run, but there is no single available here

0.5

Umar Gul to Jayawardene, 1 run, Sri Lanka off the mark now. This time Jayawardene tries another tip and run, and Dilshan is alert to it. The ball has hardly reached the pitch next to it, and they steal what is eventually an easy single

0.6

Umar Gul to Dilshan, no run, this one moves in, and moves in appreciably. Just short of a length, so the bounce is clearly carrying it over. Would have made for a good shout otherwise

Sohail Tanvir takes the other new ball

1.1

Sohail Tanvir to Jayawardene, 1 run, slight seam away for him, but he opens the face on it, and takes a single to third man

1.2

Sohail Tanvir to Dilshan, 1 run, Dilshan throws the bat at it right away, and gets a thick edge to the ball seaming away. Gets a single to gully

Tony Greig thinks Tanvir should have a gully. Because of that seam movement away

And we now have a gully, exactly 15 seconds after a catch flew through there

1.3

Sohail Tanvir to Jayawardene, no run, length ball, on off, defended off the front foot

1.4

Sohail Tanvir to Jayawardene, no run, short of a length, just outside off, left alone

"The named sides look a lot more like cricket sides to me; the T20s built that case for reserving that format for domestic level because the players were not of a high standard at all. I think Pakistan have the edge, they have a very healthy looking bowling attack." PDTM, I could add more to it, but if you look at the crowds for T20s, people don't quite seem to agree that it's the poorest of the three formats of cricket

1.5

Sohail Tanvir to Jayawardene, no run, nicely bowled. Short of a length, on off, seaming away a bit, Jayawardene pushes at it, and is beaten

1.6

Sohail Tanvir to Jayawardene, no run, this one goes away with the angle, and Jayawardene lets it be outside off

2.1

Umar Gul to Dilshan, no run, Dropped by Hafeez. Dilshan has been pretty loose so far. Throws his bat at a length ball. A fairly reasonable overhead chance for Hafeez, but he doesn't time the jump well, and the ball pops out. The rebound doesn't fall too far behind him, but he can't quite get there

2.2

Umar Gul to Dilshan, no run, a little bit more watchful this time, defended a lenght ball outside off

2.3

Umar Gul to Dilshan, 1 run, Dilshan seems to have some appointment to keep. He is just swinging from the hip. Short of a length, middle and leg, and he is whipping it. Off the back of the bat it goes, and clears cover-point. T20s are over, Dilshan

2.4

Umar Gul to Jayawardene, no run, short of a length, outside off, defended to cover

2.5

Umar Gul to Jayawardene, no run, sharp movement in for Gul, Jaywardene is beaten and hit on the pad, but the appeal is muted because it is headed well down leg

2.6

Umar Gul to Jayawardene, no run, short and wide, he looks to cut, but is beaten by the extra bounce

"You are wrong about Tharanga. He has scored heavily outside SL too. 2006 tour of England he hit an outstanding century at Lord's in the first match of Sri Lanka's 5-0 whitewash." Emsworth, if you have followed cricket since the glory days of 2006, you would know that Tharanga was a walking wicket in Australia, and had to be pushed down the order

3.1

Sohail Tanvir to Dilshan, no run, short of a length, outside off, seaming away, left alone

3.2

Sohail Tanvir to Dilshan, 2 runs, short of a length, covers the line well, and push-drives this wide of mid-off. Dilshan's best shot so far. Sami's misfield allows the second

3.3

Sohail Tanvir to Dilshan, 1 run, length ball, middle and off, defended off the front foot, and they steal a single as this is played softly towards mid-off

3.4

Sohail Tanvir to Jayawardene, 1 wide, wide length ball, and Jayawardene has got a bit of Dilshan germ, and flays at it. Whoa. Umpire Martinesz has called this a wide. Not that it is the absolute marker, but this went well within that white line that acts as guide for wides. No way this should have been wided

3.4

Sohail Tanvir to Jayawardene, no run, solid this time as he defends a length ball outside off

3.5

Sohail Tanvir to Jayawardene, no run, superb delivery. Short of a length, pitches leg, and he has to play at it. The seam movement squares him up, and beats the bat. MJ did well not to push outside the line of his body

3.6

Sohail Tanvir to Jayawardene, no run, another similar delivery, perhaps a touch wider, and left alone

4.1

Umar Gul to Dilshan, OUT, Dilshan can keep his appointment. This is the fifth or sixth attempt he has tried to get out. This time he succeeds, though. Short of a length, on the stumps, Dilshan stays in the crease, and wants to send it to Kandy. Nowhere near the pitch of it, and expectedly skies it up for Ajmal at mid-on. As I said, Twenty20s are over

TM Dilshan c Saeed Ajmal b Umar Gul 5 (18m 9b 0x4 0x6) SR: 55.55

Kumar Sangakkara is the new batsman in

4.2

Umar Gul to Sangakkara, no run, short of a length, on the stumps, watchfully played back to him

4.3

Umar Gul to Sangakkara, no run, accurate again, short of a length, pitches leg, angles towards off, defended back to him

4.4

Umar Gul to Sangakkara, no run, length ball outside off, Sanga lets it be

4.5

Umar Gul to Sangakkara, no run, short of a length, middle and leg, pushed to midwicket

"T20 has been devised as a crowd pleaser (big hits, short time frame), cricketainment, if you like. But in doing that it takes the contest between bat and ball out of the equation: the bowlers just become cannon fodder." James, this can't be said enough number of times because T20 is taking over, and it's fair game for everyone to suggest that ODIs should make way for T20

4.6

Umar Gul to Sangakkara, no run, big appeal for lbw, and this is hitting the stumps, but it's clearly pitched outside leg. Usually an easy decision to make for the umpire if the ball has not swung

