England fought back in the last session to leave Sri Lanka on 147-4 after an emotional first day of the final Test.

Test cricket returned to Galle for the first time since the tsunami in 2004 and play was delayed by two hours because of a waterlogged outfield.

Sri Lanka were reduced to 44-2, before Kumar Sangakkara (46) and Mahela Jayawardene (51no) put on 88.

But Steve Harmison (3-28) got rid of Sangakkara and Chamara Silva as England fought back until bad light ended play.

By Mark Mitchener

606: DEBATE Have your say on the third Test in Galle on 606

CLOSE OF PLAY - BAD LIGHT

1200: Right, the covers are going on, so it's officially-officially the end of play for the day. Remember, the debate continues on 606.

And as I mentioned, we'll be back bright and early tomorrow morning - play starts at 0400 GMT. Thanks to all of you for your e-mails and texts (sorry we don't have the space to use them all), and enjoy your rest of the day.

"For Adam's Bird XI, Jack Heron of Zimbabwe to open and maybe George Duckworth to keep?"
Crewie, Bristol, via text on 81111

"What about Robin Smith for the Test XI containing players with birds' names?"
RSK Salisbury in the TMS inbox

"Re: Jill, I know very well you female cricket lovers are out there. It brings back horrible painful memories of being the first of a female hat-trick! Was an lbw decision to make the recent woeful decisions look marginal. Left arm over, pitched outside, on the back foot, above the knee roll, I was mortified, and even worse it was a female! Ok so I was 12 but still the memories haunt myself and the other two lads, and we still get ribbed about it to this day! I'm now 22, so the thought of marrying a cricket mad female scares me too much, I'll just go for a dumb blonde who asks lots of annoying questions but knows nothing of a shamefull past!"
Ben in the TMS inbox

"Three tramps congregate outside my office window each day. I've just looked out to see them listening to TMS on a portable radio. It's minus two out there, but they keep the faith!"
John, London, via text on 81111

"Re Adam Green's request... don't forget to include Harold 'Dickie' Bird as the umpire!"
Nigel Smith (And lots of other people) in the TMS inbox

"I have to sympathse with Jill, I've ended up with a Scotsman who is struggling to cope with the concept of six balls in an over - and who looks at me as though I'm mad when I set the alarm for four in the morning"
Rebecca, Bucks, in the TMS inbox

"Can I please add that Adam Ant was here in our office this morning. He sat down and watched the last 15 minutes of play before lunch on our TVs and commented that 'England should have batted first to negate the Murali-bowling-on-the-last-day'."
Dir Landas, London, in the TMS inbox

1147: Aggers on TMS says the umpires are still out in the middle, as if they haven't formally called off play yet, but realistically there won't be any more play. He also reveals that play will begin at 0400 for the next three days - so it's more early starts for us here. TMS will be on air at 0355, we'll be here with the live text a little before that - so set those alarm clocks!

"I am flying with family all the way from Paris to Melbourne to watch Sachin Tendulkar play his last Test there. Can't describe how nervous I am! Can Aggers have those Lankan monks pray for me? Do I also have good wishes of the TMS stalwarts? It is for a doubly good cause: seeing the master in all his glory AND against the Aussies. Wish me luck please"
Peston in Paris, in the TMS inbox[Good luck from us - MM]

1143: BAD LIGHT STOPPED PLAY
Before they can begin the next over, or Vaughan can summon another slow bowler, the umpires offer the batsmen the light, and unsurprisingly they take it. So this truncated first day has lasted just 55 overs.

1142: SL 147-4 (55 overs)
With possibly half an eye on the light, Sidey is withdrawn and Monty P returns. Jayawardene begins with a single, then Dilshan fiercely square-cuts for four - the first boundary conceded by the Montster today in this, his 11th over. They run an easy two off the last ball - Dilshan has seven off five balls.

"All this talk surrounding the toss is utter nonsense and referring particularly to Nigel's comment regarding 'wanting' to bat last against Murali at Galle. I would respond by asking who would 'want' to bat against Murali at anytime anywhere? The facts are that England a) need to force a result and b) most probably will have to bat twice against Murali whether that be first, last or somehwere in between. I would also add that the Sri Lankan bowling attack is not a one-man show and we would do well to give due respect to the abilities of Messrs Vaas, Malinga et al"
EJ, on Christmas wind-down, City of London, in the TMS inbox

1138: SL 140-4 (54 overs)
Harmy has three slips and two gullies for new batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan, and in contrast to Silva's struggles, is off the mark first ball as he works a single to long leg off his legs. Jayawardene then reaches his 31st Test fifty with a single off the last ball, and as he lifts his bat to the crowd, drinks are taken.

"Talking ambidextrous, Brian Close used to have single-figure handicaps with left and right hand golf! Talking gifts to the England team, I hear Steve McClaren is available as a motivational coach. Or perhaps flexible spines so that they can get down to the ball when fielding. Incidentally, pundits praised Harmison for economical bowling in the last Test. Easy to be economical if you bowl a yard wide of the bat. His figures would have been totally different if it had been a ODI!"
Ken Bywater in the TMS inbox

1132: WICKET - Silva c Bell b Harmison 1 - SL 138-4 (53.2 overs)
Umpire Harper (still wearing sunglasses in the gloom - weird) consults with Vaughan, but it seems it's still okay to persist with Harmison. And he grabs his third wicket of the innings when Silva, who hasn't looked at all convincing, prods at one that's a regulation catch to Ian Bell at first slip. A three-for for Harmy.

1130: SL 138-3 (53 overs)
Fourth umpire Gamini Dissanayake brings on a light meter - captain Vaughan checks whether he can still continue with his pace bowlers. They'll be off soon if Harmy keeps bowling bouncers, but Sidey is able to continue from this end. Jayawardene, on 49, tries to work the left-arm swinger to leg, but has to wait for his half-century as umpire Rauf ostentatiously signals a leg-bye. Silva is finally off the mark after 24 balls with a leg-glanced single. That's two runs off the over - Sri Lanka's most prolific over since tea.

