3.10pm BST
31st over: Sri Lanka 84-1 (Karunaratne 43, Sangakkara 17) Broad again and he's decided that full and wide of off is the way to go to Sangakkara. It was actually the short ball from Anderson that got him in the first innings, but such is his predilection for the off-drive that this makes perfect sense. Kumar is tempted by a slightly straighter one and drives it exquisitely to the man at mid-off. A maiden.
"Don't get me wrong," begins Tom van der Gucht, backtracking on Swann, "he was undoubtably my favourite cricketer of the past decade (if not possibly all time) and the swaggering, presence he brought to the field of play, not to mention his video diaries and bon mots in press conferenes, lit up the game and the England team is something of a shadow without him in terms of enteratinment factor.
3.06pm BST
30th over: Sri Lanka 84-1 (Karunaratne 43, Sangakkara 17) Plunkett sends down a short one from around the wicket that keeps low and deflects off of Prior's boot and away for four byes. Thereafter, the batsmen exchange singles into the on-side.
Meanwhile Sara Torvalds tweets regarding the return of the OBOcassionals:
@DanLucas86 Any OBOers out there looking to come play cricket in Finland in August? http://t.co/PvlbzMTJ7l
@DanLucas86 Pics from the ground we'll be playing on are available here: http://t.co/5omtKHp420
3.03pm BST
29th over: Sri Lanka 78-1 (Karunaratne 42, Sangakkara 16) Sangakkara gets a single before Karunaratne runs another two down to third man, steered deliberately wide of the slips. And again a couple of balls later, although a miss by the diving gully fielder means he gets three for it. The field for Sangakkara is set to minimise the effectiveness of his beloved cover drive, with a short- and a deep extra cover and a mid-off. Broad slants it across him but Kumar is a wise, wise man. Broad's last two overs have gone for seven and six.
@DanLucas86 Sangakkara has decided that he's playing at Galle and not Headingley hasn't he? In the form he is enjoying, he might as well be.
2.59pm BST
Today's trivia: My girlfriend asked me last night what the average Test average is, which flummoxed me. I'd guess around 23, though that's completely arbitrary. On Twitter, Dave Tickner noted that the average score per wicket in Tests is 32.12, but that that counts extras. So any answers?
2.58pm BST
28th over: Sri Lanka 72-1 (Karunaratne 37, Sangakkara 15) Plunkett, who I'd say has been given a bit of a shoddy ride by Cook so far in this innings, is back on. His first ball is a wild bouncer, miles outside the batsman's off stump, and is called a wide. Karuanaratne drops the ball to the third man boundary, where it's fielded and kept to two. Daniel Harris notes that, according to TMS, Sangakkara is now the first Sri Lankan batsman ever to register 300 runs in a series in England, which is a surprise. I guess the reason is that Sri Lanka often get the short end of the stick when it comes to tour lengths and are only ever here for two or three Tests at a time.
2.53pm BST
27th over: Sri Lanka 69-1 (Karunaratne 35, Sangakkara 15) People of Yorkshire: it's a beautiful sunny Sunday, warm and pleasant, and there is a finely balanced Test match taking place. Go to the cricket; Headingley's stands are looking depressingly sparse right now.
Broad is bowling around the wicket to Karunaratne, but with men out on the hook the short stuff is an obvious ploy that the batsman is wise too. As such, he continues to eschew the shot and instead feels confident that driving the fuller stuff is the way to go. He flicks one of said fuller balls through mid-wicket for three runs. The final ball is overpitched and timed gloriously on the up, through extra cover by Sangakkara for four. Swoon.
2.48pm BST
26th over: Sri Lanka 62-1 (Karunaratne 32, Sangakkara 11) Chris Jordan is the bowler, Karunaratne the batsman and the first ball is a nice bumper that rises into the batsman's ribs, forcing him to fend. Michael Holding is surprised Plunkett was pulled after just three overs and so am I; despite him looking easily the most hostile, the most threatening, I guess that Alastair Cook is keen to ensure that Sri Lanka don't race into a lead here before losing a couple more wickets. It's mostly short stuff from Jordan, which doesn't induce the hook, but the fuller, wider one gets a drive, with four men in the slip cordon, that's stopped at short extra cover. A single is taken from the final ball.