5.1

Sohail Tanvir to Jayawardene, no run, left alone outside off

5.2

Sohail Tanvir to Jayawardene, 1 no ball, that's a brute. Tanvir is in the middle of a lovely spell. This has seamed away like a big offcutter. Short of a length, pitched leg, making him play again, and this time it takes a slight edge. Hang on, though, They are checking it for a no-ball. Tanvir has clearly ended up way over the line, and Jayawardene has been called back, but boy that was much closer than the umpires made it seem. The foot slid after landing. I am not so sure even a little part of Tanvir's foot wasn't behind the line when it landed. Anyway, the calls has been made, and made upon looking at one replay

Free hit now

5.2

Sohail Tanvir to Jayawardene, 1 run, Jayawardene pulls a delivery not short enough, top-edges it, is caught, but this is a free hit

5.3

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, no run, left alone outside off

5.4

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, 1 wide, wide down the leg side

5.4

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, 1 wide, another wide down leg. He is finding it difficult to control the seam for the left-hand batsman

5.4

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, no run, this is better. This starts outside off, and seams in towards top of off. Sanga is watchful, respectful of the format and the quality of the bowling

5.5

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, no run, another seaming delivery headed towards off. Sanga right behind it, defending it well

5.6

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, no run, short of a length, outside off, moving in, Sanga defends off the front foot

A long, eventful over comes to an end. That no-ball call could have done with a few more replays

6.1

Umar Gul to Jayawardene, OUT, No need for replays here. Jayawardene is gone lbw. Gul has been bowling this one-off inducker every over. This one starts around the sixth-stump line, beats Jayawardene's inside edge, and hits him in front of middle and leg. No forward stride, so hardly any way for the ball to travel. Would have hit leg stump

DPMD Jayawardene lbw b Umar Gul 3 (31m 20b 0x4 0x6) SR: 15.00

Dinesh Chandimal comes out now

6.2

Umar Gul to Chandimal, no run, Gul gets this to move the other way. Short of a length, on off, and moving away slightly. Defended off the back foot

Slight rain around

6.3

Umar Gul to Chandimal, 5 wides, big seam movement in towards him, and this is a wide down leg, and Sarfraz can't reach it even. Gul apologises to his team-mates

6.3

Umar Gul to Chandimal, no run, left alone outside off as the ball holds its line

6.4

Umar Gul to Chandimal, no run, length ball outside off, angling in, pushed to cover

"Never mind ODI's losing out to T20. The SA boxing day test has been replaced by a T20. Outrageous!" James, despite all that Tests still get some lip service. An alarming consensus seems to have been reached re ODIs. One I don't agree with

6.5

Umar Gul to Chandimal, no run, short of a length, outside off, Chandimal looks to work this to leg, is beaten by extra bounce, and is hit on the thigh pad

6.6

Umar Gul to Chandimal, no run, slightly fuller, just outside off, defended back... a wicket-maiden but for that wide

7.1

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, no run, full, well outside off, left alone

7.2

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, 1 wide, tries to swing this one away, but he starts well wide outside off, and concedes a wide ball

7.2

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, no run, short of a length, middle and off, defended to midwicket

7.3

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, no run, short of a length, has the room, but Sanga doesn't go after it. The kind of approach the situation demands

And oh by the way, the rain has passed us, and the sun is out

7.4

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, no run, another leave outside off

7.5

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, no run, length ball, outside off, driven straight to cover

7.6

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, no run, short of a length, outside off, covers the line, opens the face, defends

"People look at me funny when I say ODI's are my favourite format to go watch. Tests are too unpredictable as to whether there will be play or whether you'll get to see your side bat and bowl, and one time I went to a T20 a delay at the gate meant I missed the first 5 overs. Which usually isn't a big deal but when there is only 40. IM DRUNK!" But Gav, that was lucidly put

8.1

Umar Gul to Chandimal, no run, length ball outside off, holding its line, left alone

8.2

Umar Gul to Chandimal, 5 wides, oh five more wides. Tries the big inswinger, but starts too straight, and the keeper has no chance here. Of the 23 so far, 14 have come through wides

8.2

Umar Gul to Chandimal, no run, Chandimal pushes at a widish delivery, and is beaten by the slight movement in

"On the Switch Hit podcast, Gnasher made a good argument for no T20 Internationals and reserving them for domestic teams. I am right behind the idea, it will help to preserve ODIs." PDTM, I agree in principle, but we don't play that many T20 internationals. It's the domestic T20 leagues that are going out of control, and will consume ODIs first. And who knows? Tests after that?

8.3

Umar Gul to Chandimal, no run, gets the inswinger right, and appeals for lbw but this has hit him outside the line of off

8.4

Umar Gul to Chandimal, OUT, Timber. Nothing shot really. Short of a length, no room, and he wants to punch it. The seam movement back into him, and the extra bounce do for him. Dragged on

LD Chandimal b Umar Gul 0 (12m 9b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

Gul has taken three, all three. Tharanga is in

8.5

Umar Gul to Tharanga, no run, and he is gone first ball. Wait he is not. Oh he is not given. Thick inside edge onto the thigh pad, and caught by Sarfraz, but not given. Short of a length, on off, moving back in, takes a solid edge, but Umpire Reifell makes a mistake

8.6

Umar Gul to Tharanga, no run, this one moves the other way. Similar length, pitched outside leg, and seams away like a fast offcutter. Tharanga is squared up, and is hit on the pad in front of off

9.1

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, no run, another beauty from Tanvir. Short of a length, and moves against the angle after pitching. Sanga is covering the angle, and is beaten