"My present for the team would be some herbs, as even if England do manage to get into a winning position, they will run out of thyme"
Johnsy in the TMS inbox

"No surprise that Harmy looking a bit sluggish in the field, I watched a bit on the box earlier and Harmy seemed to be dripping before a ball had been bowled in anger, which prompts the all important question... is he the most prolific 'sweater' ever to have donned the national cap? Is he perhaps the greatest 'perspirer' the game has ever seen?"
Tom in Dubai (a good dripper by my own admission), in the TMS inbox[Too much information there - MM]

1125: SL 136-3 (52 overs)
With the light slowly deteriorating, Jayawardene is showing no inclination to play anything he doesn't have to, and is happy to leave anything wide from Harmy. He does fend away a potential rib-tickler for another single, and Silva ducks a bouncer off the last ball - we've now had four runs in eight overs since tea.

"Re: Guy from Gloucestershire, is there not a danger that the aforementioned Sarah, Carol and Sarah might in fact be of a similar disposition to those dubious female characters that reside in chat-rooms the world over, and that they are in fact men pretending to be girls?"
Mitzi from Eastbourne in the TMS inbox

"In response to Andrew Greenfield. It is very sad that your wife does not appreciate your cricketing talent. I am lucky enough to have an Italian wife who understands and enjoys cricket (after seven years of marriage), though she is struggling to come to terms with the idea of Test matches: she cannot really accept that somebody would like to play or watch five whole days of cricket!"
Matthew in the TMS inbox

1121: SL 135-3 (51 overs)
Jayawardene drives Sidey along the ground for a single - he has 48 now, Silva is still yet to score, having faced 18 balls before this over. He sees off three more dot balls as the clouds darken. "It'll get dim quite quickly," warns CMJ - the Montster may be needed to bowl again soon.

"Monty's caught one! I'm off to the bookies to put all my money, the house and maybe one of the cats I'm not overly keen on, on England to win"
Homer, Dudley, via text on 81111

"The Barmy Army are very worried about the stand they're in - they fear it may fall down if they move about too much, or make too much noise"
Simon Hughes, aka "The Analyst", on TMS

1117: SL 134-3 (50 overs)
Harmy goes round the wicket to Jayawardene with two slips and two gullies. The skipper plays one off his legs for a single to midwicket. And happy birthday to England coach Peter Moores - he's 45 today.

"During a charity expedition to Kandy this summer I captained a gang of plucky east end lads against a team of local village boys on a pitch that can only be described as a 'paddy field', with the outfield six inches deep in water. Has anyone else suffered the ignominy of being clean bowled by an 8-year-old?"
Mark Delf in the TMS inbox[No, but I once missed a penalty against a girl in a Comic Relief charity football match at school, I got enough stick for that - MM]

"Ref: the bird-related team, how about Umar Gul?"
Graham, Ipswich, via text on 81111

1112: SL 133-3 (49 overs)
Sidey runs in with some purpose, and Jayawardene fends one off to square leg, taking one hand off the bat as he completes the first run since tea. With a lot of excited schoolchildren around the ground, CMJ comments that it "sounds like a swimming baths". Sidey beats Silva's outside edge twice, keeping the pressure on.

"Aw, thank you Glen in Marlow! I can happily report the recent arrival of a new Monty in the tank - this one is a swordtail, deliberately chosen as it conjured up a vision of dashing daring do and thrusting panache. How apt! And have just posted 'Dog Stops Play' to my facebook profile! By the way, I dumped someone in the summer because he wouldn't even feign a passing interest in cricket - more fool you, Jill!
Sarah, Canterbury, in the TMS inbox

1108: SL 132-3 (48 overs)
Harmy has two slips, two gullies, and two short legs (Cook at forward short leg, Monty P at backward short leg). Cook, with his sunglasses wedged on top of his helmet, makes a smart stop as Silva is still yet to get off the mark. Harmy goes round the wicket for the last ball - it's another dot, and that's four maidens and still no runs since tea.

"That fella really has struck gold! I was allowed the football World Cup on my honeymoon and thought i was lucky enough to have an understanding wife. However she's French and cricket is one step too far. I had to pretend to be ill recently to get full access to the sofa and uninterrupted Test cricket. She also insists that there is no way any future offspring will take up the game... The plan is to get her to a Test somehow with a big group so she can fully appreciate the game and everything that goes with it"
Matt, Luxembourg, in the TMS inbox

1104: SL 132-3 (47 overs)
Jayawardene is hit on the pad, Prior appeals, Sidey doesn't. That wicket was a huge filip for England, you can sense it from the way the atmosphere has changed. That's three maidens since tea.

"In response to Mucker Welsh - I suspect that there are several players in the England team who would give their right arm to be ambidextrous"
Jeremy Carter, Greenwich, in the TMS inbox

1059: SL 132-3 (46 overs)
New batsman is Chamara Silva. The ball was in the air for so long that the batsmen had crossed for a second run by the time the catch was taken, so Silva is on strike and for the last ball of the over, the newly-confident Montster is brought in at backward short leg! But Silva sees off the over - a wicket maiden for Harmy.

1055: WICKET: Sangakkara c Panesar b Harmison 46 - SL 132-3 (45.1 overs)
Harmison's first ball is a big long-hop, Sanga mishooks it and it skies over to long leg. Who's underneath it? It's none other than the Montster! It's up in the air a long time, England hold their breath - and Monty takes the catch! Naturally, he runs in waving his arm like he's just won the World Cup. And the lottery.

1053: SL 132-2 (45 overs)
Hair flying out behind him, Sidey tries to make the breakthrough but can't beat Jayawardene's obdurate defence. That's a maiden for the Notts man. An addition to the aforementioned Sri Lanka menagerie: Aggers was woken by a cockerel this morning ("which had lost all track of time").

"I can't believe Vaughan had the Galle to field first"
Ian, Cambridge, in the TMS inbox[Groan - MM]

"All talk of whether England were correct or not in putting Sri Lanka in is academic. We all know that Murali will end up with upwards of eight wickets in the match and once again a world-class spinner will be the death of England - how many times has it happened before!?"
Nick, Frankfurt, in the TMS inbox

1048: After what seems like no time at all, the players are out there again. I pull a blind down to prevent myself from being dazzled, and find what I take to be a Rudi Koertzen mask on one of the other desks. After trying to give the "slow finger of death" to any nearby Englishmen, I'm told that in fact it's probably Kenny Rogers. Anyway, Sidey to continue the attack after tea.