"It could be that Swann's dressing-room reputation was built on language too ripe for radio," suggests JOHN STARBUCK, "so he could well be finding it awkward to start with on TMS. We shall probably not know until the after-dinner speech circuit reveal all. However, he did persuade the team to celebrate a series victory with the sprinkler dance so we can cut him some slack for now. Anyway, he makes a nice change from the increasingly irritating professional Yorkshiremen who are running rife on the airwaves."
2.43pm BST
By my reckoning we've had 39 overs today, plus the two for the change of innings, so we're four behind the requisite rate.
2.42pm BST
Hello folks. I, Dan Lucas, will be your glorious leader through the remainder of an intriguingly balanced day. Either we'll be watching Liam Plunkett rip through the batting lineup like a Northern Curtly Ambrose, or we'll be watching Kumar Sangakkara bat. Either way, we win.
2.41pm BST
25th over: Sri Lanka 61-1 (Karunaratne 31, Sangakkara 11)
Broad replaces Plunkett - I wonder if we'll see him back on in a moment, just at the other end. His second ball surprises Sangakkara - it's a little quicker off the pitch - and he presses into a nothing shot, that lands not that far shy of Broad's follow-through. Not much else, and drinks.
2.37pm BST
24th over: Sri Lanka 61-1 (Karunaratne 31, Sangakkara 11)
Quicker one from Jordan, snapping away from Karunaratne, squared and flat-footed. He's working himself up here, and grimace-smiles ruefully when Karunaratne slashes hard, between slip and gully for four. The ball went high, though, so doubtful anyone would have caught it, Roger Harper not being in attendance.
2.31pm BST
23rd over: Sri Lanka 57-1 (Karunaratne 27, Sangakkara 11)
Plunkett tempts Karunaratne into a drive, the ball ending up at mid-on. But Sangakkara makes amends next ball, again bending the knee and again lasering a drive through cover. He looks in the mood, right enough. A less interesting over.
2.28pm BST
22nd over: Sri Lanka 52-1 (Karunaratne 26, Sangakkara 7)
Another maiden - we're all just waiting for another Plunkett over, really - so a diatribe. Excllent. Here's Tom Van der/Van den Gucht:
2.24pm BST
21st over: Sri Lanka 52-1 (Karunaratne 26, Sangakkara 7)
It's hard to fathom why Plunkett wasn't on earlier, and his first delivery to Sangakkara is a further beauty - shorter, even sharper, threatening the hands - and Sangakkara does well to ride it down into the pitch, even running two. Then, one slips out, shoots wide of the popping crease and goes for four, then another wide one, Sangakkara down on one knee to pound it delightfully through cover. Interesting over.
2.19pm BST
Except it's not a lull because Plunkett is on, and this is a jazzer. Fourth stump line, bouncing sharply, moving away, kissing the outside edge. Very good indeed.
2.19pm BST
21st over: Sri Lanka 40-0 (Karunaratne 26, Silva 13)
You can tell this is a lull, because they're talking about DRS - except it's not a lull, because Sri Lanka are slowly clambering back into things.
2.18pm BST
20th over: Sri Lanka 39-0 (Karunaratne 25, Silva 13)
Given what's to come, this is a very useful stand - Silva batted very well in the second innings at Lord's too, especially not being an opener. He edges one off Jordan, but with soft hands, so's it drops just short of Bell at second slip. And the final delivery is a goodun, holding its line and too sharp for Silva, passing the outside edge.
