England bowlers hit by brace of early centuries

CRICKET/Test match: Centuries from Marvan Atapattu and Mahela Jayawardene helped Sri Lanka to the imposing total of 314 for three at the close of the first day of the opening Test against England at Lord's yesterday.

At stumps, opener Atapattu was 133 not out off 264 balls, including 15 fours, after Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya had won the toss.

Aravinda de Silva was 24 not out.

Jayawardene, batting on one leg after being hit facing Andrew Flintoff on 47, had earlier gone for 107, his last 50 runs made with a runner.

Together with Atapattu he put on 206 for the third wicket, and England's frontline pace quartet were all punished.

Atapattu made five ducks in his first six Test innings but has converted five of his previous nine Test centuries into double hundreds and looks well placed for another.

Sri Lanka have won their last nine Test matches and in those games they have an average first innings score of 523.

They appeared determined to extend both those records in what is their first full, three-match series in England after having had to make do with one-off Tests in the past.

England skipper Nasser Hussain may have wished for the variety of left-arm spinner Ashley Giles who was in the squad but not picked for the final XI.

Atapattu got his hundred first with a pulled four off Matthew Hoggard, his runs coming from 177 balls.