9.2

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, no run, length ball outside off, defended off the front foot

"Sid, let's be clear, my view is there is room for all 3 formats (and, whatever the ECB says, they're different). An ideal standard international series is 3 tests, 3 ODI's and 3 T20's (there may be exceptions, such as 5 test Ashes series). And you must PROMOTE EACH EQUALLY. No good putting up rashes of T20 ads, and nothing for ODI's or Tests. Ideally T20 is like a cricket "L" Plate, leading you on to the real thing." James, I have long held the view that on bilateral tours, you shouldn't be allowed more ODIs or T20s than you do Tests. You, you may say I'm a dreamer

9.3

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, no run, pressure, pressure. Sanga has faced 17, and is yet to get off the mark. Tanvir bowls the sucker delivery well outside off, and he goes for the big drive. The first loose shot from him. Beaten

9.4

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, no run, short of a length, angling in, defended solidly

9.5

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, 1 run, Sanga is off the mark. Short of a length, pitched outside off, moving away, helped away to third man - 1 off 20, is Sanga

Round the wicket to left-hand batsman

9.6

Sohail Tanvir to Tharanga, no run, wide of the crease, length ball outside off, angling away, defended to cover

After a long time, an over without any extras

No boundary in the first 10 overs. I'm lovin' it

10.1

Umar Gul to Sangakkara, no run, short of a length, on off, shoulders arms to it

10.2

Umar Gul to Sangakkara, no run, fuller, middle and leg, angling towards off, defended from the crease

10.3

Umar Gul to Sangakkara, 1 run, short of a length, on off, opens the face, steals a single to the right of cover-point

"Moving away from the topic, its been ages since Pakistan attack looks brilliantly strong in pace AND attack, BOTH! Lovely to see 3 seamers playing together" On the contrary, Ahsan, I can hardly remember an ordinary Pakistan attack. They have always had at least decent bowlers

10.4

Umar Gul to Tharanga, no run, length ball, on leg, pushed towards midwicket

10.5

Umar Gul to Tharanga, no run, left alone outside off

10.6

Umar Gul to Tharanga, no run, short of a length, on off, seaming away slightly, and Tharanga is beaten as he pushes

"You mean they laid the boundary rope only after 10 overs???" Bill, they haven't yet laid it. Eleventh over gone too

11.1

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, 3 runs, wide length ball, Sanga follows it, drives it with an open face, between cover-point and point, gets three runs

11.2

Sohail Tanvir to Tharanga, 3 runs, beautiful drive. Tharanga languidly pushes at this length ball, placing it between mid-off and extra cover

11.3

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, no run, this one seams in from well outside off. Sanga leaves it despite the movement. It seems risky but Sanga has covered the stumps well

11.4

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, no run, short of a length, outside off, pushed to cover

11.5

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, FOUR, First boundary of the innings. Loose ball. Short ad wide. Sangakkara moves across slightly, and cuts it past point

11.6

Sohail Tanvir to Sangakkara, no run, short of a length, outside off, left alone

"Pakistan has generally always had world class fast bowlers and spinners, but the cupboard regarding fast bowling has been a bit bare recently. Which is why Tanvir and especially Sami's performance would be critical for more difficult tours to South Africa. If Sami does well in Sri Lanka in the test series then he must play against the Proteas. Imran Khan rated him as one of the most naturally talented fast bowlers and actually compared him to Malcolm Marshall. He has till date, not done much at all to deserve that compliment but this could be his last chance." Yes, Reza, Sami is as dangerous as anybody when on song, but he is not on song that often, is he? Speaking of the devil, here he is. I enjoyed his fast and straight bowling in the T20

12.1

Mohammad Sami to Tharanga, 1 leg bye, starts waywardly, on the pads, and worked away for a single

"I may get arrested after this statement but I must say, 'there is still place for Kamran Akmal in this T20 & ODI Pakistan side. Adnan for tests'". I'll see you in the prison, Aoun

12.2

Mohammad Sami to Sangakkara, no run, length ball, on off, defended back to him

12.3

Mohammad Sami to Sangakkara, 4 leg byes, on the pads again, Sanga misses, but gets four leg-byes. Hey bad sami, where is the good Sami?

12.4

Mohammad Sami to Sangakkara, OUT, here's the good Sami. Full outswinger, 137ks, near yorker, and hits his toe in front of leg. Umpire Reifell gives him. Sanga is not happy at all. He reckons this is headed down leg. A touch-and-go decision: not big stride down the wicket, hit full in front of leg, anybody's guess after that

KC Sangakkara lbw b Mohammad Sami 9 (46m 31b 1x4 0x6) SR: 29.03

Time for a drink

"Hawkeye's guess?" Gav, don't think we have Hawkeye for this series. Here is Angelo Mathews. Two slips in place

12.5

Mohammad Sami to Mathews, no run, length ball outside off, defended to cover-point

12.6

Mohammad Sami to Mathews, no run, short of a length, outside off, pushed to off

A wicket-maiden for Sami. He bowled two deliveries down leg, but they both went for leg-byes

Hafeez introduced now. One slip in place

13.1

Mohammad Hafeez to Tharanga, no run, length ball outside off, no turn, defended back to him

13.2

Mohammad Hafeez to Tharanga, no run, no turn again, defended back to him

13.3

Mohammad Hafeez to Tharanga, no run, this one holds its line, on off, and Tharanga is looking to play to leg, and gets a leading edge that lands safe

13.4

Mohammad Hafeez to Tharanga, no run, length ball, middle and leg, defended to leg

13.5

Mohammad Hafeez to Tharanga, no run, on a length outside off, no turn, defended to cover

13.6

Mohammad Hafeez to Tharanga, no run, flighted nicely, looking to drive, but checks the shot, and pushes it back to him

Second straight maiden

"As Fred Boycott would have it, time for the SL batsmen to digin. He'd be happy with the (low) scoring rate but for the wides, though." James, Fred Boycott, am I missing something?

