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    Over 116 Aamer 0-0-0-0-0-0

    347-4 Maiden over, not much more needed. One of my colleagues reckon if they carry on like this play will be called off an hour early and they'll call it a draw. Sanga hasn't shown any signs of wanting to attack since the loss of Samaraweera so that might very well be the case.

  •  

    Over 115 Ajmal 0-0-1-0-4-0

    347-4 Sanga takes a single towards mid-on. Kaneria is the fielder and he is a bit tardy in his gathering. Mathews goes to 40 with a four just wide of mid-off. Compared to Gul's innings yesterday, Mathews has done so incredibly well to pace himself.

  •  

    Over 114 Aamer 0-0-0-0-2-0

    342-4 Just a couple towards midwicket from Mathews. This little knock will do wonders for his confidence.

  •  

    Over 113 Ajmal 1-0-0-0-1-0

    340-4 A few singles from the over as Mathews continues to guard his crease with the utmost vigilance.

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    Over 112 Aamer 0-0-0-0-0-4

    338-4 So have a change of bowling straight up and it nearly proves effective. Mathews tries to drive but gets an edge through to the keeper - it drops just short of Akmal. Lucky, lucky.

  •  

    ALL HAIL TEST CRICKET

    Luke Price says: "This is why Test cricket is the best form of the game! Amazing antics out there today. Was there at Lord's on Monday and the excitement of the five day game is still so apparen. Come on Sri Lanka!"Glad to hear that this is the case. Have been slated by ignorant beings recently for saying Test cricket is not dead.

  •  

    GOOD TO GO

    We're ready for the final session. Should be an interesting one.

  •  

    PRAISE FOR THE SKIPPER

    Asif has mailed in: "Sangakkara is really great! What a performonce." Indeed. He's one of my favourite players for sure.

  • TEA

    This is great work by the hosts. Shows how much they love the track. Sanga has done an incredible job and he has been very well supported by Mathews. 154 runs are needed for victory. Very tough ask but very doable one. Join us in about 15 minutes to see what's potting. Meanwhile, why don't you send us your pearls of wisdom to antoinette.muller@teamtalkmedia.co.za

  •  

    Over 111 Malik 0-0-0-0-0-nb-0

    338-4 Last over before tea. Malik again with the no ball. How? Why? Perplexing! Sri Lanka have done well here.

  •  

    Over 110 Kaneria 2-1-1-0-0-4

    337-4 A couple through square leg and a single apiece from the batsmen starts off the over. The bowler then comes around the wicket and there is a silly point in place. Mathews loves that. It's short and wide and he sent it flying through midwicket. With the huge impact T20 has had on Test cricket perhaps there is a chance of Sri Lanka chasing this. Dilshan is injured, though and he won't come in unless he has to. 155 needed for victory.

  •  

    Over 109 Malik 1-4-0-0-0-1

    329-4 A single towards long leg starts off the over and Mathews then takes four by slashing past the man at mid-off. He then takes a single trough square leg. He's done well to support his skipper.

  •  

    Over 108 Kaneria 0-0-0-0-0-0

    323-4 A maiden over from Kaneria. That's something we haven't seen for a while Mathews does well to bat it out. About ten minutes away from tea now.

  •  

    Over 107 Malik 1-0-0-0-0nb-0-1

    318-4 Another single for Sanga and then a no ball from the bowler. Spinners and no balls, mind boggling. A single towards long leg off Mathews' blade concludes the over.

  •  

    Over 106 Kaneria 0-1-0-0-1-0

    315-4 Just two singles from the over. Mathews sends the ball down to long on and Sanga favours deep square leg.

  •  

    Over 105 Malik 1-0-0-2-0-0

    318-4 A single for Mathews - off the backfoot and towards square leg and a couple to Sanga - driven towards mid-off.

  •  

    Over 104 Kaneria 0-0-1-0-0-0

    315-4 Mathews takes a single towards deep point and Sanga defends the remainder of the over. Quite surprised we haven't had any rain. It is Monsoon season after all.

