Hello, good morning and welcome to our live blog of day four of the third Test at The Oval. Sri Lanka resume on 94/1, needing to score a further 125 to pull off what would be a superb victory. England need, therefore, nine wickets to avoid some awkward questions about how they have thrown this Test match away.

England were 290/4 in their first innings having done well after being inserted in bowler-friendly conditions but the worst excesses of their attack-at-all-costs mentality came to the fore and they lost their last six wickets for 35. Even still, having bowled Sri Lanka for 263 on Sunday morning, they had the opportunity to make the game safe and then turn the screw on the tourists’ iffy batting line up on days four and five. But once again, they played like millionaires, got shot out in 34 overs and set Sri Lanka just 219 to win. Dan Lawrence, particularly, played the most absurd innings of hit-and-giggle.

Chris Woakes had Dimuth Karunaratne caught and bowled on Sunday evening before Pathum Nissanka made a classy and composed half century and then rain intervened. Nissanka and the experienced Kusal Mendis resume this morning.

The forecast for today and Tuesday isn’t exactly delightful but the tourists won’t need many overs to get what they need and England really just have to come out all guns blazing and knock Sri Lanka over this morning. Can they do it? Absolutely. But if Sri Lanka keep their nerve, there’s no particular demon in the pitch and the bookies aren’t making them 9/1 on to win for nothing. I guess Sri Lanka have struggled to put together two good days, or even two consecutive good sessions so far in this series, but that’s what they can do now. Stuart Broad said on Sky last night “these are the sort of days you dream of as a bowler, a chance to take wickets and win your side the game.” Somebody needs to make himself a hero with a Broadesque grab of the momentum, that’s for sure. Play starts at 11am so please join us for that, as well as updates from our experts at the ground.