Kishin Mahtani:, external Fielding is fast becoming the sixth bowler.

Image source, AFP

There's some excellent fielding happening out there as the Afghans throw themselves about the field and make some fine diving stops. Every run counts here.

Hang on... what's happened there? Mahela Jayawardene plays a forward defensive to Shapoor and his bat snaps in two. He sends for a new one from the dressing room. Will a change in Mahela's wand affect the great man? No, he middles the first ball he faces into the outfield for a single. Of the 62 balls he has faced, he has not edged a single one.

Mahela Jayawardene became the fourth Sri Lankan to reach 1,000 World Cup runs when he reached 25.

He follows compatriots Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Silva and Kumar Sangakkara and is the 14th player overall.

Afghanistan keeper Afsar Zazai is very vocal behind the stumps. With a red helmet on, he continually shouts encouragement to leg-spinner Shenwari but there's a lack of spin. Just a single from the over.

Image source, AP

AB de Villiers take a bow. Rohit Sharma perishes as India lose their first wicket against South Africa in their Pool B match in Melbourne.

Shikhar Dhawan pushes to mid-off and sells his partner a dummy with a spot of 'yes, no, wait'. South Africa captain De Villiers, at extra cover, has one stump at the non-striker's end to aim at - and of course he hits as Rohit is short despite a despairing dive.

Scorecard

You can keep your switch hits, ramp shots and reverse sweeps... for me, there's nothing better than watching Mahela Jayawardene unfurl a cover drive for four. Not that Afghanistan bowler Shapoor will agree as he watches the ball kiss the grass on its way to the rope. Sri Lanka starting to look quite comfortable out there.

Warren Lees
Ex-New Zealand wicketkeeper on BBC Test Match Special

"Mathews needs to be very much the support role and that's what he's playing at the moment. It's an awful lot of Jayawardene to score but they have to turn the strike over. Run rate is unlikely to be an issue throughout but they have to make sure no wickets are lost for perhaps the next 15-20 overs."

It's all very idyllic in Dunedin. The sun has burnt off the cloud cover, the green pine trees which line one side of the ground look resplendent and there's a gentle hum of conversation as spectators enjoy a leisurely Sunday down at the cricket. A few leg-breaks from Samiullah Shenwari are worked for three singles.

Naveed Afzal:, external Just turned on the cricket and Afghanistan are in the ascendency. If they do win I think that piles the pressure more on England.

With Mirwais off the park, Asghar Stanikzai is given the chance to bowl some dibbly-dobblies. His pace leaves little margin for error and when he does drop short, Mahela Jaywardene rocks onto the back foot and pulls four through mid-wicket, which is the signal for the ground's DJ to blast out a bit of Black Box and Ride on Time. Never gets old that song.

Image source, AFP

Hamid Hassan is the first player to take 50 ODI wickets for Afghanistan.

He is the joint sixth quickest overall:

19 matches - Ajantha Mendis of Sri Lanka

23 - Ajay Agarkar of India and Mitchell McClenaghan of New Zealand

24 - Dennis Lille of Australia

25 - Shane Warne of Australia

26 - Curtly Ambrose of West Indies, Len Pascoe of Australia, Patrick Patterson of West Indies and Hamid Hassan of Afghanistan

Bad news for the Afghans as Mirwais Ashraf pulls up injured while delivering the first ball of his fifth over and has to leave the field for some treatment.

Afghanistan's left-arm seamer Shapoor Zadran, with his Ishant Sharma-like flowing locks, comes round the wicket to the two right-handed batsmen and angles the ball in. He is bowling to a field with seven men inside the circle, a tactic which is helping to build a bit of pressure as the associates look to starve Sri Lanka of the oxygen ones and twos give to a run-chase. Maiden over.

Warren Lees
Ex-New Zealand wicketkeeper on BBC Test Match Special

"The Afghans will be thinking 'just one more' but if we don't get that wicket pretty soon you will see the despondency start to creep in."

Afghanistan are still striving for wickets, with a slip in place. Break this partnership between these two batting heavyweights and the associate nation can start to think about delivering a knockout blow. Sri Lanka are content to milk the ones and twos into the deceptively large areas of the lush green outfield.

Warren Lees
Ex-New Zealand wicketkeeper on BBC Test Match Special

"This drinks break is a chance for Afghanistan to decide where they'd like to get to in perhaps five or 10 overs."

This is just the second time in ODIs that both openers have made first-ball ducks.

The other instance was Zimbabwe v West Indies at Georgetown in 2006 (HP Rinke and T Duffin).

Thanks Jamie, sterling work. How is everyone? Salivating at the prospect of our first World Cup shock?

It's time for some off spin from Mohammad Nabi, and the extra pace off the ball is some brief respite for the two batsmen who knock the ball into gaps for four singles.

Sri Lanka 59-4 from 15 overs (target 233)

Batsmen: Jayawardene 24, Mathews 2

Fall of wickets: 0-1 (Thirimanne 0), 2-2 (Dilshan 0), 18-3 (Sangakkara 7), 51-4 (Karunaratne 23)

Bowling figures: Dilwat Zadran 5-0-15-1, Shapoor Zadran 2-0-10-1, Hassan 5-0-23-2, Ashraf 3-0-11-0

Afghanistan 232 from 49.4 overs Stanikzai 54, Malinga 3-41, Mathews 3-41

Toss: Won by Sri Lanka

Scorecard

Radio 5 live sports extra commentary

Clear blue skies now in Dunedin, New Zealand really is the most beautiful country. Jayawardene collects his 1,000th World Cup run in his 35th match. Ashraf is rather less menacing than Hassan, at around 125k's but he's doing his job. This match remains in the balance and we are going to stay with it for now. It needs a calm head and that will come in the form of my esteemed colleague Mr Marc Higginson.