"I am sat at my desk here in cloudy Shrewsbury trying to work on a Test XI containing players with birds' names. I don't mean players called Tracey or Rachel, more like Graeme Swann (who sounds like a dab hand with a towel) and Robin Uthappa. I have ignored New Zealand's Martin Crowe in favour of the lesser known Australian Thomas Crow. Can anyone add any more to this feathered outfit?"
Adam Green, BBC Radio Shropshire, in the TMS inbox
[Slow news day in Shrewsbury, Adam? MM]

"In respose to Alan from Edinburgh... We are out there Alan! But somehow even I ended up with a bloke who doesn't really like the game! I'm still trying to work out how that happened"
Jill in the TMS inbox

"In response to Andrew from Redhill: Present your French-Canadian spouse with a Christmas stocking replete with a copy of Wisden and the 2005 Ashes DVD... and possibly a children's cricket skills book. Then give her one month to learn the game's fundamentals - if Capello can learn a language in 30 days - your wife, who I presume is multi-lingual, should be at least able to grasp the magnitude of your recent success. If by the end of January, the description of a crisply executed cover drive doesn't have her in obvious joy, then get rid and bag yourself a beauty with whom you can enjoy those moments to the full... I know a good lawyer if you need one!"
Anthony Anderson in the TMS inbox

"Mention of the Egret reminds me of the time a few years ago when playing golf with my father on the Isle of Seil in Scotland. One of these rare creatures had turned up and was causing quite a stir with people flying in from around the globe to see it. It had taken up residence in a tributary behind one of the greens with a number of the twitchers positioned on the nearby bridge. My father proceeded to tee off and missed the bird by no more than a couple of feet. The bird was unmoved, the twitchers unimpressed, and I was helpless with laughter!"
Andrew Stevenson in the TMS inbox

"Further to Alison in Ghana's suggestion, won't straightening Sidey's hair make him resemble Cousin It from the Addams Family?"
Billyboy, Sutton, in the TMS inbox

"Can you tell me when bad light/end of play will be as I have been asked when I will be doing some constructive work, and I want it to be accurate"
Dr Tim, Birmingham, in the TMS inbox
[Technically, the end of play is 1230 GMT - but given that they've often gone off for bad light in the previous Tests around 1130-1145, I wouldn't expect it to last that long - MM]

"A couple of years ago whilst watching a Test match between England and West Indies on telly, my 10-year-old son came in and asked 'who's winning', I replied that it was 'Even Stevens', he said 'who's he?'"
Ian in the TMS inbox

TEA INTERVAL

1032: With the huge numbers of wildlife who have featured in the ODIs and Tests in this Sri Lanka series (monkeys, dogs, bats, snakes, scorpions, bees and a chipmunk, not to mention the monks and the convict groundstaff in Kandy), I'm sure some of you will be thrilled to know that if you remember Dog #1 from the ODIs in Dambulla, his exploits have been recorded for posterity on a well-known video-sharing website. Enter "dog dambulla" as your search and you're there.

1028: SL 132-2 (44 overs)
Paul Collingwood's on for some medium-pace trundling before tea. There's a short mid-on, a Reasonably Short Midwicket and a couple of other close fielders, but Sanga's not biting. A maiden from the Mackem, and that's tea, folks.

"Re: presents for the team, I would suggest the following; A fit Tresco, a fixed and sober Freddie, a firing and accurate Harmi, an un-infuriating KP, a injury free Hoggy, a flamboyant Colly, a fit Jonesy, a wicket keeper we can believe in, a winning streak, and the end of Kolpak! And for all us stalwart followers of the team on the BBC web, I think that some festive cheer and love from the legends that are Sarah from Canterbury, Carole from Maidenhead and Sarah from Bucks would be perfect (plus an acceptance of my marriage proposals from at least one of them!)"
Guy, Gloucestershire in the TMS inbox
[With an eye for the ladies, might that not be Guy of Gisborne? MM]

1024: SL 132-2 (43 overs)
Jayawardene carefully guides Sidey through the covers for three - both batsmen now have 45, and the stand is worth 87. Sanga runs a quick single, and Harmy is still walking back to his position at long leg when Sidey bowls the next ball. Come on Harmy, not long till tea, fella!

"Re: Andrew Greenfield - your mistake was going home thinking she would care about anything after you spent a day out of the house. Stay at the clubroom with people who understand and absorb their congratulations"
John Duncan in the TMS inbox

1019: SL 128-2 (42 overs)
Sanga off-drives Hoggy, but the slow outfield allows Michael Vaughan (not one of the quickest in the field) to retrieve the ball as they run two. Hoggy then looks to the heavens in despair as Pietersen fails to get down to a square drive he really should have stopped, and it's another four for Sanga who moves on to 45 (Jayawardene has 42).

"Presents for English cricketers? The gift of ambidexterity. After watching the genius that is Ronnie O'Sullivan at the weekend, wouldn't it be great if there was a batsman who could bat both left and right handed to combat tricky bowlers (has there ever been such a cricketer?)"
Mucker Welsh, Glasgow, in the TMS inbox
[Pietersen occasionally reverses his hands to play "left-handed" slog-sweeps, while a couple of years ago, Hampshire batsman Chris Benham bowled an over comprising three balls of right-arm off-spin and three balls of left-arm spin when Shane Warne was trying to persuade Lancashire to declare - MM]

1015: SL 122-2 (41 overs)
Sidey darts one in outside off-stump which darts back and keeper Prior has to dive to his left to take it. Jayawardene then drives at one which leaves him and it sails through to Prior. He does finally connect with one which sails through the covers for four. And Michael Vaughan's decision to field first is continuing to divide opinion on the e-mails...

