11th over: England 57-0 (Banton 49, Duckett 7) Banton pulls Malinga for two to move within one run of another half-century. He has 49 from 46 balls, Duckett 7 from 20.

10th over: England 54-0 (Banton 47, Duckett 6) The left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage, recalled today, comes on to bowl the last over of the Powerplay. Banton hoicks a reverse sweep over the top for four to bring up an uneven fifty partnership. He’s one hit away from his own fifty.

“One of the problems with a tri-series is that nobody turns up for the neutral games,” writes Andrew Goudie. “I hope there will be more of a crowd in the evening.”

9th over: England 48-0 (Banton 42, Duckett 5) Duckett slaps Malinga to backward point and is dropped by Arachchige, a pretty straightforward chance. That could prove costly for Sri Lanka, though right now Duckett is struggling: he has 5 from 16 balls and a bat with no middle.

8th over: England 47-0 (Banton 41, Duckett 5) Fernando changes ends to replace Madushanka. Banton doesn’t care who’s bowling. He stands tall to slice a drive through backward point for four, then clatters another boundary through mid-off.

Two months ago, Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell were England’s preferred opening partnership for the World Cup; right now they feel like rivals for a place alongside Banton.

“I’m (almost) simultaneously working on a Lingala-English dictionary, reading Geoff Lemon describing the weather in South Africa, and looking at your Eng vs Sri Lanka OBO,” writes John Stedman. “The latter is by far the most boring – not due to your scintillating commentary, of course, but because tri-series seem so pointless, whereas the Test match in SA is gripping. Just an opinion.”

I prefer tri-series to bilateral fixtures. That aside, I’m nodding like a Wackeldackel.

7th over: England 37-0 (Banton 32, Duckett 4) Eshan Malinga, nephew of, replaces Asitha Fernando and starts with a wide. Banton plays another beautiful stroke, pushing a boundary to the left of mid-on. His timing has been exquisite, and in this form he looks undroppable.

“Good morning,” writes John Starbuck. “Yes, there are some of us following the action; you are not typing into a void just yet.”

Yet. (NB: clip contains some effin’ and jeffin’.)

6th over: England 31-0 (Banton 28, Duckett 3) Banton continues to go after Madushanka, slapping a short ball for four and timing another boundary through extra cover off the back foot. #TopBants

The scorecard looks lopsided but Banton has monopolised the strike: Duckett has faced only eight of the 36 deliveries.

5th over: England 23-0 (Banton 20, Duckett 3) Banton takes a pair of twos and a single from Asitha Fernando’s third over. He’s off to another good start, 20 from 22 balls, and will be keen to cash in after throwing away a potential century on Tuesday.

The latest from Gqerberha (spoiler: rain)

4th over: England 18-0 (Banton 15, Duckett 3) Banton jumpstarts the England innings with three successive boundaries: an edge wide of slip, a classy off-drive and an even better back-foot punch through extra cover. Good lad.

3rd over: England 5-0 (Banton 2, Duckett 3) Duckett survives a run-out chance after taking a quick single on the off side. He was just short of his ground when Arachchige’s throw bounced past the stumps at the bowler’s end.

Another quiet over, with only one big stroke from Banton that didn’t beat the cover fielder. Sri Lanka have bowled an excellent length and England look like they want to get the measure of the pitch before they unsheath the long handle.

2nd over: England 3-0 (Banton 1, Duckett 2) The left-armer Dilshan Madushanka continues Sri Lanka’s good start, conceding three singles. England’s openers have started cautiously and are doing their own pitch inspection.

1st over: England 0-0 (Banton 0, Duckett 0) The stocky Asitha Fernando starts with a maiden to Tom Banton. No real swing, but no looseners either and Banton was unable to pierce the infield.

Tom Banton and Ben Duckett walk out to the middle. Banton made a blistering maiden hundred against Sri Lanka at the Oval last month.

This week’s Spin is a lovely read

Bradman b Hollies 0

At the risk of misquoting Black Grape, it’s a big day in Gqeberha, where Australia have a helluva job on to save the second Test against South Africa. Geoff Lemon is on OBO duty.