Sri Lanka seize initiative

Cricket Third Test - Sri Lanka v England: Get out of this one. England have made a habit in Sri Lanka of salvaging courageous draws with uncompromising attritional cricket but it will take a monumental effort if they are not to lose the third Test, and with it the series, at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

England might have startled themselves by winning the toss but over the first two days they entirely lost the initiative. Sri Lanka, one run behind with eight first-innings wickets standing, began the third day perfectly placed to avenge their series defeat in 2001.

Only the sudden disintegration of Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling shoulder or a cyclone rushing down from the Bay of Bengal seemed likely to bring England solace.

This was a wearing day for England's bowlers and even more wearing for the supporters who remain. The attack lacked the refinement to make an impact on a pitch that remained truer than expected.

Thilan Samaraweera, with a painstaking unbeaten 68 from 234 balls, the bedrock of Sri Lanka's 264 for two, produced a four and half hour contribution that was as valuable as it was unwatchable.

When England won here two-and-a-half years ago they had skilled practitioners of reverse swing, such as Darren Gough and Craig White, a knowledgeable old sweat in Andrew Caddick and a useful spin combination of Ashley Giles and Robert Croft.

Yesterday James Kirtley gambolled in with all the threat of a new-born lamb and James Anderson, in his first taste of the sub-continent, struggled to comprehend a new experience.

As for the spinners, England have remained true to Gareth Batty because they recognise a doughty young cricketer of considerable all-round potential but the fact remains that Croft, unused in three Tests, has always been a far likelier match-winner.

Batty's figures of 19-3-48-0 might have been instructive to bowler and selectors alike but it was not about to transform the match. It was a funny time to be schooling a bowler.

But it was England's batting that has most failed to deliver at SSC. Only Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Flintoff played innings of substance when the minimum total aim should have been 400.

England's survival tactics in the first two Tests were largely justifiable but it is not easy to change tempo on demand and it was perhaps predictable that only the two most exuberant strokeplayers managed to do so.

England might have a ploy to counter Murali defensively but they have no method to attack him. Left-handers, such as the West Indian, Brian Lara, have occasionally dismantled him. His growing ability to turn the ball both ways, with well-disguised change of action, makes all remedies risky.

Nasser Hussain, in particular, has had a dispiriting tour, irrespective of his gratuitous sledging of Murali in Kandy. He fell ill on the morning of the first Test in Galle and has since failed three times.

Two lbw decisions for Chaminda Vaas allowed England to add only six runs to their overnight 259 for eight and then the grind began. It was arguably the most debilitating day of the tour, and it was the willing Flintoff, reaching speeds in the mid-80s in spite of a sore back, who stoked up the most pace.

Kumar Sangakkara assumed his opening position with relish as Sri Lanka's first wicket put on 71 in 12 overs, Kirtley and Anderson already vanquished.

Sangakkara has begun to look a class act, without producing the major score in this Test series that his form has warranted. He made 31 before edging Kirtley to Trescothick at first slip.

Guardian Service

Overnight: England 259-8 (A Flintoff 77, M E Trescothick 70).

ENGLAND FIRST INNINGS

C M W Read not out 18

R J Kirtley lbw b Vaas 1

J M Anderson lbw b Vaas 1

Extras b4 lb7 nb1 pens 0 12

Total (101 overs) ... 265

Fall: 1-78 2-108 3-114 4-135 5-139 6-226 7-236 8-258 9-259

Bowling: Vaas 17 4 65 3, C R D Fernando 12 3 55 1, Samaraweera 4 1 11 0, Chandana 26 7 82 2, Muralitharan 40 21 40 3, Jayasuriya 2 1 1 0.

SRI LANKA FIRST INNINGS

K C Sangakkara c Trescothick b Kirtley 31

S T Jayasuriya c Trescothick b Flintoff 85

T T Samaraweera not out 68

D P M Jayawardene not out 60

Extras b1 lb9 w5 nb5 pens 0 20

Total 2 wkts (82 overs) ... 264

Fall: 1-71 2-138

To Bat: M S Atapattu, T M Dilshan, H P Tillakaratne, U D U Chandana, W P U J C Vaas, C R D Fernando, M Muralitharan.

Bowling: Kirtley 14 3 55 1, Anderson 11 3 40 0, Flintoff 12 0 33 1, Giles 23 6 63 0, Batty 19 3 48 0, Vaughan 1 0 5 0, Trescothick 2 0 10 0.