"Why would anyone want to bat last in Galle with Muralitharan in the opposing team?"
Nigel in the TMS inbox

"Re: Charles Sheldrick, Devon. The reason England won the toss and fielded is that they need to force a result (therefore get 20 wickets in the match and knock off the runs) and the pitch this morning resembled something out of Richie Benaud's era, given that it has been under water for nearly three years. In these circumstances, only a complete idiot would have been strapping his pads on having won the toss. If he watched the highlights, he will see that the ball has jooped around corners and turned very early for the Montster. The fact of the matter is that England have bowled very poorly, and let themselves down. Absolutely nothing to do with the call of MPV whatsoever!"
AJ, City of London, in the TMS inbox

1010: SL 118-2 (40 overs)
Hoggy gets his forehead mopped by Graeme Swann (who runs on with a yellow towel) before running in for his 12th over. Most of the England fielders appear to be sharing a private joke, with broad grins on their faces, as Hoggy sends down some off-cutters to Sanga who is unable to pierce the off-side field. 15 minutes until tea by our calculations.

"Do you think there's a Sid James that works at the Vatican? Let's hope this Test does not descend into 'Carry On Cricket'... Although a giant food fight at the end of day five would be quite amusing"
David Dickinson (yes, I know) in the TMS inbox

"On the subject of Christmas presents, shouldn't all the loyal readers have a whip-round to buy a new goldfish for Sarah from Canterbury?"
Glen in Marlow, via text on 81111

"I would buy one-time West Indies all-rounder Vasbert Drakes a big bottle of Jamaican rum for Christmas. I met him at a Lashings cricket game and in between scoring a hundred in double quick time and bowling tweakers to the village batsmen, he stood at long leg enjoying a rum and coke or three chatting away to anyone near the boundary. Very nice bloke"
Andrew - at the office in London - in the TMS inbox

1006: SL 118-2 (39 overs)
The Montster takes a rest and Sidey returns from "his" end. The only score comes from a leg-bye off the final delivery, so Sidey still completes his maiden over.

"The Indian elephant has smaller ears so will not present a problem as regards getting it home"
Bill, Whipsnade, via text on 81111

"Mrs Guyver (0802) lets her husband follow TMS online ON HONEYMOON?? Where are such rare and precious creatures made? Far be it for me to suggest that most online TMS followers are single, but I think there could be some demand there"
Alan, Edinburgh, in the TMS inbox

1001: SL 117-2 (38 overs)
Hoggy is "not looking particularly penetrative" according to Aggers, and Jayawardene cuts him through gully for the fifth four of his innings. There are rain clouds in the air - and huge numbers of ground staff are gathering on the boundary in case the covers need to come on.

"If we have to say Mumbai and Beijing these days then surely Galle should be pronounced 'Galluh', in line with the Sinhalese pronunciation? (I suppose that if you insist on anglicising to 'Gaul' then you should also be referring to Ceylon, itself a Portuguese name)"
Mark Smith, Frankfurt, in the TMS inbox

0957: SL 113-2 (37 overs)
Jayawardene drives Monty hard to point where Bopara makes a sprawling stop. Aggers on TMS has spotted some monks up on one of the ramparts to their left. Again, just a single to the skipper from this over - we're a little becalmed here, slow run accumulation is the order of the day.

"Re: presents for the team - I'd get Freddie a pair of bionic ankles (no disrespect to the boys playing today of course!)"
Linda in Newbury in the TMS inbox

"Re: Jack Byrne. I believe Bravo was probably referring to SA being the number two in the ODI format whereas my Prince of Kolkata was probably referring to India being the second best Test side (although they stand at number four in the rankings)"
Jignesh Shah in the TMS inbox

0953: SL 112-2 (36 overs)
A single off Hoggard takes Sanga to 1,000 runs against England in this calendar year. Jayawardene gets Sri Lanka quickly off "Nelson" (111) with a single of his own.

"Is it just me or does Upul Tharanga sound as though he could be a Bond villain?"
Nick in Henley-on-Thames in the TMS inbox
[Could he be the Man with the Golden Bat? MM]

0949: SL 110-2 (35 overs)
Monty gives it some air to Jayawardene, who's the more watchful of this pair. An aggressive drive hits Cook on the knee at silly point as he tries to take evasive action. A maiden for the Montster.

0946: SL 110-2 (34 overs)
Aggers reveals that one of the TMS crew is having an elephant carved in ebony for his family. That'll be fun trying to get it on the plane home. Hoggy wipes his brow in frustration as Sanga flays him away for another four. And as R4 LW listeners are whisked away for the Daily Service, Aggers leaves an enduring image in their minds by revealing that he saw a virtually naked Derek Pringle having a massage yesterday from a man one-third his height.

0941: SL 106-2 (33 overs)
While the players take drinks, umpire Asad Rauf sinks to his knees and wipes his furrowed brow with a towel. When they resume, Jayawardene cuts Monty for a couple of easy twos.

"I was wondering how one becomes a cricket commentator if you are a) not an ex-cricketer and b) female!? That would be my dream job, and it seems you have to talk about more than just cricket in between which would be no problem for a chatterbox like me! Do female cricket commentators exist?"
Sam Cooray, London
[You can't have heard the World Twenty20 or the recent ODIs in Sri Lanka, which featured BBC Sport's Alison Mitchell on the TMS commentary team - while West Indies commentator Donna Symmonds has also been heard on TMS in the past - MM]

"In response to Paul in Lancs (0628), my wife is French-Canadian. She doesn't understand cricket at all. I scored my maiden century in 2002 for Reigate Priory Cricket Club (107 before lunch) and went home later ecstatic. I tried to describe what happened as I walked through the door only to be given the Hoover - we had people coming over. I tried, in vain, to explain again, however she couldn't make out (or care) what I was saying over the din of the vacuum cleaner"
Andrew Greenfield, gutted of Redhill, Surrey, in the TMS inbox

0935: SL 102-2 (32 overs)
After that two-over interlude from Bopara, Hoggard returns to the attack, and Jayawardene takes a single off his last ball. While the players take some drinkies, my ever-optimistic BBC colleague Alistair Watkins says "These two are going to put on 250 here". Would you bet against him?

