Cricket: England's early momentum was derailed by the familiar figure of Mahela Jayawardene as the Sri Lanka captain frustrated the tourists on the first afternoon of the second Test in Colombo.
James Anderson reduced the hosts to 30 for three with a superb opening spell but Jayawardene, who made 180 in the first Test, put on 124 alongside Thilan Samaraweera to shift the balance of the match.
Jayawardene was 74 not out at tea, with Samaraweera falling to Tim Bresnan for 54 just before the break. With Stuart Broad injured, England opted to drop Monty Panesar and bolster their seam options with Steven Finn and Bresnan. But it was Anderson who obliged with the new ball — taking two wickets in as many balls, just as he did in Galle last week.
Tillakaratne Dilshan drilled him for two fours in a row, only to nick the next ball fine to Matt Prior, who gathered a low catch. Then, for the second time in the series, he removed the dangerous Kumar Sangakkara for a golden duck. It was another good length ball and another outside edge but this time it carried to the under-pressure Andrew Strauss at first slip.
He juggled the initial chance but his reactions saved him as he snared the ball one-handed at the second attempt. Jayawardene denied Anderson a hat-trick in the first match and did so again here, flicking the ball to fine leg for four.
Anderson had not yet finished his morning’s work, though. Lahiru Thirimanne was next out for eight, unwisely padding up to a delivery that was destined for middle stump. He referred the lbw decision, only for replays to confirm his misjudgement.
That brought Samaraweera to the crease and he soon set about a rebuilding job with his captain. Jayawardene was making things look typically simple, punishing bad balls and guiding decent ones towards third man.
Those tactics lifted the total to 82 for three at lunch, with Jayawardene scoring six fours on his way to 40no and Samaraweera solid with 20no. Anderson could not recreate his earlier heroics in a shorter stint at the start of the second session, as the Sri Lankan hundred and Jayawardene’s half-century ticked past.
Finn thought he had Samaraweera caught at short-leg for 36 only for the umpires - both on the field and on review — to disagree. England were unimpressed by the verdict, with team director Andy Flower visibly agitated.
Strauss shuffled his bowlers where he could but, with the fourth-wicket pairing not taking many risks, it was hard work for spinners and seamers alike. Finn upset Samaraweera’s rhythm when he clattered him on the back of the head with a bouncer but Sri Lanka were soon back on top as Jayawardene hammered Samit Patel for the first six of the day.
Sri Lanka’s run-rate was not oppressive, but their steady accumulation had begun to sap England’s energy. Jayawardene thrashed Bresnan for his eighth boundary when he dropped short but it was the Yorkshireman who finally broke the stand after 42 wicketless overs. He went full and straight, beating Samaraweera and sending him back lbw.