England turn up the heat on Islanders

Sri Lanka made an early breakthrough on the third morning of the first Test on Saturday before England, battling to save the game in reply to the tourists’ 555 for eight declared, reached lunch on 120 for two.

Scoreboard (Lunch)

Sri Lanka (1st innings): 555/8 decl England (1st innings, Overnight 27/1) M Trescothick c Jayasuriya b Zoysa 13 M Vaughan batting 45 M Butcher c Jayawardene b Fernando 17 N Hussain batting 38 Extras: (lb-1, w-1, nb-5) 7 Total: (for 2 wkts) 120 Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-43 Bowling: Chaminda Vaas 11-2-24-0, Nuwan Zoysa 7-0-38-1, Buddika Fernando 9-2-34-1, Ruchira Perera 3-0-23-0

Captain Nasser Hussain was 38 not out and opener Michael Vaughan on 45, England scoring at more than four an over as the Sri Lankans surrounded them with attacking fields. Vaughan provided the two shots of the morning, a classical extra-cover drive followed by a sweet pull for four off Nuwan Zoysa. But Hussain kept pace, greeting change bowler Ruchira Perera’s first over with boundaries to mid-off and backward point.