"How about some hair straighteners for Sidey?"
Alison, Ghana, in the TMS inbox

"When I was walking about on the roof just now, I bumped into a large aerial and knocked it over. Hope it wasn't the BBC one"
Former Middlesex and Durham seamer Simon Hughes, aka "The Analyst", on TMS

0930: SL 101-2 (31 overs)
Sanga guides Monty for a single past mid-on which brings up three figures for the home side. Jayawardene rotates the strike with a single of his own, but it's still no boundaries hit off the Montster yet. He floats one in to Sanga which turns and bounces.

"Christmas presents... I was going to suggest a double-headed coin for MV to stop him losing the toss, but then I found out he had won it and elected to field... we will have to bat last on a pitch that will be lucky to last three days let alone five against Murali... maybe I should get him Mike Brearley's book on captaincy? Come to think of it W.G. Grace had some good advice: 'When you win the toss - bat. If you are in doubt, think about it, then bat. If you have very big doubts, consult a colleague - then bat'."
Charles Sheldrick, Devon, in the TMS inbox

0927: SL 99-2 (30 overs)
It's still Bopara, and he's quite tight for most of the over until Jayawardene steers the last ball, which was a little looser, through third man for four.

"As a member of the Lourdes Hospitalite, I would be happy to welcome the English cricket team to Lourdes and show them round, where they would be very useful wheeling sick pilgrims around the domain, helping them into the baths, or helping people off the trains and planes on arrival. I've always wondered if cricket could be played in the domain, opposite the grotto, where there is a large grassy area, but the pitch may not quite be up to standard - it would take a lot of spin. Monty would be in his element I feel"
Kenneth Williams (no, really), in the TMS inbox

"In the past 10 years it has become quite common for England to win the toss and put the opposition in to bat. My heart sinks when we do this as I can't ever remember it working. How often have we won a Test when we have done this? Hopefully Vaughan will prove me wrong here but what normally happens is the opposition lose a couple of early wickets and then recover so control has been sacrificed to no advantage"
Paul Clifford in the TMS inbox

0923: SL 95-2 (29 overs)
Jayawardene singles off Monty, and then everyone holds their breath as Sanga prods off his legs and again it falls just wide of Cook at short leg.

"Even though I am an England supporter should we not be looking at pressies for Mr Rauf. Maybe some book tokens so that he can get a copy of the rules of cricket perhaps, and a self-help book on how to be consistent at work. Some all-weather spectacles, and a microphone to contact the third umpire might also come in handy"
OSJ, Ankara, in the TMS inbox

0920: SL 94-2 (28 overs)
Ravi Bopara is thrown the ball - around 80 overs earlier than in the second Test - and the Essex all-rounder's medium pace yields a single to Sanga. He gets a tiny bit of movement away from the right-handed Jayawardene, who then off-drives for a single to bring up the fifty partnership. CMJ and Simon Hughes have a brief ornithological discussion about some birds (egrets, in fact) they saw by some paddy fields the other day.

0916: SL 92-2 (27 overs)
The Montster wheels away from the end which contains a brand new pavilion and media centre. Sanga takes a step outside his crease but has to go back when the ball is returned straight away, raising a smile from Monty. He then beats the outside edge, and stamps his foot in frustration in the manner of Rumpelstiltskin (although thankfully, the soft outfield doesn't see the foot disappear into the ground as in the aforementioned fairy story). Sanga pushes a single past the bowler to round off the over.

"I'd buy Steve Harmison the boxed set of "Extras" for Christmas - does he have a good sense of humour?"
Mel, Oxfordshire, in the TMS inbox

0911: SL 91-2 (26 overs)
Jayawardene has to fend away a lifter from Harmison, and they run a single. There's a first slip and a third slip for Sanga, but no second. Sanga pushes towards Sidey at mid-on and immediately sets off for a single.

"I would buy out of my own pocket, some batting lessons for KP!"
Karlos from Peterlee in the TMS inbox

0907: SL 89-2 (25 overs)
Monty gives it a bit of air but Jayawardene carefully prods forward, killing the spin. He then gets an edge through where second slip would be (there's just one slip and a silly point at the moment) and they jog through for a single. Just the one run from the over - the Montster has bowled four overs for 10 runs, with no boundaries yet.

"Can we expect some better weather reporting from TMS this Test? On Day 5 in Colombo I read about a 'slight delay' due to rain followed by a comment, after play was abandoned, that if a team needed 10 runs to win there would have been play. I was at the SSC at the time where torrential rain was battering the ground (it didn't stop til lunchtime the next day) and wading birds had flown onto the covers. Play, under any circumstances, would have been impossible. Still, the comments did raise a smile or two"
Hazel in Hackney in the TMS inbox

0903: SL 88-2 (24 overs)
Aggers and Gus wonder whether one of Monty's left-arm predecessors, Derek Underwood, would have run through a side on a pitch like this in conditions like this. Never mind Galle, my childhood was scarred enough by watching "Deadly Derek" run through Hampshire on multiple occasions. Jayawardene dabs a single off Harmison, then Sanga plays a fluent leg-glance for four, while R4 LW listeners are back in the fold.

0859: SL 83-2 (23 overs)
Jayawardene gets forward to Monty P - he's a great player of spin, and you get the feeling Mr Panesar could be on for a long spell today. They take a single, and the field is rotated for the left-handed Sanga, to whom Monty bowls over the wicket. Sanga guides a single through midwicket, as does Jayawardene.

"Noticed your point below about the rankings. What's the point in having them if the players just make it up to suit their comments? Was watching South Africa - WI the other night, and Dwayne Bravo says 'These are the second best team in the world'. Sourav Ganguly has said in an article on here ahead of the Test series 'It's the top two sides in the world'. Better just cancel those rankings then"
Jack Byrne, Stockport, in the TMS inbox

0855: SL 80-2 (22 overs)
Sanga cover-drives Harmy for another two, and he's then hit on the pad but umpire Harper correctly rules that it pitched outside leg stump. Aggers says Matt Prior looks like "some kind of alien" because of the white sun cream daubed on his face.

0851: SL 78-2 (21 overs)
Monty bowls round the wicket to the right-handed Jayawardene, who drives just between silly point and orthodox short extra cover, and they run two. The skipper then cuts for two past point, and Aggers on TMS recalls the 2001 tour when the BBC were locked out of the Galle ground and he had to broadcast from the top of the famous old fort.