  •  

    Over 103 Malik 0-0-2-0-0-0

    314-4 Malik into the attack and Sanga is happy to just take a couple - nudged behind square and some good running between the stumps.

  •  

    Over 102 Kaneria 0-1-0-1-1-0

    308-4 Just singles from the over now. Sri Lanka need another 180 runs to win. That's a tough ask. Best thing they can do is just defend and keep the singles coming with the boundaries when they can.

  •  

    Over 101 Ajmal 0-1-0-0-0-0

    309-4 Just a single from the over, nudged wide of the man at silly point.

  •  

    Over 100 Kaneria 0-1-1-0-0-2

    308-4 Mathews takes a single towards deep point and Sanga brings up his 19th Test ton with a nudge towards long leg. That's his 5th against Pakistan. Mathews takes a couple just wide of mid on to complete the over.

  •  

    Over 99 Ajmal 1-0-4-0-0-0

    304-4 Sanga takes a couple towards deep point and a four smacked towards the midwicket ropes brings him to 99

  •  

    Over 98 Kaneria 1-0-0-1-1-0

    298-4 Just a few singles from the over. Sri Lank are doing very well to defend here. They need to get through this session without losing another wicket.

  •  

    Over 97 Ajmal 1-0-4-1-0-0

    295-4 A single towards midwicket off the blade of Mathews starts off the over and Sanga takes four with a sweep towards long leg. He then takes a single towards the same area and Ajmal valiantly defends the remainder of the over.

  •  

    Over 96 Kaneria 0-0-0-0-1-0

    289-4 Just a single from the over. Mathews picks up the googly and cuts through point.

  •  

    Over 95 Ajmal 0-0-0-0-0-0

    288-4 Another maiden from Ajmal. The spinners are looking good but so is Sangakkara, it's a crucial innings from him.

  •  

    Over 94 Kaneria 0-0-0-0-0-0

    288-4 Easy runs for Mathews, short and wide and thumped through midwicket and all the way to the fence for four.

  •  

    Over 93 Ajmal 0-0-0-0-0-0

    284-4 Sanga's turn to defend now. And he does well to bat out he over. There's an appeal for leg-before but that would have gone down leg.

  •  

    Over 92 Kaneria 0-0-0-0-0-0

    284-4 Bowling change now. Slip, short leg and a silly point in place. Mathews bats out the over with a solid guard. That's what Sri Lanka need to do now.

  •  

    Over 91 Ajmal 0-0-0-0-0-0

    284-4 - A maiden from Ajmal to Sangakkara, who will no doubt go into his shell now that Samaraweera has departed. Without much batting to come, survival has swiftly become the only task for Sri Lanka now. They need 208 runs to win, but that is surely beyond them now.

  •  

    Over 90 Aamer 0-1-0-1-4-0

    284-4 - Of course Tillakaratne Dilshan should have come in at number six but having received 14 stitches above his left eye two days ago he'll only bat if it's absolutely necessary. Aamer isn't getting the swing he did in his opening overs with the new ball before lunch, and is driven sweetly through extra cover for four by Mathews. Top shot.

  •  

    Over 89 Ajmal 2-1-W-0-1-0

    278-4 - Sangakkara takes a single from the first delivery, and gets a bonus second as a shy at the stumps hits and deflects away. WICKET! There it is! The breakthrough Pakistan so desperately needed. The wounded Samaraweera misjudges the amount of turn on an Ajmal doosra and is caught behind. It was a very good innings but he started to look vulnerable once his movement became restricted by the hamstring injury. Angelo Mathews is the new man in, and he gets off the mark with a single to mid-on.

  •  

    Over 88 Aamer 1-4-1nb-0-0-0-0

    274-3 - Samaraweera belies his injured state by driving beautifully down the ground for four. He's still limping about a fair bit, but it didn't stop him from producing a first-class stroke. He struggles a bit with the rest of the over, particularly with the force of the last ball which almost makes him tread on his stumps, but sees it out in the end.

