8.55pm Finally we get the call and play is abandoned for the day meaning a reserve day will be used for the first time in this series. Play will restart at 2.30pm local time, 9am GMT with the game simply picking up where it's left off here - so England will come out for a full 50-over chase of 240. Let's hope for better weather tomorrow, see you then...

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I'm reliably informed that the last England ODI to make use of a reserve day was during the 2004 Champions Trophy http://t.co/UqiWwDs4qP

— Alan R Gardner (@alanroderick) December 10, 2014

8.45pm There is so much water on the ground there is no chance of coming back tonight surely. We would need to start in 45 minutes and the covers have so far no budged an inch. The umpires have had a look but we're yet to receive confirmation that play is abandoned for the day. Wait on mate...

8.15pm Becoming hard to see how we're getting back out tonight. The rain is still falling and now there is plenty of water on the covers which will take some time to mop up. So I would strongly suggest we're coming back tomorrow for England's innings which will be a full 50-over affair starting at the same time as today's play, 2.30pm local time, 9am GMT - but yet to receive the official word so don't clear off just yet.

7.50pm The news is no better I'm afraid and it needs to stop raining quickly if we're to play again tonight - 9.30pm is the cut off time and if it takes an hour to get the ground ready then we don't have too much more time to play with. Still we continue to wait and as we're counting down to the World Cup, have a look at these five slightly unusual players.

7.30pm I'm afraid it hasn't got any better out there. The rain continues to lash down so just a case of waiting for it to stop. While we wait, turn your attention to Adelaide where Michael Clarke and Steven Smith made centuries against India on day two and Daniel Brettig writes it underlines the gathering depth in Australia's batting.

This remains the scene as we wait for the rain to relent. We'll keep you posted with any developments... #SLvENG pic.twitter.com/12oiAJq05J

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) December 10, 2014

6.55pm The rain has got much harder and everyone seems to have been engulfed in gloom all of a sudden. A problem is that Sri Lankan weather radar isn't great! And because it's night we can't see what's coming either. Just a case of sitting and waiting. If, incidentally, England are asked to come out for a 20-over chase later tonight, they would be facing a target of 148.

6.40pm The rain has arrived so we're not going to get the second innings started on time. It's not raining heavily but while it's still raining the groundstaff are of course not going to take the covers off. It will take about an hour to get the ground ready for play when the covers do start coming off. 9.30pm, 4pm GMT is the latest time we can start to get a 20-over chase in but we do have the reserve day, which, if needed, would start as today at 2.30pm.

Quick update, the groundstaff have put all the covers on, the entire ground is almost completely covered so it looks like rain is on the way. I'll keep you posted...

6pm, tea Just when it looked that Sri Lanka were slipping away to a dangerous total, England have responded once again to bowl Sri Lanka out with an over in hand. Kumar Sangakkara's superb innings controlled the hosts' response from a difficult start but when he fell it was only Thisara Perera's cameo that saved the home side from falling short of par. But well bowled Woakes and England have 240 to chase, which will be difficult because there was turn out there. Back with the chase in 40 minutes...