23/0 - A quick single results in an extra run after Misbah, at mid-off, has a shy and mid-on makes a mess of backing up - in Misbah's defence, although he only had one stump in his vision, Dilshan would have been out had that hit. Dilshan pulls one out deep on the leg-side but he doesn't time it too well, just the single there. Another four! Para lashes away at it and it's gone fast through the outfield and straight to the ropes.
15/0 - Dilshan, this time, in on the action and slaps one away for four straight through cover. This is some serious attacking play from the home side; they're adamant to try get something out of this!
10/0 - Neat start for Sri Lanka. Paranavitana gets a thick outside edge down to third man for four to get the scoreboard going. He follows that with a single but an overthrow - after hitting the stumps - results in four runs! Some drama on the fifth as Dilshan goes back with a high bat to defend and as the ball carries through it misses the edge; the Pakistani's are adamant - the appeal tells you that much, but it's clearly missed. Not even a noise. Great start!
260 to win. 37 overs to go. Junaid Khan opens the bowling and Paranavitana will face the first ball.
Honestly, that was a little bit silly. One over, one run, declared. Goodness me. See you soon for Sri Lanka's innings - 261 to win.
100/2 - Herath comes into the attack, taking over from Pradeep.
No declaration. Weird but anyway, lets get on with it. Adnan Akmal joins the crease.
Interesting afternoon session, which has kept us guessing the entire time. If Pakistan return to bat we're in for a pretty dull finish, but they could declare right now, which would give them a chance to bowl Sri Lanka out - needing 259 to win. Join us in 20 minutes.
99/2 - Rehman comes prancing down the pitch again and slogs it over midwicket - that's a HUGE one, all the way down for six. Wait a second, Randiv looks to have bowled Rehman but no-one seems to quite know what happened - to Randiv it looked like a stumping... Well, it's a WICKET! And off they go for Tea, mid-over.
92/1 - Shoooo! What an over! Pradeep is getting slapped all over the park now; maybe it's time for a break - although tea is round the corner... Umar dispatches a boundary wide of mid-off before, on the fourth, stick the bat out and getting a top edge down to the third man boundary - they both raced away so quickly, no chance of stopping them.
79/1 - Rehman is trying to go for a big one, but only gets four from his efforts - he won't mind, really. Just when you thought he's done, here's a SIX! Skipping down the pitch, Rehman connects beautifully again!
Bit overcast now... rain? Not sure...
68/1 - Shame, poor Pradeep must be getting tired now - he's taking quite a while to get back to his run-up. Just a single from the over though as he continues his good length in the over.
67/1 - Pretty good over here from Randiv, well at least until the last ball - Rehman goes on the attack and sends it straight over the bowlers head - that's a HUGE six!
58/1 - Decent shot from Rehman who gets off the mark with a boundary through cover before setting off for a single.
51/1 - A hold on proceedings, there's a WICKET! Suraj Randiv joins the bowling attack and gets in on the action with a wicket to dismiss Hafeez for 21. An easy catch for Dilshan after Hafeez lobs it straight into his hands. Abdur Rehman comes to the middle - he looks a little tense but has a go on the last ball, completely missing it though.
50/0 - Umar lofts the first of the over straight over mid-off - decent shot and four runs! Umar's response to a caught-behind appeal next up is another boundary on the third - a tender stroke edged past the slips down to third man. I'd call this a good over as their 50 comes up - Don't be surprised if Pakistan declare soon and have a go...
41/0 - There's certainly some intent the way they're playing as Hafeez gets a single to put Umar on strike who sets one away for four, past midwicket, before setting off for a quick single.
35/0 - Umar moves aside after a single down to deep backward point while Hafeez straight away puts him back on strike with three worked away to deep midwicket. They're rotating the strike quite a bit here, Umar and Hafeez both pickup another single.
29/0 - Hafeez manages a decent four runs, anything counts, he tries to go over the bowler but instead gets an edge and it runs past third man and over the ropes.
21/0 - Some more runs as Umar and Hafeez keep the scoreboard ticking over. Much debate on whether or not Pakistan will declare... I have a feeling they won't - quite honestly it makes no sense for them to risk it.
16/0 - Umar whips a couple away down in the deep square leg region and sets off on a single a couple of balls later. Hafeez picks up one to add to his name as well.
12/0 - Hafeez cuts one backward of point, but third man picks it up, just a single. Umar swops the strike again with a neat single and Nuwan responds with a no-ball... Indeed, a worthwhile response...
9/0 - Umar looks to drive through cover but with a slightly angled bat he gets it away past midwicket and it races off to the boundary for four.
5/0 - Herath's first of the over is slightly short but Hafeez punishes it, off the back foot with all his might - four runs through cover. He ends the over well, with five dots.
1/0 - Hafeez gets us off the mark immediately taking a single with one nudged behind square. Umar faces the rest of the over and takes it easy.