14.1

Mohammad Sami to Mathews, no run, full delivery, just outside off, pushed to cover

14.2

Mohammad Sami to Mathews, no run, nice outswinger, starts well outside off, left alone

"I'm a big fan of Sri Lankan cricket and have been to the country twice. But I've never heard of their current top scorer before - who is this man "extras"?" Phil, in Australia he is respected more, and is a proper noun: X Tras

14.3

Mohammad Sami to Mathews, 1 wide, wide well down leg

14.3

Mohammad Sami to Mathews, OUT, Sami is on fire here. Good outswinger. Full delivery, on off, holds its line, Mathews plays a loose drive from the back foot, edges it low and flat, and Misbah collects it clean as a whistle at first slip

AD Mathews c Misbah-ul-Haq b Mohammad Sami 0 (9m 5b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

Lahiru Thirimannein at 7. Perera to follow. That's a long batting line-up

14.4

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, no run, full, on off, defended back to him

14.5

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, 1 wide, another wide as he angles it a bit too far across

"2 left handers: Hafeez must be grinning!" Hunnbel Meer, more so because his drop of Dilshan early on didn't cost Pakistan much

14.5

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, 3 runs, full outside off, nicely driven through extra cover. All along the ground

14.6

Mohammad Sami to Tharanga, no run, full outside off, looks to drive, doesn't connect well

Bowling PP taken

15.1

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, 2 runs, flighted outside off, Thirimanne drives it wide of long-off. First runs off

15.2

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, no run, flatter delivery, defended off the back foot

15.3

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, no run, topspinner, hurrying him up into a defensive shot

15.4

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, no run, full and straight, defended towards midwicket

15.5

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, 1 run, angling into the pads, worked away for a single

15.6

Mohammad Hafeez to Tharanga, no run, length ball, middle and leg, defended

16.1

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, no run, length ball outside off, loose drive, the ball swings in a bit, and beats the inside edge

16.2

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, no run, short of a length, just outside off, watches it through to Sarfraz

16.3

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, no run, length ball outside off, doesn't play at it

16.4

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, no run, length ball outside off, holds its line a little, left alone

16.5

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, no run, short of a length, middle and off, no room, defended back to him. Sami's pace reached the 140s

16.6

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, no run, short of a length, into the ribs, 140.3ks, defended to leg. Another maiden from Sami

"Any idiot who thinks that T20 and ODI's are the same game (yes, that means you, ECB) should take a look at this match." James's email has been hacked by KP

17.1

Mohammad Hafeez to Tharanga, no run, length ball outside off, pushes it to cover-point

A short leg comes in too

17.2

Mohammad Hafeez to Tharanga, no run, defended off the front foot

Hafeez has been accurate but hasn't go much turn

17.3

Mohammad Hafeez to Tharanga, 2 runs, slower through the air, Tharanga pushes hard, gets a thick edge past slip

17.4

Mohammad Hafeez to Tharanga, no run, flighted higher, really full, pushed to mid-on

4.33pm "My problem with T20 cricket is a simple one, you don't get to see those long battles between batsmen and bowlers (Remember Kallis/Flintoff?). Bowler trying to out think the batsman, batsman calling the bowler's bluff, you only see that in Test Cricket, and less frequently in ODIs. What is this love for T20, since when have cricket lovers started craving fast-paced entertainment?" Shahrukh, I trust you are not the Shahrukh that cartwheeled at Chepauk and danced with a chief minister after his side won a T20 tournament.

Meanwhile the players are back on field. Expect a resumption very soon

4.20pm Covers came off about 10 minutes ago. We'll keep you updated

4.05pm Meanwhile the sun is out again. No respite for Sri Lanka. We should be back on soon. "I know T20 is a disgrace but its the only format that someday will be allowed in Olympic (of cash i mean)" Gainda Guru, it has already won many golds, but you can't be so sure of its longevity. It is a very limited format, the poorest of the three, and while it is hugely popular right now, you never know when people will lose interest

4.02pm Another shower, and this one is hard lashing rain, and we are going off the park. Covers come on, most of the spectators look for cover, but a few of them dance in the rain.

"The ECB doesn't think that ODIs and T20s are the same, it just wants to protect players from solely being a money grabbing cricketer in T20s, so if you want to play them, you have to play a more valued (in their eyes) format too." Ben has a point, James. Although I don't like the "in their eyes" in brackets. I believe ODIs are a better format, but then again it is not more valued in pure monetary terms.

Hafeez ready to resume

17.5

Mohammad Hafeez to Tharanga, no run, defended off the front foot

"People have these ideas of cricket at the Olympics, but it isn't even at the Commonwealth Games when it is a Commonwealth sport! Tiny steps people..." PDTM, all those dreaming of Olympics must be kidding themselves. Olympics won't be scheduled around the IPL should they be clashing

17.6

Mohammad Hafeez to Tharanga, no run, pushed through, into the pads, defended to leg

18.1

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, 1 run, short of a length, middle and off, soft hands, steals a single to mid-off

Sami, you beauty. This has slipped out of his hand, and has lobbed onto the adjacent pitch. Called dead ball. wonder if this should have been a wide or if Tharanga should have been allowed to hit it for a six ala Allan Border. Not sure this is the right decision from the umpire

18.2

Mohammad Sami to Tharanga, no run, short of a length, no room, defended to cover-point