2.13pm BST
19th over: Sri Lanka 36-0 (Karunaratne 23, Silva 12)
Here's Ged Travers: "Many thanks to your lunchtime Nairobi correspondent who jolted me into the realisation that I'm in a designated non-cricketing nation, Greece, so I can watch the action via the ECB feed on youtube. Talking of over/underrated cities and, incidentally TVs (later), I'm currently residing in Thessaloniki which I find a most charming place to live. True, the post-Junta (bit of politics, sorry) architecture is an abomination but the presence of ancient Greek, Roman ruins and some wonderful Byzantine churches and towers compensate the eye a treat. The people are very warm and friendly, the tea (black tea here) is dirt cheap and they've even got me loving their frappe (iced frothy coffee) which originated here. Yesterday there was a colourful and vibrant Pride carnival which, in addition to the annual film festival, the diverse range of museums and the general sense of wellbeing anyone from Coventry gets when beside the sea, all adds up to a great place to live."
2.13pm BST
It's missing leg-stump by nuff and bare.
2.12pm BST
19th over: Sri Lanka 36-0 (Karunaratne 23, Silva 12)
Balls are passed through hoops or not passed through hoops, and Liam Plunkett is given a different one. And immediately, he finds some lift, sending one straight down the middle and back of a length as Silva presses forwards then hops and sways back as it morphs into a bouncer. That's beautiful. And then a full-bunger that we'll call a yorker - there's an excited appeal - not out says Billy Bowden. Prior insists on a review...
2.06pm BST
18th over: Sri Lanka 36-0 (Karunaratne 23, Silva 12)
Not entirely sure I grasp Alastair Cook's tardiness in introducing Plunkett, because there's not a whole lot coming to pass here. And on schedule, England complain about the ball, which isn't taking wickets in the way that they've commanded it. Naughty ball!
2.02pm BST
17th over: Sri Lanka 35-0 (Karunaratne 23, Silva 12)
Sun's out now, which won't especially please the bowlers - though it might help Stuart Broad's highlights and lowlights. At what age does caring about your appearance cease to be even marginally acceptable?
1.57pm BST
16th over: Sri Lanka 34-0 (Karunaratne 22, Silva 12)
Jordan, now bowling to three slips and a gully, cedes two from his first delivery, but finds a better line and length thereafter, forcing Silva to play. It's a funny Test/track/ground this - lots of sedate stuff punctuated by intense buzz, for which we must be close to due. And then Jordan tempts Silva into a drive outside off, avoiding the outside-edge by very little, and then from the last ball, a swish that becomes a leave - sensible. That's Jordan's best over so far this innings.
1.52pm BST
15th over: Sri Lanka 32-0 (Karunaratne 22, Silva 10)
Anderson slants one across Karunaratne from around the wicket, and it brushes his thighpad on its way down leg-side. There's an appeal. There's a maiden.
1.49pm BST
14th over: Sri Lanka 32-0 (Karunaratne 22, Silva 10)
Jordan from the other end, to four slips and no gully. Cook and Anderson are still chuntering, about what who knows, but demonstrative gesticulation and body movement is involved. Silva turns four away to fine leg when Jordan's last ball strays.
1.44pm BST
13th over: Sri Lanka 27-0 (Karunaratne 21, Silva 6)
Anderson begins, and shapes one away from Karunaratne, who ignores it, but with some trepidation. He then goes at the next, carving four well away from his body, but doesn't pick the inswinger, staying leg-side and just about bunting it into the ground. Next, an outswinger, deceives him - he plays - and sneaks a single from the final ball.
1.39pm BST
Out come your batsmen.
1.38pm BST
"It may indeed be 4.30am here on the 'edge'," says Ian Copestake. "But some things are worth lingering for. Especially if it is all to be over by the time the sun rises."
Fair while til it's settled in a final location, but. It's a great video, that - here's another, an older favourite.
1.34pm BST
Alan Mullaly's Twitter avatar is exceptional.