Ok, this is turning into a game... sort of... Pakistan to bat, Sri Lanka to field (and bowl of course) - Opening the bowling we've got none other than Kulasekara. Mohammad Hafeez opens the batting alongside Taefeeq Umar.
Well, it's been a phenomenal batting display from Sri Lanka's top order. Regardless of the weather, we've seen tons from both Dilshan and Sangakkara. Mathews tried to add to it this morning but fell just short of his half-century, and from there they just crumbled. They still remain 160 runs behind their visitors who will now come out to bat - there's a chance we could still see a winner, actually. Pakistan could return to bat; go big; score a good few runs and ask Sri Lanka to chase it in the final session. But let's wait and see... we'll be back shortly.
391/10 - WICKET! Oh no, it's all over... well the innings is at least. Pradeep tries to go big but skies it high - Saeed Ajmal, from mid-on, gets under it and takes it fairly easily. That's the innings I'm afraid, Pakistan will now need to come in to bat next.
Suddenly a lot of clouds all surround the stadium....
391/9 - Herath is having none of it, none of it at all. He swipes at the fifth of the over and slogs it over midwicket for four. Super shot - maybe he can stick around for a while and provide some big-hitting entertainment. His highest score is 80, not out, so don't be surprised...
385/9 - Oh my word, well they're all falling now. Prasanna is gone, WICKET! Easy catch as he edges it straight into Akmal's safe gloves. Off he goes then, Sri Lanka crumbling. Nuwan Pradeep, the last hope.
383/8 - Oooops! Looks like it's all happening now! Is the pitch doing something strange? Kulasekara is out, WICKET! Clean bowled by Khan, although I think there may have been a slight bottom edge helping it onto the stumps. Beauty. He gets his second five-wicket haul in Test cricket, and the third for a Pakistani bowler at SSC. Anyway, Rangana Herath walks to the middle - two new batsmen, the tail. Do Pakistan suddenly stand a chance? Doubt it because Herath has just slapped Khan away for four!
378/7 - Oh no, maybe Pakistan do see a glimmer of hope - Kumar Sangakkara is OUT! WICKET! 192 is his score as he marches back to the dressing room looking totally dejected, caught by Taufeeq Umar at square leg - a hopeless shot by Kumar. What a disaster, just eight runs short of his double century! Kulasekara walks to the middle to replace Sanga.
377/6 - Prasanna gets over the mark with a sneaky three runs picked up on the fourth of the over. Khan bowling very wide of the crease, looking to angle them back in as Sanga takes strike.
374/6 - Tricky over, especially with the new man in the middle. Sanga picks up a couple then follows with a single. Prasanna faces the next few and just blocks them off. Well played, 'ol chap.
370/6 - Ah! Would you believe it, Mathews is out and Pakistan are celebrating like crazy. WICKET! He's caught behind, Akmal takes it easily. Yes, it's the breakthrough they've been looking for and now they can go on to win it! No... Not really, there's a lot more to go wrong for the hosts before Pakistan can even sniff a victory, oh well. Prasanna Jayawardene is in now, faces the first ball and gets struck on the pads - HUGE LBW appeal from Junaid Khan, who was adamant about it, but the Umpire says "nope" and Khan looks unlucky judging by replays.
369/5 - Rehman gets us underway and both batsmen get off the mark after the interval. Exciting stuff!
This could be the last session I'm told... Although rumour has it that Pakistan believe in themselves and want to go all the way to the last ball. Please no.
Not really too much to report; a couple of individual milestones in this session for Kumar Sangakkara. But that's pretty much all. No-one has a realistic chance of winning so it's pretty much the batsmen just playing for stats. Join us again in about 35 minutes.
367/5 - So just two singles as the batsmen now make their way off the field, for Lunch. Food time, let's do this!
365/5 - Sangakkara you BEAUTY! He comes prancing down the pitch and lofts it far over long-on - SIX RUNS! That takes him to 1000 runs versus Pakistan, in Sri Lanka.
358/5 - Azhar Ali returns, nothing more than a few singles and a couple. Sanga picks up the first, Mathews takes two and then a single while Sanga relinquishes the strike on the fifth with a single to square-leg.
353/5 - Celebrations all round as Sri Lanka avoid the follow on - arguably the most exciting thing to happen so far in this Test. Although, there's further excitement as Mathews prances around the crease to smash one past sweeper cover for another boundary - four runs!
Ajmal returns; what can he do? Probably very little I imagine. Hang in there, almost lunch time.
347/5 - More singles, would you believe it! Sanga picks up two of them, and Mathews notches up the other two. If Sangakkara got the first two singles of the over, I'm not sure who else would get the other two....but anyway.
343/5 - Alright, a couple more singles one each.
341/5 - Yip, more singles. Sanga gets two of them, Mathews gets two as well. Awesome stuff.
Here we go, another one, Hafeez to bowl. Lunch around the corner. Yum!
337/5 - With just a single wicket in Test matches, it's no surprise there's just a single from the over...
Ok, so here comes Azhar Ali - what can he do?
