SRILANKA ON TOP

Rain stops play with England struggling on 61-6 after Sri Lanka had earlier declared on 499-8.

10.12am - The removal of the covers goes on; we reckon we might be able to get underway at about 10.35am, which means we might have about an hour's play before the light kicks in.

10.49am - PLAY TO START AT 11AM...

10.00am - The rain has definitely stopped now, although it is going to take an age to get all those covers off, and light will soon start to become a factor.

9.34am - News that the covers were coming off was perhaps a little premature; there are a lot of groundsmen standing around in puddles, but the covers remain on.

9.12am - The good news is that the rain has stopped and the covers are coming off the ground at Galle. Unfortunately, a lot of rain has fallen over the last hour or so, and it is going to be a while before everything can get mopped up and play can resume.

8.27am - The rain is really coming down now; the outfield has been completely covered, but it has taken 20 minutes to do so. The wind is blowing fairly strong, which might help move the storm onwards, but that is about all the hope we can take at the moment.

8.12am - England 61-6: RAIN STOPS PLAY: The groundstaff come scuttling on with the covers as a huge dark cloud moves in from the south. It looks like a big one...

8.00am - England 60-6: Muralitharan is in to the attack for the first time this innings; he must be licking his lips at the prospect of running through the England lower-order before sticking the tourists back in once again.

7.45am - England 52-6: Sidebottom has come in to support Collingwood; England are still 248 runs from avoiding the follow-on, and Murali still hasn't even started warming up yet. Chanaka Welegedara has come in to the attack for his first bowl in Test cricket.

7.25am - England 33-6: THE PROCESSION CONTINUES... Matt Prior is bowled by one that keeps a bit low from Vaas; the bowler gives Prior a little send off as he trots past him to celebrate with his team-mates. England have completely imploded.

7.16am - England 25-5: AWFUL! Bopara gets an inside edge on an attempted drive to Vaas, first over back after lunch, and the ball loops tamely to mid-on. England are surrendering rather meekly here.

7.11am - England 24-4: Collingwood and Bopara come out for the afternoon session, with nothing left to play for, really, than pride.

6.32am - England 24-4: LUNCH: What a fine session from Sri Lanka; just eight overs, and it has effectively ripped the heart out of the tourists' batting.

6.27am - England 22-4: WHAT A BEAUTY! Malinga slings down a quick 'un that darts up off a length, takes Pietersen's gloves and flies through to the keeper! England's tired batsmen aren't at the races. The follow-on looks a long, long way away.

6.24am - England 22-3: COMPLETE DISARRAY! Cook is given out caught-behind after nudging at a Vaas outswinger! Vaas has been brilliant with the new ball, but England have been woeful in these first seven overs of batting. Collingwood comes out to join Pietersen...

6.10am - England 9-2: WHOOPS! BELL GOES TOO! Dilshan runs Bell out with a superb piece of fielding from cover, throwing down the stumps at the bowler's end after Cook hesitated over a single. This has been a disasterous start for the tourists.

6.00am - England 5-1: VAAS DOES FOR VAUGHAN! The wily new-ball bowler gets one to duck back in to the England skipper, who miscalculates and attempts to leave...only to see the ball strike his pad right in front of off-stump. Plumb.

5.52am - England 0-0: Cook and Vaughan come out for England, although it is difficult to predict what their gameplan will be. First of all, they have to avoid the follow-on - reaching 300...

5.40am - Sri Lanka 499-8: SRI LANKA DECLARE. Jayawardene calls a close to the Sri Lankan innings on 499-8 after Malinga is bowled by a gentle inswinger from Collingwood.

5.30am - Sri Lanka 492-7: Jayawardene does what he fell five runs short of doing in the last Test, and brings up his 200; it is his fourth score of over 200 in Test cricket, and is brought up with a fine lofted drive over mid-off. The applause from the crowd is understandably generous.

5.12am - Sri Lanka 470-7: VAAS GOES! The veteran all-rounder just misses out on a second Test century when his attempted hook off Hoggard flies tamely to Vaughan, who catches after a brief juggle at mid-wicket. Vaas is understandably disappointed.

5.00am - Sri Lanka 459-6: England, basically, have no chance of winning this match now; they would need to bat staggeringly well over four or five sessions to get up to and past Sri Lanka's first innings, and then hope to bowl the home side out cheaply on the final day - and that's just not going to happen.

4.45am - Sri Lanka 432-6: Chaminda Vaas has a Test century to his name before, 100 not out against Bangladesh earlier this year, but he must still be getting nervous as he moves into the 80s.

4.30am - Sri Lanka 416-6: The home side pass the 400-mark; their run-rate is still just around three-per-over, which is hardly inspiring stuff. Jayawardene again had words of criticism for England before the start of play, saying they weren't doing enough to try and win the game - surely, pot calling kettle black?

4.15am - Sri Lanka 399-6: Vaas and his skipper bring up their century partnership, coming off 180 balls. The England seamers seem resigned to here; nothing they are trying is coming off. Jayawardene brings up his 150, and is showing no signs of stopping.

4.00am - Sri Lanka 384-6: Jayawardene and Vaas emerge on the third morning as they continue to try and bat England out of the game and series. It is a bright morning in Galle; no sign of the rain clouds that were predicted...