  •  

    Over 87 Ajmal 0-0-0-0-0-1

    268-3 - There's another brief hold-up as the runner gets an arm guard. Of course he has to wear all the protective gear that the batsman he's running for has employed. Meanwhile, Saeed Ajmal rejoins the attack in just the seventh over of this new ball, and limits Sangakkara to a single to deep square leg.

  •  

    Over 86 Aamer 4-1-0-0-0-0

    267-3 - The first ball of the session is a short one on Sangakkara's hips, and he whips it over the head of square leg for four. A quick single to mid-off suggests that Sangakkara is willing to attack, and that might not be such a bad move. If these two can get some quick runs then Younus Khan will be forced to employ a more defensive field, which will aid Sri Lanka's primary task - survival. However Samaraweera pulls up after stretching for a drive, and seems to be suffering a bit of cramp in the hamstring. There's a long hold-up as he gets a bit of treatment from the physio. Eventually play resumes with the batsman employing a runner.

  •  

    AND WE'RE BACK

    Can Sri Lanka create history? It's certainly not beyond them - as far as 'batsmen you'd like out in the middle right now', Sanga and Sama are right up there. The fielders are back out in the middle, and they'll know that a wicket in the first ten overs of this session - when the ball will still have some shine - will be absolutely crucial.

  • LUNCH

    Just what Sri Lanka would have hoped for then, with Sangakkara and Samaraweera taking them through to the lunch break and reducing the runs required to 230. That still seems unlikely, but if these two can survive another session then they may well have a dig at the target after tea. Most encouraging has been the lack of assistance for the bowlers, with only one half-chance offered in the entire first session. Join us again in just under 40 minutes time.

  •  

    Over 85 Gul 1-1nb-0-0-0-0-0

    262-3 - Gul continues to overstep as he strives for extra pace, and registers his fifth no-ball of the innings. Samaraweera calmly sees out the remainder of the over to ensure that he and Sangakkara have survived an entire session together without too much alarm.

  •  

    Over 84 Aamer 0-0-0-1-0-2

    260-3 - An absolute beauty from Aamer beats Sangakkara all ends up, as the left-hander is drawn into a drive by a fuller one and sees it swing past the outside edge. He looks more assured in flicking a straighter delivery to fine leg for a single. Samaraweera clips the final ball down to fine leg, and is only prevented a boundary by Gul's dive. We'll have one more over before the lunch break.

  •  

    Over 83 Gul 0-2nb-0-0-4-4-1nb-0

    257-3 - Gul starts off all over the place, but then finds the first real edge of the day. He comes around the wicket to Samaraweera, who gets an inside edge past the keeper for four. Unfuriating for Gul, and it gets worse when the batsman lazily pushes another boundary through point. As with a few others in this match, the ball is already out of shape and Simon Taufel agrees to a ball change. Sangakkara is less than pleased.

  •  

    Over 82 Aamer 1-0-0-0-2-0

    246-3 - Aamer gets one to swing back in to Samarweera but his appeal for lbw is laughable - the ball pitched outside leg stump and almost hit him on the thigh pad! Still, some encouragement for Pakistan in that Aamer is at least getting some lateral movement. Samaraweera clips elegantly through square leg for a couple off the penultimate ball of the over.

  •  

    Over 81 Gul 4-0-0-2-0-4

    243-3 - Younus does take the new ball straight away, and you certainly can't begrudge him that - Pakistan haven't created a single chance this morning, even if his spinners did look to be getting into a groove. There'll be a bit of concern, though, as Samaraweera sends the first delivery with the new nut racing through extra cover for four to go past fifty (108 balls, 7x4s, 0x6s). A little punch off the back foot through backward point brings a couple more as Gul struggles to find his rhythm. The final ball is overpitched, and driven down the ground for four as Samaraweera takes full advantage of the hardness of the new ball.

