| CLOSE OF PLAY |
| England beats Sri Lanka by five wickets and clinch the 5-match ODI series 3-1 with one game left to play. It is England's first series victory on the Lankan soil after 25 long years. England innings got off to a flier as Mustard and Cook added breezy 30 runs for the first wicket. Cook then combined with Ian Bell to put on steady 54 runs for the second wicket. After the dismissal of Bell, Kevin Pietersen and Cook build a match winning partnership of 110 runs between them. Cook was looking in good touch out there as he scored a rock-solid knock of 80 runs; his maiden ODI fifty. Pietersen and Cook made the England bowlers toil hard as they kept milking singles and doubles and were hitting boundaries at regular intervals. Pietersen dazzled with an unbeaten knock of 63 runs. Fernando and Malinga gave the visitors a late scare as they sent Cook, Collingwood and Shah back to the pavilion in the space of three overs. Alastair Cook pocketed the Man of the Match award for his steady match winning knock. Thank you for being with us throughout the live commentary of this game. |
| CHANGE OF BOWLER |
| Sanath Jayasuriya replaces Dilhara Fernando in the attack. |
| NEXT BATSMAN IN |
| Ravi Bopara is the new batsman at the crease. |
| WICKET |
| 45.4 : L Malinga to O Shah, OUT - Bowled him! Malinga yorks Shah with a peach of a delivery. Owais Shah had no answer to that delivery from Malinga. England has lost their fifth wicket. |
| FOUR |
| 43.4 : L Malinga to O Shah, Gleefully driven through the off side by Owais Shah. The ball beats the fielder at mid off and races to the boundary. |
| CHANGE OF BOWLER |
| Lasith Malinga replaces Dilshan in the bowling attack. |
| WICKET |
| 42.5 : Dilhara Fernando to P Collingwood, OUT - The ball strikes Collingwood very low on the pads. The fielding side are asking the question. Umpire Koertzen raises the dreaded finger. Two wickets in two balls for Fernando as Collingwood departs for a duck. |
| NEXT BATSMAN IN |
| England skipper Paul Collingwood is the new batsman at the crease. |
| WICKET |
| 42.4 : Dilhara Fernando to A Cook, OUT - Cook tries to run the ball towards the thrid man region but drags the ball back on to the stumps. Alastair Cook departs after a fine knock. |
| 5WD |
| 42.1 : Dilhara Fernando to K Pietersen, Pietersen tries flicking a ball that is wide on the leg stumps. Umpire Koertzen has signalled five wides. |
| HIGHLIGHT |
| 100 runs partnership between Cook and Pietersen off 123 balls. |
| CHANGE OF BOWLER |
| Dilhara Fernando is brought back into the attack. |
| FOUR |
| 40 : K Lokuarachchi to K Pietersen, Driven through the leg side by Pietersen. The ball races to the boundary. Umpire Wijewardene signals a boundary. |
| FOUR |
| 39.4 : K Lokuarachchi to A Cook, Driven through the covers by Cook. The ball races to the boundary. Umpire Wijewardene signals a boundary. |
| HIGHLIGHT |
| 17th ODI fifty for Kevin Pietersen off 57 balls. |
| SIX |
| 39.1 : K Lokuarachchi to K Pietersen, Pietersen has hit the ball staright over Lokuarachchis head. That was six from the time it left the bat of Pietersen. Up go the arms of Umpire Wijewardene. |
| FOUR |
| 36.4 : C Vaas to K Pietersen, Pietersen has exquisitely driven the ball through the off side. The ball races to the boundary in quick time. Great shot by Pietersen. |
| CHANGE OF BOWLER |
| Chaminda Vaas replaces Malinga in the bowling attack. |
| CHANGE OF BOWLER |
| Kaushal Lokuarachchi comes back into the bowling attack replacing Dilshan. |
|
| Mandatory ball change at the start of the 35th over according to the new ICC ODI rules. |
| CHANGE OF BOWLER |
| Lasith Malinga is brought back into the bowling attack. Jayawardena will be desperately looking for some quick wickets from Malinga. |
| CHANGE OF BOWLER |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan is introduced into the bowling attack. |
| HIGHLIGHT |
| Maiden ODI fifty for Cook off 76 balls. |
| CHANGE OF BOWLER |
| Jayawardena brings spin from the other end too. Sanath Jayasuriya is brought into the bowling attack. |
| FOUR |
| 23.2 : K Lokuarachchi to K Pietersen, Beautifully driven through the leg side field by Pietersen. The ball has crossed the ropes for Pietersen's second boundary. |
| FOUR |