18.3

Mohammad Sami to Tharanga, FOUR, cut away, in the air, but well wide of point. This time Sami provides him with the room, and Tharanga cashes in

18.4

Mohammad Sami to Tharanga, 1 run, beautiful square drive from Tharanga, what a lovely sound as it meets the bat, but he has found sweeper-cover

The first batsman to reach double figures

18.5

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, no run, short of a length, no room, pushed to cover-point

18.6

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, no run, another defensive off the back foot

19.1

Mohammad Hafeez to Tharanga, no run

19.2

Mohammad Hafeez to Tharanga, OUT, Tharanga has missed this by a country mile. Charges at Hafeez, who bowls full and straight. Tharanga swings around the off-stump line, and this takes out the middle stump

WU Tharanga b Mohammad Hafeez 10 (51m 27b 1x4 0x6) SR: 37.03

"Hello Sid - long time! T20's longevity has to be to do with who they're attracting surely. if it's people already interested in cricket then it'll be short lived. I still very much enjoy watching the IPL (and LOVED the opprotunity to watch the Zim T20 comp) and am even waiting for the next CLT20 with some excitement. But, after just two seasons of playing T20 cricket I'm bored of playing it ... and as far as the WCT20s - I'll watch that with a certain degree of boredom I know that for sure. If it's bringing new custom though, it may survive" Luke, long time because there has been no Zimbabwe cricket of late, I suppose. Meanwhile here is Thisara Perera. A slip and a short leg in

19.3

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, no run, length ball outside off, holds its line, defended behind square

19.4

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, no run, fuller, closer to the stumps, pushed back

19.5

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, no run, full and straight again, defended to short leg

19.6

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, 1 leg bye, flatter, fired into the pads, leg-bye conceded

Another wicket-maiden

20.1

Mohammad Sami to Perera, no run, dropped? Not quite. This one moves in from around off, hits the thigh pad, and is not collected cleanly by Sarfraz. This one was close to the inside edge, but didn't hit it

20.2

Mohammad Sami to Perera, no run, short of a length, pushed to off

20.3

Mohammad Sami to Perera, 1 run, thick edge. Short of a length, on leg, seams away, Perera is squared up, but the edge flies through the vacant gully region

Another ball that has slipped out of Sami's hand and has lobbed onto the adjacent pitch. Called dead ball. I remember Sammy was wided in a recent Test for a similar offence

20.4

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, no run, short of a length, no room, defended back to him

20.5

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, 2 runs, short of a length, on the pads, nicely clipped away for a couple

20.6

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, no run, bouncer from Sami, and he ducks under it. Sarfraz collects it overhead

21.1

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, 1 run, flighted outside off, driven to long-off for one

21.2

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, 1 run, another full delivery, another easy single to long-off

21.3

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, 2 runs, full, on the pads, placed between long-on and deep midwicket

21.4

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, no run, no turn, and this beats the inside edge. The lbw appeal is aborted because this is headed down leg

21.5

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, no run, length ball on off, just holding its line, defended

21.6

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, no run, flighted offbreak outside off, defended behind square

Gul comes back

22.1

Umar Gul to Thirimanne, no run, short of a length, stump to stump, defended to leg

22.2

Umar Gul to Thirimanne, no run, still some seam movement, short of a length, on off, moving away, beating the edge

Gul: 6.2-1-13-3 - 10 of those runs are wides

22.3

Umar Gul to Thirimanne, no run, length ball on off, defended off the back foot

22.4

Umar Gul to Thirimanne, 1 wide, another wide, down the leg side

Round the stumps

22.4

Umar Gul to Thirimanne, no run, Hafeez misses a run-out. Pushed to short midwicket, Perera wants a single, is sent back, and Hafeez's attempt at a direct hit misses

22.5

Umar Gul to Thirimanne, no run, short of a length, angling in, defended off the back foot

22.6

Umar Gul to Thirimanne, no run, short of a length, pitches, begins to come in on the angle, and then leaves him mid-air. Does well to not edge it

"What is it about Hafeez's bowling? Guys like that in club cricket get smacked. Just get to the pitch and play through the line. I love the Prof, but it infuriates me that he DOESN'T get smashed sometimes." PDTM, it could be his changes of pace and flight. They are not as conspicuous as Ajmal's variations of turn

23.1

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, no run, flat, on off, defended

23.2

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, no run, arm ball, sliding in, half a shout, but it has hit him outside the line

23.3

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, 2 runs, loose drive as this is slower and flighted outside off, this gets him a couple to wide of deep point

23.4

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, no run, length ball on off, holding its line, played with an open face

23.5

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, no run, another arm ball, this one pitches within the stumps, takes the inside edge onto the pads, and flies through the vacant silly point region

A short midwicket comes in, and short leg moves to silly point. So both bases sort of covered

23.6

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, 1 run, full outside off, driven to long-off for one

5.40pm Stumps are being erected again. Let's see if there will be a reduction as a result of this break. We have lost more than an hour in all, I would assume

5.35pm Covers coming off again. Meanwhile, we all know extras are top-scorers in this innings so far, but you'll be surprised at how often it has happened in ODI cricket

5.30pm The rain is back, as are the covers

5.20pm Hoping for a resumption in 10 minutes or so. "i lived through an earthquake last week. thoughts?" Smudgeon, did you have Inzamam and Arjuna running sharp singles in your backyard?

