Cricket:Muttiah Muralitharan's quest to reach the pinnacle of Test bowling was today held up by the elements rather than England.
Torrential rain, which began at 2.27pm and continued unabated into the evening, terminated a second day dominated by Murali's pursuit of the five wickets needed to stand alone as the most prolific bowler in Test history.
When the deluge began at Asgiriya, the 35-year-old was agonisingly close to surpassing Shane Warne's career tally of 708, having equalled his long-term spinning rival's haul with the dismissal of debutant Ravi Bopara a quarter-of-an-hour earlier.
Nevertheless, it was Murali who single-wristedly pulled back England's advantage in the first Test, with an unbroken spell of 20-9-28-4, as Michael Vaughan's men closed on 186 for six, a deficit of two runs on first innings.
"It would have been disappointing for everyone here watching, and for him as well. He would have liked to have got it out of the way today I am sure," said Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss, who insisted record-chasing had not been a distraction to the hosts.
"But everyone knows Murali will take those wickets somewhere, in one Test match or another, so we were just trying to focus on the team performance."
The initial breakthrough came just as England were getting away from the Sri Lankans, as a fortuitous decision accounted for Michael Vaughan, adjudged caught at silly mid-off.
So swift were the incisions after Vaughan's departure for 37 that Murali even got one over at Ryan Sidebottom, the first member of England's lengthy tail, but he could not secure his 61st five-for in Tests before the wet weather made its decisive intervention.
Warwickshire's Bell had not faced Murali in Test cricket before — having been temporarily axed in 2006 — but acquitted himself well until an aberration continued his trend of failing to convert scores overseas.
Nine times now he has passed 50 in away Tests but has only one hundred to his name.
Bell appeared destined to improve that ratio with a combination of classical strokes and canny guides into gaps but perished in attacking mode against Murali when he was well held by a diving Chamara Silva at short midwicket.
On only one other occasion in his 83 had Bell been drawn into a false stroke, charging Murali and getting a thick inside edge that went for four.
Bat dominated ball until Murali was introduced for the eighth over of the morning.
Bell registered four of the 29 runs scored in the initial passage when he drove the first delivery of the day from Dilhara Fernando straight down the ground, one of seven boundaries in reaching a 57-ball 50.
Vaughan, who also scored from his first ball this morning, generally played the anchor role but brought up the century partnership with an emphatic pull for four off Chaminda Vaas.
England found it increasingly difficult to score off Murali but Kevin Pietersen did release the shackles in customary manner when he reverse-swept a four shortly after the interval.
The 27-year-old was well set, in fact, when he misjudged one from Murali, persisting from an around-the-wicket point of attack, to be trapped plumb in front.
The Sri Lankans believed Murali had drawn level with Warne when Bopara prodded down on one which looped to one of two short-legs — it was referred to the third umpire in hope it had struck the batsman's boot but replays clearly showed the ball's contact had been with ground.
They did not have to wait long, however, as Bopara leg-glanced the next ball to calamitous effect.
And when Matt Prior flicked to midwicket off Fernando three overs later, England had lost five for 78 in just over two hours.
It is how England equip themselves against Test cricket's most potent bowler, however, that will decide the end result.