1.31pm BST
Lunchtime correspondence:
"Why are the Sky commentators the only people with access to what the stump microphones pick up on the field? Why is Joe Public excluded from this little club?It's irritating to hear the Sky team allude to what fielders are saying. 'I can tell you they are all having a real go out there,' was one such comment this morning.Wouldn't public access to the stump mike do away with the worst of the sledging (at least until it was a long way from the microphone)?
1.25pm BST
Lunchtime correspondence:
"London might be the most under-rated city. 33 years after I first lived here, I can't quite believe how fantastic it is", enthuses Gary Naylor, in clear breach of OBO etiquette.
1.02pm BST
Well, that's a handy morning for Sri Lanka. They harried England out for as few as possible, and have knocked 22 off the lead, as well as some shine off the new ball, with only one alarm. England will need to address their lengths this afternoon, and I'll be back shortly (spicy beef stew, with plantain).
1.00pm BST
12th over: Sri Lanka 22-0 (Karunaratne 16, Silva 6)
On comes Jordan, for what England will hope is the penultimate over before lunch. He asks for five men behind the wicket and gets them - four slips and a gully. "Alright there, CJ", inspires Bell, invoking memories of Baywatch. But he can't induce shots with his first four ball, before going wider of the crease and finding a better line, into the bat - Silva handles it without demure, but it's better - and he's beaten next up, past his outside edge. Lunch.
12.55pm BST
11th over: Sri Lanka 22-0 (Karunaratne 16, Silva 6)
Anderson drops short and wide, Silva getting through the shot too quickly - so can only force three through midwicket. But Anderson's fifth ball is delicious, bouncing and seaming away as Karunaratne pretends he knows where it's going.
12.51pm BST
10th over: Sri Lanka 19-0 (Karunaratne 16, Silva 3)
England are banging them in, so Nasser points out that Broad's only bowled two full deliveries so far - "and look what happened with one of them. Forward, drive, nick gap". It does seem that most wickets are coming with fuller balls, caught behind the stumps, and as such, this mini-session has been mainly wasted. Maiden.
12.47pm BST
9th over: Sri Lanka 19-0 (Karunaratne 16, Silva 3)
Headingley is pretty empty today - you can follow the conversations of the players. Ballance has just asked Bell what he thinks of the policy process in the modern capitalist state, to which Bell responded "come on boys!"
12.43pm BST
8th over: Sri Lanka 18-0 (Karunaratne 15, Silva 3)
This is now a good start for Sri Lanka, and Ian Terence is not happy, leading to the following exchange with Michael-Mikey.
12.39pm BST
7th over: Sri Lanka 14-0 (Karunaratne 12, Silva 2)
Couple moving away from Anderson, and then an in-ducker, which Silva plays well, defending on the back foot with a dead bat. Otherwise, another quiet over.
12.35pm BST
6th over: Sri Lanka 13-0 (Karunaratne 12, Silva 1)
A fuller one from Broad induces Karunaratne to drive, and he edges - but between third slip and gully, just wide of Ballance. Still, that's much better bowling; England might be thinking about an over or two from Plunkett before lunch.
12.31pm BST
5th over: Sri Lanka 7-0 (Karunaratne 6, Silva 1)
Commentary box discussion about short-leg - Anderson doesn't want when coming around to the left-handed Karunaratne, but Cook's overruled him. He's been out there in this series, but Anderson's bowling for drives and edges. Maiden.
12.27pm BST
4th over: Sri Lanka 7-0 (Karunaratne 6, Silva 1)
Broad hasn't quite got his range yet, though circumstances are set for one of his bousts. In the meantime, he gifts Karunaratne runs with a short, wide one - but he shows his state of mind by reaching and lifting it gingerly over cover.
12.24pm BST
3rd over: Sri Lanka 4-0 (Karunaratne 4, Silva 0)
Anderson gives Karunaratne some width, and he slashes, getting four behind point without ever being in control. Ian Bell is prattling away in the gully, meanwhile, and Anderson whips in to confuse his man, slanting the ball across him and his edge. It flies down the hill to Chris Jordan, crouched at second slip, and chest high, he spills it! He's fallible!
