Sri Lanka succumb to England bowlers

Tuesday, 7 June 2011 00:33 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

LONDON, June 6 (Reuters) - England wrapped up the Sri Lanka first innings on Monday after rain had washed out the opening session to take a seven-run first innings lead on the fourth day of the second test at Lord's.

Sri Lanka, comfortably placed at 372 for three overnight in reply to England's 486, lost their final seven wickets for 107 runs to finish on 479 with Steven Finn and Graeme Swann doing the damage.

Finn, bowling with renewed vigour on a pitch freshened by the rain which swept in halfway through Sunday's second session, took four for 108.

Swann, who had been frustrated by the quick-footed Sri Lankan batsmen on Sunday, captured three of the last four wickets from 16 deliveries to finish with three for 101.

The Sri Lankans made an immediate breakthrough before tea when Andrew Strauss was lbw without scoring to left-armer Chanaka Welegedara's second delivery.

Welegedara dismissed the England captain for four, also lbw, in the first innings. At the interval England were 18 for one.

After 50.4 overs had been lost on Sunday, rain was still falling at the scheduled start time and the umpires decided to take lunch half an hour early. Play finally got underway at 1210 GMT.

FAULTY DIRECTION

Finn and Chris Tremlett extracted some early lift from the pitch although the England pace attack generally once again had trouble with their line and direction and 25 of the 58 extras were byes.

Finn fired one delivery wide of Matt Prior for four byes and Mahela Jayawardene, who had scored centuries in both his previous two tests at Lord's, took a boundary off a thick edge in the same over.

Jaywardene, 40 not out overnight, moved to within one run of his fifty when he was squared up for Finn and edged a catch to Alastair Cook at third slip.

Tremlett followed up by dismissing Thilan Samaraweera caught behind for nine and Stuart Broad, taking over from Finn at the Pavilion End trapped Farveez Maharoof lbw for two with a ball which kept low.

Wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene, who scored a century in the first test in Cardiff, off-drove Broad crisply for four and swept Swann for a six.

Rangana Herath also took a six off Swann in a lively seventh-wicket partnership of 57 before he was stumped for 26 trying to heave the off-spinner over mid-wicket.

Prasanna Jaywardene had taken his total to 40 with five boundaries when he was caught by Swann at second slip off Finn. Dilhara Fernando (5) followed smartly caught one-handed by Strauss at slip off Swann.

After Finn had struck Suranga Lakmal a nasty blow on the helmet the innings folded half an hour before tea when Welegedara (6) lofted Swann to deep mid-on.