BBC SPORT | Cricket | England | Live - Sri Lanka v England http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7138486.stm Home TV Radio Talk Where I Live A-Z Index Search UK version International version About the versions | Low graphics | Help Sport Homepage Colombo, 9-13 December 2007 Sri Lanka v England 2nd Test Cricket Test Match Special podcast | Blog 606 debate | Mobile scorecards England Latest scores Live text Scorecard Photos Results Fixtures Averages Second Test, Colombo (day four, stumps): LATEST FROM: Squad England 351 & 48-0; Sri Lanka 548-9d Test Match Special Blog Squad selector Classic Ashes England were facing a fight to save the second Test Mahela shines while Monty struggles --------------- after bad light stopped play on day four with Prior starting to relish Test cricket Daily E-mail England 48-0, but still 149 runs behind Sri Lanka. England must banish conspiracy Mobiles theories Fun and Games Michael Vaughan was 28 not out and Alastair Cook Question of Sport unbeaten on 19 when play was halted 35 minutes early. Updated: 11 Dec, 14:13 GMT CHOOSE A SPORT Sri Lanka declared just after tea on 548-9, captain ------ Mahela Jayawardene hitting 195 and namesake Prasanna SEE ALSO 79. Second Test day three as it RELATED BBC SITES Sri Lanka's ninth wicket pair of Prasanna Jayawardene happened NEWS 11 Dec 07 | England and Dilhara Fernando combined to put on 98. WEATHER Second Test day two as it happened Sport feeds | LATEST ACTION AS IT HAPPENS (ALL TIMES GMT) 10 Dec 07 | England Second Test day one as it happened By Oliver Brett 09 Dec 07 | England England in Sri Lanka 2007 e-mail [email protected] (with 'For Oliver Brett' in the 28 Sep 07 | Cricket subject), text 81111 (start your message with the word "CRICKET") or use 606 RELATED BBC LINKS: Please note not all contributions can be used Match scorecard BBC Asian Network Sport And that, ladies and 606: DEBATE BBC Sinhala Service gentlemen, is STUMPS. We Have your say on the Second Test Your say on 606 will attempt to re-arrange on 606 taxis and so on to crank up RELATED INTERNET LINKS: the commentary at 0330 GMT or soon afterwards Sri Lanka Cricket tomorrow. TMS on the air from 0355. England and Wales Cricket Board The BBC is not responsible for the 1110: It looks like it's all over, because it's raining, but content of external internet sites no official announcement, although Steve Harmison is already being interviewed by TV. A predictable torrent of e-mails about roundabouts - what a bizarre nation we are, and I do mean nation because none of those e-mails come from Stockholm, Kazakhstan or Toronto. The one in Swindon is apparently known as The Magic Roundabout, there's a "picturesque" one in Colchester - a roundabout picturesque! - and some frightening concoction "a five-way circulatory system (with four mini-roundabouts feeding it)" which forms the gateway 1 of 17 12/12/2007 11:20 BBC SPORT | Cricket | England | Live - Sri Lanka v England http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7138486.stm of Canvey Island. That's quite enough. 1100: Looks like an official close of play is imminent, with the news that play can start at 0400 GMT tomorrow, at a faintly ridiculous local time of 0830. BAD LIGHT STOPS PLAY 1055: Eng 48-0 The groundstaff are making some preparations. Jayawardene was going to do some gentle bowling of his own, but the umpires offer the light and the players come off. 1052: Eng 47-0 England are exactly 150 behind as Murali starts his second over, and bad light is suddenly a major threat. "Have you ever been on that roundabout in Hemel Hempstead?" asks Gus Fraser in conversation with Aggers. Angus makes it sound as frightening as facing Sylvester Clarke - but really it isn't. It's nothing compared to most roundabouts in London... Tulse Hill is a horror story for instance - OB 1048: Eng 45-0 Murali is finally into the attack, and completes a harmless enough first over. Cook hits a fine cover drive but an excellent stop in the covers stops a certain four. "I was rather unkind on my driver today, he went against the traffic on a roundabout - legitimately so - but it was terrifying" Aggers on TMS "1023, Nick in Stockholm... Wow, somebody else in Stockholm following the live text! I don't think there are too many of us around. Perhaps we should start a "Live Text Stockholm Appreciation Club". Are you interested Nick? Rachel in Stockholm (TMS inbox) I don't think it's weird at all - there were two e-mails from Kazakhstan before 0530 this morning! - OB 1040: Eng 43-0 So much for that experiment. The first ball is short, wide and cut for four. The second, a full toss, also goes for a boundary. Cheers, Jehan, says Cooky. 