5.15pm Rain does seem to have relented. Half the covers are off, but threatening clouds remain. And Ramiz Raja has tuned in to Kishore Kumar's songs. Currently, he says, he is listening to this. And now he is talking of the time Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan visited his house. Rambo is a great storyteller. Wiki link for non-Pakistanis and non-Indians

5.00pm More rain, more covers, another stoppage. We didn't lose any overs with the last one, but if this is a longish break, we might have a reduction. Sri Lanka have faced 24 overs, so if this is a very long break, we can have a scenario where they don't bat again, and still have a game

5.45pm Welcome back. ready to resume. Stands are near empty. And finally we have Saeed Ajmal with the ball in his hand. No reduction in overs. That's strange

24.1

Saeed Ajmal to Perera, FOUR, flat, quick offbreak, he looks to turn this to leg, but gets a thick leading edge past short third man, and Akmal slides near the fence, but deflects it into his own sliding body, which pushes it back past the rope

24.2

Saeed Ajmal to Perera, no run, slower through the air, Perera pushes defensively, and is beaten

24.3

Saeed Ajmal to Perera, no run, another slow, full delivery, defended to cover

24.4

Saeed Ajmal to Perera, 1 run, full, on the pads, pushed wide of mid-on for a sharp singles

24.5

Saeed Ajmal to Thirimanne, 1 run, short of a length, into the pads, worked away

"Just came to know via twitter that Mohammad Sami is the only bowler to have taken a hatrick in the 3 formats of the game... And that too without any fielding assistance! Quite an achievement for a bowler who averages 50+!!" Eliya Abbas, he is better than that average

24.6

Saeed Ajmal to Perera, no run, full, on the pads, driven straight to mid-on

Hafeez to continue

25.1

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, no run, flighted around off, slight turn away, pushed to cover

25.2

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, no run, slower still, middle and off, holding its line, defended back to him

25.3

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, 1 run, flatter, shorter, quicker, punched from just outside off, gets a single

25.4

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, no run, length ball, on off, slight turn away, defended back to him

25.5

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, no run, appeal for lbw as this one doesn't turn at all, but this has pitched on off, and is going down with the angle

25.6

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, no run, quicker, lower trajectory, and hits him on the pad, and is headed down again

26.1

Saeed Ajmal to Thirimanne, 1 run, offbreak, just outside off, 78ks, pushed with an open face

One slip for Perera

26.2

Saeed Ajmal to Perera, no run, lower trajectory, defended behind square

26.3

Saeed Ajmal to Perera, no run, defended to cover, off the front foot as the ball turns away slightly from just outside off

26.4

Saeed Ajmal to Perera, 2 runs, arm ball, worked away with off the pads, with the angle, gets a couple

26.5

Saeed Ajmal to Perera, 1 run, tossed up outside off, driven to long-off for one

26.6

Saeed Ajmal to Thirimanne, no run, tossed up, close to off, wants to drive it, but checks the shot, and pushes it back to him

27.1

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, 2 runs, length ball, on the pads, whipped away wide of deep midwicket

27.2

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, no run, lovely comeback delivery, sharp turn away from just outside off, beats the defensive push

A slip and a silly point for Hafeez, and just a slip for Ajmal

27.3

Mohammad Hafeez to Perera, OUT, lovely follow-up delivery. After the big sharp offbreak, he follows with the straighter delivery. Pitched outside off, angling in, hits him in front of off, would have hit the stumps, and he has been given out. Except that he also got a big inside edge before the ball hit the pad. Perera lets out a cry, but has to walk off

NLTC Perera lbw b Mohammad Hafeez 17 (29m 33b 1x4 0x6) SR: 51.51

In comes Nuwan Kulasekara. A slip and a short leg in

27.4

Mohammad Hafeez to Kulasekara, no run, short of a length, flat, defended off the back foot

27.5

Mohammad Hafeez to Kulasekara, 1 run, flighted on off, driven to long-on for one

27.6

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, no run, nice offbreak, pitches middle and leg, turns away a little, defended back to him

Afridi replaces Ajmal

28.1

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, short, not too quick, patted back

28.2

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, back on target, full, straight, fast. Defended back

28.3

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, dangerous leave. Length ball, just outside off, Kula, expecting a legbreak, lets it be, but this doesn;t turn away. Just holds its line. Misses the stumps, though

28.4

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, turning in now, hits him on the pad in front of leg

28.5

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, full, outside off, defended to cover

28.6

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, fast legbreak, well outside off, but Kula pushes at it, and he is beaten

29.1

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, no run, dropped by Sarfraz. Thirimanne looks to cut a ball not short enough, and gets a thin edge, but it doesn;t stick in Sarf's gloves

29.2

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, no run, fuller, just outside off, defended

29.3

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, no run, flat delivery, wicket to wicket, defended to leg

29.4

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, no run, short of a length, just outside off, punched to cover-point

29.5

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, no run, stays back to defend this flat delivery just outside off

29.6

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, no run, flighted outside off, tempting him. Thirimanne goes for a slog-sweep, and misses completely

Back-to-back maidens for Pakistan

30.1

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, defended to point

30.2

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, flighted outside off, pushed to mid-off

30.3

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, Kula tries the forward-defensive, and this one turns slightly away to beat him

30.4

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, two appeals. Goes wide of the crease, turns this in, first appeals for the lbw, which might have been turned down because of the angle. And then he inquires about an inside edge as the ball is caught at slip. That is turned down too

30.5

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, defended to cover

30.6

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, pushed to point to finish a third straight maiden

31.1

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, 1 run, length ball outside off, and driven for the first run in 20 deliveries

31.2

Mohammad Hafeez to Kulasekara, 1 run, full, on off, pushed to long-on for another single

31.3

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, no run, slower through the air, higher too, and this one turns away after pitching on off. Beaten

31.4

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, 1 run, flat, into the pads, worked away for a single

31.5

Mohammad Hafeez to Kulasekara, 1 run, full, middle and leg, pushed to long-on for one

