Wet Weather, Dry Tracks

England marched on despite losing three hours of the 4th Day to rain and have ensured they can't lose and Sri Lanka can't win. Without Anderson to swing the ball in still heavy conditions and on a pitch that turns as much as the Eyre Highway, even Swann will be hard pressed to make an impact on the Sri Lankan's after lunch tomorrow.

Cook went not long after the late resumption, out in a familiar way, caught behind cutting at a ball too close to him, sending the keeper, Jayawardene, sprawling to take an excellent low diving catch to his left. This has often been Cook's demise, it's just that he puts so many more runs and batting minutes between dismissal events now. Pietersen came and went, unhappy with having misjudged a ball that shot through from outside off to hit pad first or unhappy with the decision or unhappy with himself ... only the replay proved conclusive. As is so often the case with Pietersen, the source of his unhappiness is as obscure as the cure. All that can be said with certainty is that with pancakes piled high upon his plate, he chose to eat the tablecloth ... oh and that Herath is another slow left armer to send him back to the pavilion in a state of joylessness.

Trott and Bell then went on and on in the protracted 40 over last session at a time of day when a lot of cricket is played in England. They added 160 in 47 overs and had it not been for Bell's acceleration, the scoring rate would have been even slower. Trott is relentless. In style and even looks he reminds one of Dear Geoffrey but his batting doesn't have the obvious self-obsession that Boycott poured into his days at the crease. For Trott, its just the way he bats: compact defence, error free accumulation. England will continue to build their reputation and success around this rock at No 3. Followed as he is by free stroke makers Pietersen, Bell, Morgan and Prior, England has a powerful batting line up - statistically at least, as good as there is in Test cricket.

What was to be a draw yesterday is still going to be a draw tomorrow.