12.19pm BST
2nd over: Sri Lanka 0-0 (Karunaratne 0, Silva 0)
Broad's finding some pace and bounce here, but unfortunately Mikey-Michael isn't in commentary. Anyway, another relatively easy maiden - but with the sky cloudier than before, things might soon intensify.
12.14pm BST
1st over: Sri Lanka 0-0 (Karunaratne 0, Silva 0)
Anderson in, and you can see England are excited by the conditions, lots of chatter and patter. It's swinging for him, though Anderson isn't quite grooved yet - a maiden, though one that's menacing more than its dangerous.
12.12pm BST
Talking of autographs, a mate had a bat upon which his elder brother had signed "Ian Botham". This was a sobering moment; you want the name of a famous person on something, you can indeed write it yourself.
12.11pm BST
Out come the batsmen. When I were a lad, I'd windmill my bat like Botham (even though he once offered to trample my head into the floor when I was part of a gaggle of kids seeking his autograph). Now, I think I'd do that walk-trot-run into a forward-defensive.
12.09pm BST
"If a spinner isn't among the best 5 bowlers available, don't pick one", tweets Gary Naylor. "A spinner isn't among the best 10 bowlers available now".
I'm not sure about this - the best sides, in any sport, tend to be balanced. And if we have a dry summer, not sure Monty wouldn't be one of the most useful.
12.05pm BST
The heavy roller is on.
12.05pm BST
So, good and bad for both sides. An excellent morning for Sri Lanka - the lead isn't unmanageable, and there was plenty in the pitch. On the other hand, they have to bat on the thing now, against an attack superior to their own - a couple early, and this game could be over today. Other hand, Kumar and Mahela - any reading screenwriters, there's your next buddy movie right there, you're welcome - are good enough to make runs in any conditions. If they, or their pals, can get a lead of anything beyond two hundred, the Lankans are in the game. Meantime, they're 108 runs behind.
12.01pm BST
Perfect ball to tailender, a straight bouncer that's aimed at getting bat, not head. Anderson has no idea how to cope, so deflects it into the air, and Eranga collects from under the nostrils.
12.00pm BST
116th over: England 365-9 (Prior 27, Anderson 0)
What a strike from Prior, twinkling down the track towards leg, and then when the ball follows him, punishing it for six over midwicket. "Great hands, lovely hands," rhapsodises David Ivon. Then, he tries hooking a bouncer which is bigger and quicker than he thought, miscue dropping just short of the scurrying Karunaratne at square leg, while the batsmen scurry two runs.
11.56am BST
115th over: England 356-9 (Prior 18, Anderson 0)
Prior's had enough, and steps down the track to a back-of-a-length delivery from Mathews, zetzing one high past the bowler down to long-on for four. Then, a single off ball four, leaving Anderson two to defend, so he plays an extravagant swish - which misses, obviously - and then shoulders arms.
11.51am BST
114th over: England 351-9 (Prior 13, Anderson 0)
Prior can't find the four-balls he's seeking, so takes a single from the fourth. Anderson plays and misses, then gets everything behind a forward-defensive.
11.47am BST
113th over: England 350- (Prior 12, Anderson 0)
Russell Arnold in with a "last evening" - imagine the wonder of a world in which it was contagious.
11.46am BST
Who doesn't love lower-order runs? This is great ball from Mathews, illustrating exactly why he invited himself into the attack. The ball starts well outside off and nips back a mile, Plunkett nowhere near the shot by the time his middle stump is rapped to the horizontal. Batting on this will be fun over the next couple of days.
11.41am BST
112th over: England 349-8 (Prior11, Plunkett 2)
Prior, who's faced hardly at all this morning, slices a pair through the covers, then ads a single and another two through midwicket.