1037: Eng 35-0 Fantastic, it's time for spin. The only weird thing is that it's Jehan Mubarak rather than a certain other spinner I can think of. 1027: Eng 30-0 Fernando's first over contains about as much threat as an unfilled water-pistol. It can't be too long before Murali, surely. 2 of 17 12/12/2007 11:20 BBC SPORT | Cricket | England | Live - Sri Lanka v England http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7138486.stm "I was just in the car listening to local Sri Lankan radio and laughing at the commentator stumble over phrases like "ground England's hopes into the ground". I came back to my desk to get your update and find that they have read out your whole opening paragraphs on the radio. Talk about creative journalism... your written words are being aired on the radio! What power... John, "working" in Colombo (TMS inbox) 1023: Eng 28-0 Oh that's a wonderful off-drive from Vaughan off Vaas for four. That would look nice on the MCC coaching manual, or DVD, or podcast or however they promote their stuff these days... Now Vaughan puts Vaas away wide of mid-on for four more, meeting the ball at the top of its bounce. He's raced to 20 off 20 balls. "Re: Sonning Common; there used to be a fantastic pub there. Many beer-fuelled Sunday afternoons spent at the fireside with the landlord, an old Vulcan bomber pilot, bashing out show tunes on the piano. Changed hands now though. Come on England! One last push!" Nick in Stockholm (TMS inbox) I remember some enjoyable pints in the same place following match playing for Turville Park at Grey Greens on a minefield of a wicket (then the rain saved us) - OB 1012: Eng 17-0 Three overs completed now, and the run rate has been aided by some attacking fields. How long will it be before Murali is into the attack with his usual puppy-like enthusiasm? Jack Byrne from Stockport is not a popular man. Many of you are launching a staunch defence of Peter Moores, and I concur. His coaching has been a revelation already in one-day cricket. 1012: Eng 11-0 Not very much movement for Vaas and Malinga despite the humidity and cloud cover overhead. 1007: Eng 8-0 Quite a breeze fluttering the flags over the scoreboard and the light's getting a bit dodgy. Some talk of an early finish on the cards, as Vaughan leg-glances Malinga's first ball for four. He's got a silly mid-on in, by the way. Final e-mail about Rupert House (from Matt Nebbett in Basingstoke) - "I can confirm that Rupert House School is still in existence as anyone who has ever tried to drive past the damn place when all the Chelsea tractors are dropping off their little darlings will confirm" Driving through Henley on your way to Basingstoke isn't much fun. Personally, I would take the Nettlebed via Sonning Common route - OB 3 of 17 12/12/2007 11:20 BBC SPORT | Cricket | England | Live - Sri Lanka v England http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7138486.stm 1000: Eng 1-0 Vaas removed Cook in his first over in both innings in Kandy. Surely it can't happen again. In any case Cook gets off the mark with a quick single to Muralitharan at mid-off. Thank you for the two e-mails confirming Rupert House School in Henley is still alive and kicking. I had a very good female cricket coach there in the late 1970s, but sadly her name escapes me. It might come back... "Hmm... just clicked on that fantasy cricket teams link, to be greeted with "User salixcc has already more than 'max_user_connections' active connections". Looks like you have some serious power over us text-followers. If you can disable Salix's website with one fell swoop, imagine what might happen if you went into evil tyrant mode!" Eoin, in the TMS inbox On a slightly serious note, can I ask you to lay off the link for a bit, because their server might charge them loads of money for all the extra hits or something... WICKET & DECLARATION: Sri Lanka 548-9 Jayawardene's dreams of a Test century are destroyed - for now - as he edges a cut shot off Harmison behind. The skipper immediately ends the innings - in its 187th over no less. The lead is 197. "The English side is all set for another defeat by the talented Lankans. It seems they have planned their defeat in a very professional manner.