| 22.2 : Dilhara Fernando to K Pietersen, Pietersen gloriously drives the ball straight down the ground. The ball races through the outfield for a boundary. Excellent shot by Pietersen. |
|
| Play has resumed after a brief rain interruption. No revision has been made in overs to be played. |
| PLAY HALTED |
| Play has been halted due to rain. The match is evenly poised at this moment. Bell and Cook pulled the match in England's favour but Bell threw his wicket away on the last ball of the third Power Play. |
| NEXT BATSMAN IN |
| Kevin Pietersen comes to bat at the crease at the fall of Ian Bell's wicket. |
| WICKET |
| 20 : K Lokuarachchi to Ian Bell, OUT - Bell tries to pull the ball but ends up miscuing the ball high up in the air. Malinga takes an easy catch at mid on. England has lost wicket on the last ball of the third Power Play. |
| FOUR |
| 19.5 : K Lokuarachchi to Ian Bell, Bell blasts the ball over the mid on region. The ball races to the boundary in quick time. Four runs has been signalled by Umpire Wijewardene. |
| HIGHLIGHT |
| Fifty runs partnership between Bell and Cook off 82 balls. |
| 2LB |
| 18.1 : Dilhara Fernando to Ian Bell, Bell has been struck on the thigh-pad as the ball runs down top the fine leg region. Two runs added to the total. Leg byes given by Umpire Koertzen. |
| FOUR |
| 17.2 : K Lokuarachchi to A Cook, Excellently punched off the backfoot by Cook. The ball beats the fielder and races to the boundary. Excellent placement by Cook. Cook has settled in well now. |
| DRINKS |
| Drinks are called by the Umpire. England has managed to put on 63 runs for the loss of one wicket at the end of 16 overs. |
| CHANGE OF BOWLER |
| Skipper Jayawardena introduces spin into the attack. Kaushal Lokuarachchi replaces Vaas in the bowling attack. |
| FOUR |
| 14.2 : Dilhara Fernando to Ian Bell, Bell plays a scorching square-cut pass the point fielder. The ball has crossed the ropes like a tracer bullet. Great shot by Bell. |
| FOUR |
| 13.5 : C Vaas to A Cook, Cook rocks onto the backfoot and punches the ball hard. This time Cook is successful in piercing the off side field for a boundary. |
| CHANGE OF BOWLER |
| Change of ends for Chaminda Vass. He replaces Malinga in the attack. |
| FOUR |
| 10.5 : Dilhara Fernando to A Cook, Cook handsomely punches the ball off the backfoot. The ball bisects the off side field and races to the boundary. Good shot by Cook. |
| CHANGE OF BOWLER |
| Dilhara Fernando is brought into the bowling attack. |
| POWER PLAY |
| Sri Lanka takes Power Play 2 from 11th to 15th over. |
| FOUR |
| 9.1 : L Malinga to A Cook, Cook rocks onto the backfoot and punches the ball hard piercing the off side field. The ball races to the boundary. Umpire Wijewardene signals four runs. |
| FOUR |
| 6.5 : C Vaas to Ian Bell, The ball takes the edge of the bat of Bell. The ball flies through the slip region and has crossed the ropes for a boundary. Vaas is unfortunate at this time. |
| NEXT BATSMAN IN |
| Ian Bell is the new batsman at the crease. |
| WICKET |
| 5.5 : L Malinga to P Mustard, OUT - Mustard is decieved by a slower ball from Malinga. Mustard pops an easy catch back to Malinga. Malinga strikes as England has lost their first wicket. |
| FOUR |
| 5.3 : L Malinga to P Mustard, Mustard slogs the ball through the mid wicket region. The ball beats the fielder and races to the boundary. Mustard is playing his natural game out there. |
| FOUR |
| 5.2 : L Malinga to P Mustard, Mustard tries to pull the ball. The ball takes the top edge of the bat and races to the boundary quickly. |
| FOUR |
| 4.4 : C Vaas to P Mustard, Mustard hits the ball through the mid wicket region. The ball races to the boundary for the second time in a row. Fantastic strike by Mustard. |
| FOUR |
| 4.3 : C Vaas to P Mustard, Mustard lofts the ball high in the air over Vaas' head. The ball has crossed the ropes for Mustard's first boundary. |
|
| Lasith Malinga will partner Chaminda Vaas in the bowling attack. |
| FOUR |
| 0.2 : C Vaas to A Cook, Vaas drifts the ball down the leg side. Cook dispatches the ball off his pads towards the mid wicket region. Malinga's efforts go in vain as the ball races to the boundary. |
|
| Chaminda Vaas will open the bowling attack. Early blows from Vaas will certainly hamper the England chase. |
|
| England openers Phil Mustard and Alastair Cook are out in the middle hoping to chase the target comfortably. |
