England take 7-run first innings lead against Sri Lanka

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]





LONDON: England captain Andrew Strauss fell for a duck as the second Test against Sri Lanka entered into an intriguing one innings per side shoot-out at Lord's here on Monday.

England were 18 for one at tea on the fourth day, a lead of 25 runs after Sri Lanka had made 479 in reply to the hosts first innings 486.

Alastair Cook was 11 not out and Jonathan Trott five not out.

Strauss, on his Middlesex home ground, was plumb lbw on the backfoot to left-arm seamer Chanaka Welegedara off the second ball of the innings and his fruitless review left England none for one.

Rain, which had washed out all of Monday's morning session and more than half of Sunday's scheduled play, was still in the air.

But as England's innings and 14-run first Test victory in Cardiff -- where Sri Lanka were dismissed for 82 inside 25 overs -- showed there was time yet for either side to force a win in the second of this three-match series.

Earlier, Sri Lanka's Prasanna Jayawardene, who made 112 in Sri Lanka's first innings in Cardiff, frustrated England with the bat yet again.

Sri Lanka lost two wickets for no runs in three balls with the departure of top-order duo Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera to be 409 for six.

But wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene (no relation), hit back with a stylish 40 featuring a six and five fours.

Together with Rangana Herath, he put on 57 in a counter-attacking seventh wicket stand.

England's pace attack, wayward on Sunday in the absence of injured Ashes spearhead James Anderson, showed signs of early improvement Monday but a huge total of extras, including 23 byes, was a testament to a lack of accuracy.

Fast bowler Steven Finn, recalled in place of Anderson, took four for 108 on his Middlesex home ground while off-spinner Graeme Swann polished off the tail with three for eight in 16 balls.

Sri Lanka resumed on 372 for three with Mahela Jayawardene 40 not out and Samaraweera one not out.

They'd come together after Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan had made a Test-best 193 on Sunday -- the highest individual score by a Sri Lankan in a Lord's Test.

Mahela Jaywardene's previous two Tests at Lord's had both yielded hundreds.

But Finn, recalled in place of Anderson, squared him up on 49 with a good length ball that he edged to third slip where Alastair Cook, who'd dropped opener Tharanga Paranavitana in the same position, held the catch.

Then, two balls later, 394 for four became 394 for five when Samaraweera, flat-footedly drove at Chris Tremlett, the tallest of England's 6ft 5in plus seam trio, and nicked to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

Stuart Broad then struck with his sixth ball Monday when Farveez Maharoof was lbw.

But Prasanna Jayawardene drove Broad straight for four before hoisting Swann for six.

He was out when well caught by diving second slip Swann off Finn.