31.6

Mohammad Hafeez to Thirimanne, no run, arm ball, headed towards top of off, Thirimanne punches, but can't beat point

32.1

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, 1 run, pushing tentatively outside off, the bottom edge bounces over the stumps and wide of keeper for the first run off Afridi's bowling

"Looked to me like Sarfraz caught that, so he was out even with the inside edge." Daniel, I didn;t notice. If that is the case, though, the umpire is a genius - a hindsight genius

32.2

Shahid Afridi to Thirimanne, 1 run, full on off, worked to long-on for a single

32.3

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, 2 runs, too full outside off, driven past cover for a couple

32.4

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, full, sliding in, pushed back to him

32.5

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, slower in the air, sharp legbreak, beats his push

32.6

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, straighter one, on the stumps, pushed to short midwicket

Ajmal replaces Hafeez. One slip in place

33.1

Saeed Ajmal to Thirimanne, FOUR, flat, quick delivery, and Thirimanne cuts this behind square, past short third man, for a much-needed boundary

33.2

Saeed Ajmal to Thirimanne, no run, tossed up outside off, this one turns, and beats the edge

33.3

Saeed Ajmal to Thirimanne, no run, length ball on off, angling in, defended back to him

33.4

Saeed Ajmal to Thirimanne, no run, stays back to punch this length ball to cover-point

33.5

Saeed Ajmal to Thirimanne, no run, edged short of slip. Short of a length, offbreak, punches at it, well short of slip

33.6

Saeed Ajmal to Thirimanne, no run, slower through the air, punched away again, and this time Akmal makes an acrobatic save at cover-point

34.1

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, legbreak from wide of the crease, Kula looks to push, but then holds back

34.2

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, 1 run, slow again, half-volley, middle and leg, driven to long-on

34.3

Shahid Afridi to Thirimanne, 1 run, full again, driven down to long-off for another single

34.4

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, tossed up outside off, holds the line slightly, defended

34.5

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, no run, short and wide, punched straight to point

34.6

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, 5 wides, Afridi must have known Thirimanne is creeping up towards X Tras's top score of 24. That's why he has slid this down leg side when attempting a quicker one. Five more wides. X Tras 29*

34.6

Shahid Afridi to Kulasekara, 1 run, full and fast, driven to long-on for one

The mandatory batting PP taken. Not that Pakistan have spread the field so far in the piece. Round the wicket to Kula

35.1

Saeed Ajmal to Kulasekara, 1 run, offbreak on the pads, worked away for a single

35.2

Saeed Ajmal to Thirimanne, no run, length ball, on off, angling in, defended off the front foot

35.3

Saeed Ajmal to Thirimanne, 1 run, coming in with the angle, bunted into the on side for a single

35.4

Saeed Ajmal to Kulasekara, 1 run, stays on the pads, worked straight to square leg, and tries to steal the single, but Afridi's throw is wide

35.5

Saeed Ajmal to Thirimanne, 1 run, into the stumps, pushed only as wide as the adjacent pitch, but they steal another single

35.6

Saeed Ajmal to Kulasekara, 1 run, doosra, starts outside leg, worked against the turn for a single

Gul comes back now. One slip in place

36.1

Umar Gul to Kulasekara, no run, half a shout first ball as the ball seams back in and beats the inside edge. Too high and headed down leg

36.2

Umar Gul to Kulasekara, no run, more seam movement back into the batsman as Kula gets an inside edge into the thigh pad

36.3

Umar Gul to Kulasekara, no run, whoa. This one moves the other way. Digs this one in short. Kula plays for the inwards movement, but this one leaves him, and misses the edge

36.4

Umar Gul to Kulasekara, no run, Just short. Gul is digging them in, getting them to rear up towards the chest. Kula pushes at it. Off the shoulder of the bat it goes, but doesn't carry to the diving Akmal at point

36.5

Umar Gul to Kulasekara, no run, stays short of a length again. Kula can't move forward, and is reduced to fending at everything. Keeps this one down, though

36.6

Umar Gul to Kulasekara, no run, slightly fuller, Kula stays back and defends it back

7.43pm The game has been reduced to 42 overs a side. We are not too far from the start. Expected to resume at 7.51pm

7.38pm Covers are off. Umpires out for inspection

7.25pm The covers are coming off in Pallekelle

6.55pm Rain is back again

6.50pm Play to resume at 6.58pm, says Roshan Abeysinghe. "Jim Maxwell, ABC commentator, likes to call our man "Xavier Tras"." Craig, I was hoping Jim would be more creative and not name him the first name beginning with X.

"My grandpa, in the English style, used to call him Sunil Dries, or Sundries for short." Actually PDTM, if you just split the word into two, and add any object at the end of it, you have a legitimate sentence: Sun dries tomatoes

6.28pm The rain is back. The covers are back. This is a heavy shower

Another maiden - ninth of the innings

Welcome back. Ready to resume. Remember: 42 overs a side. Two bowlers will get a maximum of nine overs each, and the rest eight. The target will be reworked during the innings break. Tanvir is back

37.1

Sohail Tanvir to Thirimanne, 1 run, drives a full delivery for one to sweeper-cover

37.2

Sohail Tanvir to Kulasekara, no run, down the leg side, Sarfraz makes a diving save, the umpire reckons it came off the pad

Round the stumps he goes

37.3

Sohail Tanvir to Kulasekara, 1 run, wide of the crease, pushed to cover, wants a single, and gets it

"42 overs a side. Does that mean we get 5 overs then they go off again for 40 minutes?