  •  

    Over 80 Ajmal 0-0-0-0-0-0

    233-3 - Ajmal bowls his third maiden on the trot, and the second new ball is now available. Not entirely sure that it will be taken straight away - Younus may want to give his spinners a few more overs - but with nothing really giving this morning he may still fancy it.

  •  

    Over 79 Kaneria 1-0-0-1-4-1

    233-3 - A single from Sangakkara allows Kaneria to bowl at the right-handed Samaraweera. The leggie hits a good length, but Samaraweera is up to the task and gets off strike with a straight shot to mid-on. Sangakkara then shows the first sign of aggession we've seen today by coming down the pitch to hit Kaneria through the gap between midwicket and mid-on for four. The umpires call for another drink - the second of the session due to the heat.

  •  

    Over 78 Ajmal 0-0-0-0-0-0

    226-3 - Another over of fullish stuff from Ajmal, who only floats the one delivery up. Samaraweera plays it well though, reaching forward to smother it. Another one gets prodigious turn, but the right-hander's footwork has been superb and he avoids getting himself in a tangle.

  •  

    Over 77 Kaneria 0-0-0-2-0-0

    226-3 - Sangakkara is reading Kaneria perfectly here, picking up the wrong'un before driving out to deep cover for a couple more runs. He hasn't scored a boundary yet this morning, but has continued steadily without putting a foot wrong.

  •  

    Over 76 Ajmal 0-0-0-0-0-0

    224-3 - A maiden from Ajmal to Samaraweera, but this over wasn't as threatening as the last - here he bowls too full and takes out that element of doubt with regards to the bounce. It's a very hot day in Colombo, but there is a bit of rain forecast for this evening. Unlikely to affect the cricket apparently.

  •  

    Over 75 Kaneria 0-1b-0-0-0-3

    224-3 - With the spinners bowling in tandem Samaraweera's got his cap on. Clearly not a big fan of the helmet, even if it protects against the top edge while sweeping. A little dab down to third man gets him three runs.

  •  

    Over 74 Ajmal 0-0-0-0-2-0

    220-3 - Ajmal returns, and immediately has a long, extended appeal for lbw as Samaraweera reaches forward and is struck on the front pad. He got a big stride though and was hit outside the off-stump, and was playing a shot so couldn't be out. A bit of extra bounce later in the over produces an inside edge to the legside, but it evades short-leg and leg-slip. Probably the most threatening over of the day so far.

  •  

    Over 73 Kaneria 0-1-2-0-1-0

    218-3 - A glorious shot from Samaraweera is followed by some appalling running. A superb shot straight down the ground past mid-on looks like it will go all the way but he and Sangakkara just stand and watch, and the right-hander only gets two runs as the fielder does well to haul it in. A couple of singles added to the total leave Sri Lanka needing a further 274 runs to win.

  •  

    Over 72 Khan 0-4-0-0-0-0

    214-3 - Samaraweera has to stretch for a full delivery outside off, and plays the ball slightly aerial as it runs away through gully for four. The Pakistan skipper does have two slips in place, and he pushes one wider in response to that shot. However Samaraweera easily negotiates the rest of the over.

  •  

    Over 71 Kaneria 0-0-0-1-1-0

    210-3 - Or perhaps not... Kaneria continues bowling from the same end, rendering Younus' decision to bowl himself somewhat inexplicable. He's highly unlikely to cause any problems with his medium pace on this track. Sri Lanka's batsmen rotate the strike with a couple of singles as they continue to play Kaneria with relative ease.

  •  

    Over 70 Khan 1-0-0-0-0-0

    208-3 - Kaneria wasn't entirely happy with that end, so Younus Khan brings himself on so that he can switch his spinners round. The second new ball is due in 10 overs time, and how Kaneria and Ajmal fare over that period will surely decide whether or not Pakistan elect to take it straight away.