0848: SL 74-2 (20 overs)
Harmy has returned to his original end, where he bowled just one over in his first spell, and Sanga pushes him away for a single. Four England fans in the crowd appear to be wearing white cassocks with red surplices (with a white cross on the chest), and white bishops' mitres. Sitting next to them is a young lady who wears a nun's headgear and a bikini. Steady on, sister. A leg-bye completes the over.

0844: SL 72-2 (19 overs)
Monty Panesar tosses up the first ball after lunch, which is worked away for a single to leg by Sangakkara. He then gets one to turn virtually square past Jayawardene's outside edge - a great first over from the Montster. Aggers and Angus Fraser on TMS ponder whether Henry Blofeld would be thrilled at the various buses, cars, tuk-tuks and other modes of transport racing around the outside of the ground.

0840: The teams walk back on, and Steve Harmison tapes up one of his boots. TMS's Radio 4 LW listeners are still away at Yesterday in Parliament, but what's this? Who's that coming on to bowl, is it the Montster?!

"Re: presents for the England cricket team. I would like to suggest that we turn this thing around and instead of us giving them a present I think they should give us a present... e.g. a win! That would lift our spirits for Christmas"
Mary in Paris in the TMS inbox

"What is 'doing a Simon Jones'?"
Loulabelle Bluebell in Sheffield, via text on 81111
[The comment was made on TMS when Sidebottom looked to have injured himself diving to try to prevent a boundary. Jones suffered a serious knee injury making a similar sliding stop on the first morning of the 2002/03 Ashes series in Australia - MM]

"They do play cricket in Gaul. I played for a French/English expat combo side in the grounds of a chateau against a touring team from the Radio Times. The Frog/British Beef Alliance won by four wickets, in a game that can only be described as Village. PS - I am currently in Dubai, lamenting the fact that the bloke to whom I pay my yearly TV licence fee has departed in mysterious circumstances, his pockets lined with my 600 quid. Hence, plans for a day in front of the box have been scuppered, leaving your commentary as my only option until Interpol track down the shyster"
Kev Scorah in the TMS inbox

0831: Remember, if you're off out for the day, you can still keep track of all the action on BBC Sport via your mobile phone or other handheld device.

LUNCH INTERVAL

0803: Right, that's lunch. Time for some iron rations - keep your suggestions for what presents you would give to cricketers coming...

0802: SL 71-2 (18 overs)
Sidey returns for possibly the last over before lunch. Another loose leg-stump delivery, similar to Hoggy's from the 16th over, is meat and drink to Sanga who clips him for an easy four square of the wicket. Sanga then off-drives, the Montster gives chase and stops it just inside the boundary as they run three. Jayawardene shoulders arms as he senses lunch.

"Hi Mark - Vandort lbw, what a horrible decision! A 6 foot 5 man playing that on tiptoes and hit the top flap over the kneeroll. I think the heat has already gotten to Mr Rauf"
Dahanayake in the TMS inbox

"I'm following the Test from the Maldives on honeymoon with my lovely new wife, Debbie. One of her marriage vows last week was to come with me to Lord's for at least one day of the Test there every summer. What a girl! Keep up the great work"
Chris Guyver in the TMS inbox[Congratulations on your marriage - your wife is clearly a legend! MM]

"Hoggard is clearly not 100% fit, he's bowling a bit round-arm. He clearly wants to play, but might still be feeling his back injury"
Angus Fraser on TMS

0756: SL 64-2 (17 overs)
Jayawardene plays defensively at Harmy's first ball, but he can afford to leave the next one, which would have been a wide in one-day cricket. An expertly-timed forward prod with no follow-through brings a four past mid-off, and then the Sri Lanka skipper takes my vote for "shot of the day" with an awesome cover-driven four.

0752: SL 56-2 (16 overs)
With just over 10 minutes until lunch, Sanga looks to defend against Hoggy, who's still getting a bit of swing. Sanga eventually gets on top of one which he cuffs away for four through point, to bring up his side's fifty. Hoggy then lets one go down the leg side which Sanga expertly flicks away for four, and Hoggy's upset with himself for that.

0748: SL 48-2 (15 overs)
Captain Mahela Jayawardene, who batted quite majestically in Colombo, strides to the crease to join Sanga. The first right-hander in the order, he edges through the slip cordon ("who haven't laid their fingers on very much today", CMJ notes), and it runs away for four.

"Morning Mark. A Christmas present for Monty? Action Man! What else? Preferably with one of those little trigger buttons that makes his arms jump up and down... Oh and I'd give Colly a new pair of hands after that drop!"
Sarah, Canterbury, in the TMS inbox

0745: WICKET - Tharanga lbw b Harmison 16 - SL 44-2 (14.4 overs)
Harmison is pitching it up well on a good length, Tharanga prods forward and there's no doubt from Asad Rauf as the finger is raised very quickly. It was certainly going to hit, but did it pitch a fraction outside leg stump?

"I wonder why Daryl Harper is still umpiring in Test cricket when he's made so many errors over the years?"
Christopher Martin-Jenkins on TMS

0742: SL 44-1 (14 overs)
Hoggy gets one to slide past Sanga as he drives, they think he got an outside edge to keeper Prior and bowler, keeper and slips appeal. Sanga stands his ground (remember, he walked in the ODI series), umpire Daryl Harper shakes his head and even though the team continue to appeal, that's not out. Hoggy then fires in possibly the fastest ball he's bowled all day, and gives Sanga a "hard stare" in the style of Sree Santh (or possibly Paddington Bear). Sanga, unruffled, guides one off his legs to the backward square leg boundary for four. The chance from earlier in the over is replayed and replayed, and even the "snickometer" suggests a very slight edge.

"In a reply to your challenge, my gift list for the lads - Vaughan: A century. Bell: A baseball catcher's glove. Maybe he can catch something then! Cook: See Bell. Pietersen: Sense. Collingwood: Undying adulation and endless applause. Prior: Better keeping skills. Mustard: A chance. Shah: See Mustard. Bopara: A non-invitation to New Zealand. Hoggard: Anti-injury charm. Sidebottom: Hair spray - and lots of it! Harmison: See Hoggard, but dusted with an 'anti-wonky bowling' coating"
John L, Calgary, Canada, in the TMS inbox

0737: SL 40-1 (13 overs)
Sidey takes a rest - and goes off the field, presumably for some physio treatment, though he also may take the chance to change his filthy trousers after that sliding stop which caused his injury scare. 12th man James Anderson comes on to field. As anticipated, Harmison takes up the attack as Tharanga runs a leg-bye and Sanga pushes a single to the effervescent Montster at wide mid-on.

