CRICKEYT: Muttiah Muralitharan inflicted damage with bat and ball in the first innings of the first Test against England as the tourists closed the second day on 97 for two.
England's openers began positively in their response to Sri Lanka's 331 at Galle, a ground upon which Sri Lanka and Muralitharan have thrived.
Marcus Trescothick tucked into anything loose, hitting three fours through the off-side in one Dinusha Fernando over and pulling off-spinner Kumar Dharmasena to the boundary after the debutant was removed from the attack.
Vaughan greeted the new boy with consecutive boundaries and he brought up the half-century, made inside 12 overs, with a late cut for four off Dharmasena and that signalled the introduction of Muralitharan. The master off-spinner's first success, in his third over, arrived when Trescothick was adjudged caught behind despite television technology suggesting no "snick". Vaughan followed when a sharply-turning delivery crept through the legs of the England captain.
It was Murali's performance with the bat earlier which tarnished England's efforts as some late hitting helped add 40 for the final wicket. Muralitharan greeted his first ball from Gareth Batty by lofting over cover for four and swung the bat ferociously in tandem with Chaminda Vaas, who did not contribute a run to their partnership.
His biggest blow, off Batty, landed on the pavilion roof and he twice skewered Andrew Flintoff to the boundary. The innings was ended by Ashley Giles, who finished with four wickets, as Murali attempted a force off the back foot and nicked behind, having made 38 off just 37 balls.
Prior to the late assault, England winkled their way through the Sri Lankan order. Batty ended an hour's wait for a success in the middle session when Dharmasena was adjudged leg before. Murali arrived at the crease soon afterwards when Dinusha Fernando prodded to short-leg, where Paul Collingwood held his third catch of the innings.
England waited an hour-and-a-half for their initial breakthrough, after the hosts resumed on 138 for four, until Richard Johnson swung his first delivery and the fifth with the second new ball to trap top-scorer Sangakkara leg before. Andrew Flintoff followed up with two wickets in three balls but Sri Lanka managed to add a further 102 runs.
Overnight: Sri Lanka 138-4.
SRI LANKA
K C Sangakkara lbw b Johnson 71
T T Samaraweera c Read b Flintoff 45
U D U Chandana lbw b Flintoff 21
H D P Dharmasena lbw b Batty 27
W P U Vaas not out 22
K A D Fernando c Collingwood b Batty 4
M Muralitharan c Read b Giles 38
Extras b5 lb2 w1 nb1 pens 0 9
Total (127.5 overs) 331
Fall 1-76 2-88 3-132 4-132 5-202 6-238 7-239 8-279 9-291
Bowling Hoggard 20-4-49-0 Johnson 17-5-54 1 Flintoff 23-7-42-3 Collingwood 4-0-12-0 Batty 31-5-98-2 Giles 32.5-9-69-4
ENGLAND
M Trescothick c Sangakkara b Muralitharan 23
M P Vaughan b Muralitharan 24
M A Butcher not out 15
G P Thorpe not out 20
Extras b4 lb5 nb6 pens 0 15
Total 2 wkts (37 overs) 97
Fall 1-56 2-67
Bowling Vaas 6 1 14 0 Fernando 3 1 21 0 Dharmasena 11 3 20 0 Muralitharan 10 5 15 2 Chandana 7 1 18 0
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