  •  

    Over 69 Kaneria 0-0-0-0-1-0

    207-3 - Sure enough, here is Kaneria. Immediately he targets a rough patch outside Sangakkara's off-stump and while the left-hander shows no discomfort in facing the wrist spinner, there are signs of encouragement for Kaneria.

  •  

    Over 68 Aamer 1-0-0-0-0-0

    206-3 - With the pitch fairly flat the seamers are struggling to create any real danger for the batsmen, but Aamer is at least bowling extremely tight. Can't be long until we see Kaneria now. The umpires decide it's time for a drink.

  •  

    Over 67 Ajmal 1-0-0-0-0-0

    205-3 - Sangakkara brings up the fifty partnership with a punch into the covers. There are still three men around the bat, and they get very excited as Ajmal gets a bit of extra bounce, but we're yet to see even a half-chance this morning as this duo continue to look comfortable.

  •  

    Over 66 Aamer 0-0-0-0-0-0

    204-3 - Still no Kaneria, as Mohammad Aamer replaces the errant Gul. The promising young left-arm starts with a very tidy over which keeps Samaraweera honest.

  •  

    Over 65 Ajmal 0-2-0-0-0-0

    204-3 - Ajmal drops very short to Sangakkara, who cuts out to deep cover for a couple. Akmal is jabbering away behind the stumps, but his cries are becoming increasingly desperate as Pakistan fail to make the early breakthrough they would have been targeting. Ajmal tightens up for the remainder of the over and keeps Sangakkara on the defensive.

  •  

    Over 64 Gul 1-1nb-4-0-0-4-0

    202-3 - A quick single to mid-on from Sangakkara takes the required runs below 300. Still seems highly unlikely - Sri Lanka would have to smash the record for the highest run chase in Test cricket if they were to pull it off. Although Samaraweera makes the game look easy as he drives through cover off the back foot for four. He produces anoither beautiful shot three balls later, striding forward to drive wide of mid-off for another boundary. Sri Lanka now need 290 runs to win.

  •  

    Over 63 Ajmal 0-1-0-0-0-0

    192-3 - No shortage of flight from Ajmal, and no shortage of encouragement from his teammates, with the men around the bat all highly talkative. Still nothing giving though, as Samaraweera plays defensively after Sangakkara manages a single to the legside.

  •  

    Over 62 Gul 0-0-1-0-0-0

    191-3 - Sangakkara turns one round the corner for a single. There's no swing for Gul, thus no great danger for the batsmen as they look to bed themselves in for a lengthy stay.

  •  

    Over 61 Ajmal 0-0-1-0-2-0

    190-3 - Saeed Ajmal begins the day from the other end, so no Danish Kaneria just yet. He has three men in catching positions on the offside to Sangakkara, who cuts out to deep backward point for a single. Ajmal overpitches to Samaraweera, and the right-hander glances nicely through midwicket for a couple. Pakistan go up for lbw off the final ball of the over, but Simon Taufel isn't interested.

  •  

    Over 60 Gul 0-3-1-0-0-0

    187-3 - It's Umar Gul who's handed the ball for the opening over of the day, but Thilan Samaraweera gets Sri Lanka off to a positive start by pushing the second delivery through the covers. It's hauled back just short of the boundary, but the batsmen pick up three. Sangakkara clips his first delivery of the day to backward point for a single.

  •  

    ALL SET THEN

    Tillakaratne Dilshan was cautious about saying whether Sri Lanka can win this, admitting that it will be "tough". As everyone might agree, he reckons Kumar Sangakkara holds the key. The players are out on the field, and Pakistan will start the day with a burst of pace.

  •  

    GOOD MORNING

    It's day five in Colombo, and Sri Lanka have a serious battle on their hands. Having lost three wickets in the final session yesterday they now require 309 runs to complete a series sweep, but with only seven wickets in hand you'd have to fancy Pakistan to clinch a victory here. The wicket has been turning and the rough patches are growing, so the spinners will know that their work has been laid down for them today.