"Re: pressies for favourite cricketers. I'd give Monty a ready-made doosra"
Rob from wet and windy Perth, Western Australia, in the TMS inbox

0732: SL 38-1 (12 overs)
Slightly strangely, Harmy is off after one over and Hoggy returns. Will Harmy be changing ends? Sanga tickles a single down the leg side, Tharanga takes a single as well and shockingly, we've only been playing an hour and we're already less than half-an-hour from lunch. Sanga withdraws his bat as Hoggy keeps it tight.

0727: SL 36-1 (11 overs)
Aggers watches a white bus race around the ground as Kumar Sangakkara enters the arena. If we're still talking Christmas presents, maybe England and the other Test-playing countries could club together and buy Sanga a new set of wicket-keeping gauntlets, given that his Test average has trebled since giving up the gloves? He advances the score with a leg-bye, before Sidey strays with the first wide of the day.

"This cricket ground is basically the main roundabout in Galle - there's loads of traffic, it's like the Basin Reserve in New Zealand. The clock tower is showing two different times on the faces we can see - neither of which are right"
BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew on TMS

0722: WICKET - Vandort lbw b Sidebottom 18 - SL 34-1 (10.1 overs)
Aggers on TMS notes that there isn't a readily-visible scoreboard around the ground - just an electric screen "with a mind of its own". First ball after the drinks break, Sidey hits Vandort square on the pad and although umpire Asad Rauf takes an age to decide (compared to his usual speed), he raises the finger and Vandort is gone. Even Aggers thinks it's a "marginal decision" as it was very high.

"Maybe we ought to have sent the England squad to Lourdes a long time ago"
Mike in Sunderland in the TMS inbox[If only they could take their catches, it would be a miracle - MM]

0718: SL 34-0 (10 overs)
It's Harmy time - although he replaces Hoggy and not Sidey as we had anticipated. Tharanga clips him off his legs to Sidey, who's been a ball-magnet at fine leg when he's not been bowling, for two. The Durham man then digs in a bouncer which Tharanga only just ducks out of the way of. Tharanga finally gets an edge... which is put down by Paul Collingwood, acknowledged to be England's best fielder, at second slip. A regulation drop, we're denied an all-Durham wicket and the drinks trolley is wheeled on. How crucial might that drop be?

0713: SL 32-0 (9 overs)
Roshan Abeysinghe on TMS reminds listeners that Sri Lanka lost 40,000 lives in the tsunami. Despite Harmy having warmed up, Sidey seems okay to continue the attack. Vandort takes a single before Tharanga off-drives and it's too fast for the pursuing Monty Panesar at mid-off, and the ball is retrieved by the operator of the famous Sri Lanka drinks trolley. He'll be on very soon. Tharanga pinches the strike with a single.

"What's all this 'starting at a vaguely reasonable time' nonsense? I'm propped up against my PC in Atlanta Georgia where the first ball is due at 1.30am. By the time I wake up about late-lunchtime GMT I'm hoping we'll have the Sri Lankan tail exposed... hoping, I said"
Jeremy, Atlanta USA, in the TMS inbox

0709: SL 26-0 (8 overs)
Vandort goes on the attack against Hoggy, straight-driving past the stumps for four and then gets a streaky edge which evades the tumbling Sidey at fine leg for another four. Sidey falls awkwardly on his right knee and grimaces in pain as he gets up. He then falls back on the turf as England physio Kirk Russell comes on to give him some treatment. A couple of photographers capture the action from virtually point-blank range - any closer and they'd be in Sidey's hair literally as well as metaphorically. Sidey eventually gets up and stays on the field, but noticeably Harmison starts warming up. It's just Sidey's luck that he has to field the ball again when Vandort gets another edge and they run a single. Tharanga on-drives through midwicket for his first boundary of the innings - an expensive over for Hoggy and England.

"Hi Mark, good afternoon from Bangkok. Whilst watching cricket last summer, my mate's wife commented that it was rather nice and thoughtful that there were two elderly gentlemen in the middle with white coats on to hold the players' jumpers! Bless her..."
Howard Leigh in the TMS inbox

"Ryan Sidebottom must be frustrated as he knows these are excellent conditions for him to swing the ball, and the pitch is giving him a bit of movement, but he's not quite there yet"
Angus Fraser on TMS

0702: SL 13-0 (7 overs)
Sidey angles one in across Tharanga and beats the outside edge. I should have mentioned earlier that there's a drinks interval scheduled halfway through each of these three short sessions, and carrying the drinks for England will be Messrs Broad, Swann and Anderson, who are sat together in the England dressing-room. One presumes Owais Shah and reserve wickie Phil Mustard, not pictured, will lend them a hand. Another beauty from Sidey is inches away from the edge of Tharanga's bat. Another maiden.

0658: SL 13-0 (6 overs)
Roshan Abeysinghe takes over the commentary chair in the TMS box - it's clear he and his fellow Sri Lankans are very proud this match is taking place and international cricket has finally returned to Galle. Vandort prods forward to Hoggy, then tries to guide the final ball through midwicket where Pietersen makes a sprawling stop. A maiden.

"Have England chosen to field first to give Sri Lanka time to finish building the dressing rooms?"
Simon in the TMS inbox

0654: SL 13-0 (5 overs)
CMJ on TMS reveals that Sri Lanka debutant Chanaka Welegedara has no fewer than SIX initials - his full name is Uda Walawwe Mahim Bandaralage Chanaka Asanka Welegedara. That's even one more initial than his better-known team-mate WPUJC Vaas. Vandort works Sidey away for a single, but his partner Tharanga is very watchful at this stage.

