May 17, 2002	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 4, 1423

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LONDON, May 16: Sri Lanka’s Marvan Atapattu and a hobbling Mahela Jayawardene both made centuries against England at Lord’s Thursday as the touring side dominated the first day of the Test series to close on 314 for three.

Opener Atapattu, as so often playing the anchor role after the tourists won the toss, batted all day, faced 264 deliveries and survived just one major scare to make 133 not out after putting on 206 for the third wicket.

Jayawardene, forced to use a runner after being struck on the hip, matched him before succumbing to tiredness, chipping his wicket away to short midwicket off Andrew Flintoff after reaching 107 in the final session.

The two had come together with Sri Lanka, offered their first three-Test tour in England, wobbling on 55 for two during the morning session.

They looked in complete control against an increasingly laboured seam attack as the early movement evaporated in the afternoon sunshine.

Jayawardene, more compact and more wristy, reached three figures — his third of the tour — with a cut for four off Flintoff, one of 17 boundaries during an innings of three hours and 40 minutes.

His one reprieve came on 87, glancing swing bowler Dominic Cork only for recalled wicket-keeper Alec Stewart to spill a leg-side chance.

But the 24-year-old deserved that luck after batting the second half of his innings virtually on one leg following a crack on the hip from a heavy Flintoff delivery. The innings, his ninth hundred, took Jayawardene’s Test total above 3,000 runs and his average above 50.

Atapattu, a man known for unshakeable concentration and long stays at the crease, also enjoyed one piece of fortune on the way to his 10th century in Tests.

He was on 46 when he chanced a sharp single, only surviving because of inconclusive television pictures as Michael Vaughan threw down the stumps from gully.

The rest of his innings, however, was one-way traffic, with only the occasional flourish as he brought up the 300 by driving a wide half-volley from Cork through extra cover during a becalmed final hour. Aravinda de Silva was at the other end at the close, on 24 after putting on a half-century for the fourth wicket.

For skipper Sanath Jayasuriya, there had been no second chances.

Cruising to 18, he was run out risking a third on a throw from the boundary from Vaughan.

That made it 38 for one and 17 runs later wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara, hesitating between a drive and a cut, edged Hoggard to Flintoff in the slips.