Cricket is such an obsession in the strife-torn nation that the team's progress to the World Cup final in the Caribbean has produced a temporary peace dividend 15,000km away at home.

On Tuesday, Tamil Tiger rebels and government soldiers held a truce as their national side reached the final by beating New Zealand by 81 runs in Jamaica.

But five hours after the match, it was bloodshed as usual as two policemen were killed in a roadside bomb attack in Ampara in the east of the island.

Police and military officials said there were no clashes reported during the live broadcast of the match.

A military source said instructions had gone out to troops and police to maintain a high alert, although the Tigers had announced that they would cease action during the match.

"There were specific instructions to maintain a high alert and ensure that men who were on duty remained in their posts and did not scoot off to watch the match," the source said.

The Tigers had said earlier there would be no attacks while the match was on.

"There may not be any attacks ... because we are also watching the match," Tiger spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiriyan said. Tamil Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran is believed to be a cricket fan.

Sport and war have always been uneasy partners.

The Christmas truce of 1914 on the Western Front in the First World War is believed to have included an impromptu international football match between German and Allied soldiers in no-man's land.

Letters sent home from the front claimed the Germans won 3-2.

Football played a part in sparking an armed conflict in 1969 between feuding central American neighbours El Salvador and Honduras.

The Soccer War lasted for 100 hours and was a six-day conflict which was the culmination of a long period of political and social tensions between the two countries.

These disputes were inflamed by rioting during a World Cup qualifier between the two. On July 14, 1969, the Salvadoran army launched an attack.

A ceasefire was eventually negotiated on July 20, with Salvadoran troops withdrawing in August.

Over 30 years later, sportsmen were still falling in battle.

In April 2004, Pat Tillman, who turned down a 3.6-million-dollar contract to play in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, was killed in action in Afghanistan.

He had enlisted in the Rangers in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

Cricketers played major roles in the Second World War.

English left-arm spinner Hedley Verity, who had played in 40 Test matches, died of his wounds in Italy in 1943, two months after his 38th birthday.

Verity, a captain in the Green Howards, had been shot in the chest during the Eighth Army's attack on German positions at Catania, in Sicily.

Australian all-rounder Keith Miller survived the war where his experiences as a fighter pilot taught him to keep his sporting career in perspective.

When asked if he ever felt the strain as a Test cricketer, Miller famously replied: "Pressure is a Messer Schmitt up your arse, playing cricket is not."