Sri Lanka level the field

Rain interrupted play on the second day of the First Test just as Sri Lanka had clawed their way back right back into the match, with Muttiah Muralitharan going level with Shane Warne once again at the top of the Test wicket-taker’s list. Only 46 overs were possible, and England reached 107-1, then 170-3, but were hauled back by the Tamil maestro and when the rains came were 186 for 6, still 2 runs behind and with the first of their four number-eleven batsmen at the crease with Paul Collingwood.

Rain had been forecast, but would still have been a huge disappointment to Murali and his home crowd. As so often, the bowler had taken the lead role in rescuing his side from a difficult position. Ian Bell, who had looked in superlative touch yesterday evening despite scores of 3 and 6 in the First-Class tour-game, continued in the same vein in the morning. Mahela Jayawardene, inexplicably, opened with Dilhara Fernando rather than Murali or Lasith Malinga, and after Bell struck him for four from the first delivery of the day he never looked like offering a threat. Vaas hit his straps better, but posed no great problems to Bell either.

Michael Vaughan, lucky to survive an lbw shout from Malinga the previous evening, continued to look scratchy, especially against Vaas, whom he edged, albeit along the ground, several times. Murali was finally introduced again in the 8th over of the day, and hit his straps immediately. Bell looked to take him on early, walking down the track and lofting a wholly unconvincing boundary to deep-mid-wicket. The diminutive Warwickshire batsman mostly managed to stay off strike for the next few overs, and continued to look regal against the seamers.

Shortly after a drinks-break, however, Vaughan’s good fortune of the previous day was reversed; Murali turned a ball past his inside-edge onto the front pad, the ball bounced up to Chamara Silva at silly-point, and Aleem Dar had no hesitation in ruling the batsman out. Murali had his 700th Test wicket for Sri Lanka, and was now face-to-face once again with the one man who had looked – if only at times – convincing against him in the teams’ previous series in 2006, Kevin Pietersen.

Pietersen immediately demonstrated the characteristics that had earned his success: the long stride; the convincing use of the bat, rather than indeterminate pad-play; and the willingness to use the crease to go all the way back. Bell never quite managed to match Pietersen’s solidity against Murali, but kept him out, and Vaas could not find the reverse-swing which makes him such a dangerous proposition. Nor could Malinga, when eventually introduced. With lunch approaching, England were cruising at 132 for 2, Bell looking good for a century on 83 from just 119 deliveries.

In Murali’s 13th over, Bell attempted three attacking strokes which did not come off. Seemingly frustrated, he advanced to the final ball of the over, was beaten in the flight and by the turn, and inside-edged an attempted drive over mid-off in the air to mid-wicket. It still required a superb diving catch from Silva close in, though, and it proved a decisive break.

Collingwood was kept very quiet, and despite one reverse-swept boundary Pietersen did not break loose either. Finally, Murali got his man, as Pietersen was trapped in front of middle by a ball which straightened from around-the-wicket, paying for his rare lack of use of the bat. Pietersen appeared as displeased as Vaughan with Aleem Dar’s decision, but this time replays backed the Umpire convincingly.

The Sri Lankans scented blood, as they were into the unproven part of England’s batting. Ravinder Bopara, selected contentiously ahead of Owais Shah, played competently until the 59th. Murali had three appeals, the first against Collingwood for a catch at silly-point, then Bopara at short-leg. The first produced no edge, the second was revealed to be a bump-ball after being referred to TV replays. The third, however, there was no doubt; Bopara attempted to flick to leg but could only feather the ball to Prasanna Jayawardene, and Murali was level with Warne again.

Matthew Prior, whose last Test in August had been a true shocker but whose keeping yesterday could not be faulted, now represented England’s last realistic chance of a substantial lead. Fernando had been plugging away, hitting a much better line and length than in his first spell and conceding just 9 from his 5 overs, and finally finding some reverse-swing. Drizzle had begun to fall, however, and the groundstaff had already thought they had been called on with the covers when drinks had been signalled. But the Sri Lankans managed one final wicket before they came on for good. It was ironic, given how well Fernando had bowled, that he should get Prior with one swinging onto the pads, as the Sussex man flicked it straight to Jehan Mubarak who took an easy catch at mid-wicket.

Ryan Sidebottom was the man chosen to bat at eight, and Murali offered ample evidence that he could wrap-up the innings, and reclaim the record, in quick time, tomorrow, as he spun the ball past the outside-edge twice in the final over. The rain set in and never abated, but the chances of a result appear unendangered.

England will be hoping Collingwood, currently on 14 from 53 balls, might be able to repeat his lower-order antics of Nagpur 20056, where he coaxed 149 from the final three wickets. That pitch, however, offered nothing to bowlers of any sort; the surface at Kandy has already shown signs aplenty of unevenness, added to the turn Murali has extracted. England will be delighted with a first-innings lead of 40 or 50. The Sri Lankans, meanwhile, will feel they have a certain opportunity to wrap-up the innings in no time and set England whatever they can manage in their second dig, while most likely watching the surface deteriorate further as they do. The game is poised on a knife-edge.

Sri Lanka 188
Kumar Sangakkara 92, Prasanna Jayawardene 51
Matthew Hoggard 4-29, Monty Panesar 3-46

England 186 for 6
Ian Bell 83
Muttiah Muralitharan 4-30