"Greetings Mr Mitchener, I've got my list all written up, and hopefully Santa's checked it twice. And it is wishing for an England victory in Galle. It's gonna be unpredictable, but I have my fingers crossed. I have a feeling Santa Paul Collingwood is gonna be the hero this time"
John L, Calgary, Canada, in the TMS inbox
[All right then, here's a challenge - what presents would you give to your favourite cricketers this festive season? MM]

0649: SL 12-0 (4 overs)
The tall Vandort tries to guide Hoggy through midwicket but is beaten again as the Yorkshireman gets some movement. Hoggy then hits Vandort on the pad but it looks like it was swinging too much and may have missed leg stump, so umpire Harper signals a leg bye.

"Sri Lanka's batsmen are quite slow between the wickets, but they're careful between the wickets - they want to be there for a long time, so they're not going to tire themselves out running too many threes in this heat"
Former Middlesex and England seamer Angus Fraser on TMS

0645: SL 11-0 (3 overs)
Sidey polishes the ball and Vandort gets a bottom edge onto his foot which squirms away to safety. After clipping a two through midwicket, he then gets a thick outside edge off the final delivery which goes through the assembled five-man slip cordon and they run three to third man.

"England are as unpredictable as the British train service, of course they can win!"
Peter in the TMS inbox

0641: SL 6-0 (2 overs)
Matthew Hoggard takes the second over against Tharanga, who nearly prods the second ball to Cook at short leg, but it just evades him and they run two. Hoggy then gets a bit of bounce and Tharanga withdraws his left hand as he is hit on the glove. Tharanga leg-glances and trots through for a comfortable two as Sidey makes a smart stop inside the rope at fine leg.

OK, here are the amended playing times, just for today. They're going to try to get three (short) sessions in. Apparently the umpires wanted two long sessions, but the players asked for three. Speaking purely in GMT, play began at 0630 and will continue until 0800. Lunch is from 0800-0840, then the afternoon session from 0840-1025, tea 1025-1045 and then the final session from 1045-1230 (bad light permitting).

0636: SL 2-0 (1 over)
Before play can begin, the ground crew have to remove a couple of big, black loudspeakers from in front of the white sightscreen behind the bowler's arm. Michael Vandort and Upul Tharanga are opening up, with Ryan Sidebottom taking the new ball. With three slips and a gully in, Sidey gets the first ball of the match to swing prodigiously, and Vaughan immediately brings in a fourth slip. Vandort steers the first runs down to third man for two, and Harmison runs down from gully to retrieve it - clearly the outfield will be very slow.

"I haven't ever seen as big a crowd as this at Galle before, which shows what this match means to the locals here"
Christopher Martin-Jenkins on TMS

0628: Umpires on the way - it looks like Asad Rauf has had a haircut. Just a trim. Maybe he read my comments in the first Test about when he turned down an lbw appeal from Malinga against fellow Hair Bear Bunch member Sidebottom, it must have been the greatest total amount of hair involved in an umpire-bowler-batsman combo. Here we go.

"Mornin' Mark. I mentioned to my wife that the third test was starting in Galle and that it was all to play for, but she just look at me funny and said she didn't know the French even played cricket. Do any other readers have a spouse/partner whose endearing confusion between historical and modern day names of countries almost makes up for her/his lamentable understanding of world cricket?"
Paul in Lancs in the TMS inbox
[It's worth mentioning to the uninitiated that Galle is pronounced "Gaul" rather than "Galley" as my dad called it the other day. Surely the home of French cricket should be Lourdes? MM]

0622: Don't forget, even though we're starting at a vaguely reasonable time, I'll still need your help on the e-mails and texts (and 606 after 0900 GMT). What are your expectations for the match - can England level the series?

Also, Aggers on TMS reveals that Matthew Hoggard will be wearing a black armband following the death of his grandfather. I'm sure everyone's thoughts are with his family.

0620: Here are the full teams:

Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga, Michael Vandort, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Chamara Silva, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Chaminda Vaas, Chanaka Welegedara, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan.

England: Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan (capt), Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ravi Bopara, Matt Prior (wk), Ryan Sidebottom, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar.

Umpires: Daryl Harper of Australia, who made a couple of ahem, controversial decisions in the second Test, is joined by the long-haired Asad Rauf from Pakistan, who stood in the first Test in Kandy. Third ump on TV replays is Asoka De Silva, fourth ump is his fellow countryman Gamini Dissanayake. New Zealand's Jeff Crowe remains as match referee.

0615: My "gaffer" this morning, Alistair Watkins, reveals that England will fall from second to fifth in the ICC Test rankings if they don't win.

0608: England captain Vaughan says there's a lot of moisture in the pitch, they have to get 20 wickets. Hoggard comes in for Broad. With no Broad and no Swann, Nottinghamshire's sole representatives are left-arm swinger Ryan Sidebottom and my BBC colleague Jonathan Stevenson, who's my "wing-man" on match report duties today.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene expects some early movement but says there will be a lot of spin for Muralitharan on the fourth and fifth days. They make two changes - as anticipated, Dilshan's in for Mubarak (and will be an important safety valve as a second spinner), while left-arm seamer Chanaka Welegedara makes his Test debut in place of the injured Fernando.

TOSS NEWS: England win the toss and will field first. Eh?

0553: No team news yet - England named a 12-man squad, omitting Stuart Broad from the XI from the last Test, but including fit-again seamer Matthew Hoggard and uncapped off-spinner Graeme Swann.

Sri Lanka also have options, but have recalled middle-order batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan and dropped Jehan Mubarak. Paceman Dilhara Fernando is out as he needs ankle surgery, and his place could go to leg-spinner Malinga Bandara, or one of the two left-arm seamers - Chanaka Welegedara (who is uncapped) and Sujeewa de Silva.

0550: Morning, everyone - I hope none of you have failed to follow the news for the last few days and have been furiously waiting for the last two hours for BBC Sport's live text coverage to put in an appearance.

This is the first match in Galle since the ground was ravaged by the tsunami on Boxing Day, 2004 - and the ground staff have been feverishly working long hours to get it ready.

But persistent showers over the last few days, plus a heavy downpour on Monday afternoon, led officials yesterday to announce that play would not start until 0630 GMT (1200 local time), two hours later than scheduled.