336/5 - Ahhhh! What a glorious shot, straight over long-on's head it's sailing by and goes over for a SIX! Angelo Mathews is on fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire! There's no doubt the 25-year-old can bat, but my word that was a class stroke!
"Pakistan can't win this, but surely it's still on their mind?" - Yes, more than likely, but they'll need some quick wickets if they want to stand a chance... doubt it's going to happen though...
329/5 - Sangakkara picks up one single to add to his tally. 23 still needed to avoid the follow on; looking much more likely now!
328/5 - Sanga brings up the 50-partnership with a single. It's been a pretty good run for these two thus far. Doing an excellent job at holding this innings together and keeping Pakistan completely out of it.
327/5 - Ah, finally Sangakkara manages to find his first boundary of the day with a superb shot through the covers for four before setting off on a single. Mathews picks up one and Sanga returns the favour with another single, and again retains the strike.
319/5 - Plenty of runs this time round as Mathews ups his strike-rate with another four runs - thumped down to the long-on region, too fast for anyone to stop that, four. Mathews goes on to collect three as the outfield shows how dismally slow it can be and Sanga ends with a single to retain the strike.
Did I tell you folks about the weather out there? Don't think so! Anyway, it looks blue blue blue in the sky, a few clouds here and there but nothing serious at the moment. We could get a full days play! Or not.
311/5 - Break, then run. Break, then run. That's the order of business here as every second ball gets a single. Easy batting for the batsmen.
308/5 - Sanga picks up a single to midwicket. Mathews picks up one for his own and Sanga manages to keep the strike with a single off the last. That's drinks folks. Quick, go grab something!
305/5 - Mathews pulls a single to deep backward square-leg and Sanga picks up one working it behind point. Mathews finds himself guiding one down to third man, and with some quick running the pick up two. Again, some ball trouble as the Pakistani's are telling the Umpires they need some kind of change - has it lost its shape? No, I don't think so - doesn't look like it. Oh well, play continues.
301/5 - Into the 100th over and over the 300 mark - that's a good sign for Sri Lanka as Sanga picks up a single past midwicket and Mathews pushes one to cover for the second single of the over.
299/5 - Just the one single - a leg-bye - which takes the home side now just one run short of the 300 mark. Still a little wayward from the follow-on mark, but at least they're getting there... even if it's slowly.
298/5 - A busy over as Sanga picks up a single, Mathews too and then Sanga again. Pushing the ball around nicely, and the Pakistan bowlers aren't really seeming t find anything in this pitch.
295/5 - Mathews signals some intent with a four off the fourth. Not managing any runs from the others in the over, he pounces on the fourth, pulls it past mid-on, and sends it straight to the ropes to earn a well deserved four.
Aizaz Cheema joins the attack for the first time today...
291/5 - Just as it's looking to be another maiden, Mathews nudges a single toward square leg. Just the one from the over, at least there's a run, right?
290/5 - Good tight over, another maiden while Khan ends it with a bit of a wild bouncer.
290/5 - Powerful shot over mid on, Mathews feers no bad balls as he lofts that one for four. Mathews gets a single and Sanga brings up his 150 with an elegant straight drive. Great innings, that's his 16th 150 of his career! What an accomplishment!
284/5 - Another maiden as Sanga just shuns out the good balls and keeps it safe.
284/5 - Sanga leaving the ones slightly wide outside off stump; very clever from him, holding onto his wicket and ensuring nothing stupid gets done. Eventually a single as he defends it onto the vacant leg-side for a single.
Saeed Ajmal comes into the attack; he's on figures of 1/77
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283/5 - Sangakkara sneaks one past point for a single - just gets them off the edge a little, I'd say. Too many maidens in a row result in a tense batting pair. Angelo Mathews hasn't had the greatest series with the bat; granted, ok, he has only had the one Test but this, today, is an opportunity for him to make a point - as I write that he tries a real risky pull shot and doesn't come close to connecting.... why do that?
282/5 - Mathews plays it defensively and Rehman keeps the pressure on. Maiden over for Pakistan but more importantly, Mathews gets to continue!
282/5 - Most of them wide of the over but the fifth is of perfect line and length with a bit of bounce just missing the outside edge as it passes through to the Keeper - what a peach of a delivery!
282/5 - Sanga edges one towards point for a single while Mathews also picks up one, to point as well. Sanga ends the over with another single, keeping point really busy this over! Just 70 needed now for the Sri Lankans to practically call this a draw.
279-5 - Sanga gets off the mark for the day with a punch through the covers, and the pitch is looking very good. This is not surprising, as it's not had full days of cricket this week. Mathews is not enjoying the left-arm seamer around the wicket, the angle isn't a fun one to bat against.
278-5 - Well, the skies are clear and Rehman completes his over from the day before with two blocked dot balls. Angelo Mathews is the new man.
Welcome to day five of this rainy yet high-scoring second Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Will we get a full day's play? Let's not bet on it.