Only cricket ...!" No James, not more than 15 minutes. I'd wager they'll give me just 10 minutes of rest

37.4

Sohail Tanvir to Thirimanne, no run, slower ball, on off, on a length, defended back

37.5

Sohail Tanvir to Thirimanne, no run, short, no room, Thirimanne tries the cut, but is beaten by the extra bounce

"42 overs...so pakistan bowlers have another 5 overs to make sure batsman "extras" is the highest scorer.!!!!" Yes Rajesh, but Thirimanne is catching up. Trails by five

37.6

Sohail Tanvir to Thirimanne, 1 leg bye, swings into the pads of Thirimanne, who is beaten but takes a leg-bye. Extras: 30, Thirimanne: 24

Gul to bowl his last over. Eight overs for 14 so far: four of them off the bat, and 10 through wides

38.1

Umar Gul to Thirimanne, FOUR, Thirimanne takes the risk, and plays a good shot. Makes room to a back-of-a-length delivery, and drives this past cover for four

38.2

Umar Gul to Thirimanne, 1 wide, tries the bouncer, but it is well down the leg side, and is called a wide. Extras: 31

38.2

Umar Gul to Thirimanne, 1 run, slower one on the pads, flicked away for a single to deep square

38.3

Umar Gul to Kulasekara, 2 runs, slower again, but on a length, and Kulasekara chips it over extra cover for a couple

38.4

Umar Gul to Kulasekara, 1 run, dropped. He seemed to have it under control, did Tanvir. This was short, Kula slashed at it, straight down Tanvir's throat at third man. Tanvir caught it with fingers pointing up, and seemed to have it under control, but the ball slipped out as he flipped the hands down

38.5

Umar Gul to Thirimanne, 1 run, slower ball, length, on leg, driven for one

38.6

Umar Gul to Kulasekara, no run, Kula makes room, Gul follows him with a short ball, and beats his swish

Ajmal comes back

39.1

Saeed Ajmal to Thirimanne, 1 run, Thirimanne is now level with the top scorer, X Tras, as he shimmies down and drives this shortish delivery to sweeper-cover

Round the stumps to Kula

39.2

Saeed Ajmal to Kulasekara, 1 run, short of a length, on the pads, worked into the leg side for one

39.3

Saeed Ajmal to Thirimanne, 1 run, tries the slog sweep. The ball is full and he is too close to it, so ends up hitting it along the ground to long-on

39.4

Saeed Ajmal to Kulasekara, no run, angled across him and Kula is beaten as he looks for a single into the off side

39.5

Saeed Ajmal to Kulasekara, 1 run, charges at him and sweeps this to deep square leg for a single

39.6

Saeed Ajmal to Thirimanne, no run, shimmies down the track, and then sets himself up for a slog sweep. Ajmal's delivery doesn't pitch close to him, and he gets an inside edge onto the pad

Tanvir to bowl his eighth over. It will be his last too. Round the wicket

40.1

Sohail Tanvir to Kulasekara, no run, slower-ball and a near yorker. Kula aborts the big drive, gets a bottom edge, and the ball then topspins towards the stumps, but misses

40.2

Sohail Tanvir to Kulasekara, 1 run, bouncer angling into him. No room. Also head high. The mis-hit doesn't carry to the fielder running in from long-on

Over the wicket for the left-hand batsman

40.3

Sohail Tanvir to Thirimanne, no run, yorker outside off, slight swing away too. Upright seam. Thirimanne makes no contact

40.4

Sohail Tanvir to Thirimanne, 2 runs, slower ball. Thirimanne misreads it, but has enough time to then try to slog-sweep. All he manages is a mis-hit towards long-off, where Sami's misfield allows him a second

40.5

Sohail Tanvir to Thirimanne, 2 runs, Last over Tanvir dropped one off Gul. Now Gul returns the favour. Bouncer from Tanvir, top-edged into the sky. Gul runs back from short fine, has enough time and more to settle under it, but doesn't even get a touch onto it. Turns out he has back-pedalled a little too far

40.6

Sohail Tanvir to Thirimanne, 1 run, slower ball, slog-swept to deep midwicket

Last over coming up. Sami to bowl it. Extras have a chance still

41.1

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, no run, sharp bouncer, just outside off, Thirimanne seems to be surprised and doesn't play a shot

41.2

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, no run, another short ball, much extra bounce as it beats Thirimanne's attempt to pull it. Pace and bounce again. Head high for the keeper

41.3

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, 1 run, short again, this time Thirimanne makes room and cuts, gets a single to deep point: 50 runs for the eighth wicket now

41.4

Mohammad Sami to Kulasekara, OUT, they finally catch one. Sami refuses to give them driving length. Stays back of a length, and Kula just swings at it, hoping for the best. Ends up skying it to Tanvir at third man, who catches it knee-high

KMDN Kulasekara c Sohail Tanvir b Mohammad Sami 18 (53m 46b 0x4 0x6) SR: 39.13

41.5

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, no run, stays short, outside off, beats an attempt at a big shot

41.6

Mohammad Sami to Thirimanne, FOUR, lovely shot. Thirimanne presses forward, takes this on the up, and crunches it through extra cover for four, and finishes as the top-scorer in the innings

8.14pm That's the end of this rain-interrupted innings. Sri Lanka have done okay to get 135, which will be readjusted by D/L. They were 56 for 6 at one stage, and it's Thirmanne and Kulasekara who have given them something to bowl at. Thirimanne scored 42, the top score ahead of 31 extras.

It began with poor approach from Dilshan, who was well and truly in T20 mode. Pakistan bowled superbly - as they usually do - and the pitch was spicy too. Still, knowing Pakistan, this is not done and dusted. And this is a pitch known for some tricks under the lights, although the sample size is small. We will be back in 10 minutes