11.37am BST
111th over: England 344-8 (Prior 8, Plunkett 0)
Here's Harry Tuttle on England's spin options:
11.33am BST
What an important wicket this is. Mathews offers Broad the chance to drive, but he's uncharacteristically tentative and pushes, guiding the ball directly to a cleverly stationed wide gully.
11.31am BST
110th over: England 343-7 (Prior 7, Broad 4)
Who can't love watching Stuart Broad bat? Eranga serves him a wide one, so he leathers it to the fence behind square on the off-side, and presumably he'll continue hustling things along. This is could be a deeply enjoyable period of the game, because Matt Prior isn't the sort to let someone else get on with it. Ah! The second "last evening" of the day - things are looking up already.
11.25am BST
Good ball this, tempting Jordan forward, but by the time it arrives he's not sure what to do, edging a tentative drive. And this time, both men proximate move, Jayawardene at two diving in front of Sangakkara at one, to claim a handy snaffle.
11.24am BST
109th over: England 337-6 (Prior 6, Jordan 17)
Another quiet one - this can't be the start Mathews envisaged, but he doesn't seem minded to improve matters.
11.18am BST
108th over: England 334-6 (Prior 4, Jordan 16)
Prior gets his first run of the day when Eranga strays down leg - he doesn't clobber it as anticipated, though, hoiking round to long leg. And then, just as Michael Holding is talking about a gripping seam, Eranga persuades the seam to grip - this is an excellent delivery - and the delivery moves across Jordan, who edges. But Sri Lanka have only two slips, neither of whom dive, the ball passes between keeper and first, for four.
11.13am BST
107th over: England 327-6 (Prior 3, Jordan 11)
Prior faces his first balls of the morning - and, indeed, they're from Mathews. He trundles through a maiden as unthreatening as the term suggests, while his pals Prasad and Pradeep chill in the field.
11.09am BST
106th over: England 327-6 (Prior 3, Jordan 11)
Apparently, Martyn Moxon made it clear to England that the heavy roller should not be used, as it'll take all the pace out of the wicket. But it turns out that they know better, and stuck it on this morning - and the pitch will get another going-over before Sri Lanka bat. Eranga is on from the Kirkstall Lane End, and snakes one past the bat first up - it's almost a leg-break. Then one the other way that brushes Jordan's pad - there's a muted appeal -and another in that direction, turned away for two.
11.03am BST
105th over: England 325-6 (Prior 3, Jordan 9)
Mathews invites himself to open - perhaps he's just allowing the bowlers to swap ends - and presents Jordan with a full Lankan equivalent, slow and wide. So Jordan reclines and tucks in, cutting it away for four through bac on kward point. The remainder of the over is better, just a quick single from the final ball and four dots.
10.59am BST
Point to ponder: with Stokes likely to be available for India, and a spinner, if not essential, certainly idea, who, if anyone, drops out?
10.57am BST
Jerusalem, players, huddle. Here comes the batsmen.
10.56am BST
It's sunny at Headingley. So, the outfield should be even quicker, but it's unclear how England will approaching things. The general Headingley method is to go easy in the morning, but with Jordan and Prior in, then Broad and Plunkett to come, it's hard to see that, especially as even another hundred, and Sri Lanka are in serious trouble.
10.48am BST
Uvver fings vat are magnificent every time: and followed it up with that swallowed giggle, suggesting to Mahela that this might be his last Test in England. He says "I need to keep doing the right things and get those big runs you're used to."
Wonderful.
10.45am BST
Uvver fings vat are magnificent every time: Athers has already given it a "last evening".
10.44am BST
Uvver fings vat are magnificent every time:
10.37am BST
Uvver fings vat are magnificent every time:
10.28am BST
Preamble At the height of any pleasure begs a question: why don't I feel, think, and do this all the time? Why isn't life like this all the time?
There are practical reasons - expense, arsèdness, not wanting to injure yourself, or die. But elementally, when wonderful things become routine, the wonder departs and only the full remains.
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