December 02, 2007	Sunday	Ziqa’ad 21, 1428

KANDY (Sri Lanka), Dec 1: England’s pace-spin duo of Matthew Hoggard and Monty Panesar combined to destroy Sri Lanka for 188 on the opening day of the first Test at the Asgiriya Stadium on Saturday.

England replied with 49-1 by stumps after losing opener Alastair Cook to the third ball of the innings when he was trapped leg-before by 100-Test veteran Chaminda Vaas.

Captain Michael Vaughan was unbeaten on 13 and Ian Bell was on 36 as England attempt to put up a big score on a barren wicket that is later expected to assist the spin of Muttiah Muralitharan.

The off-spinner, who needs five wickets to overtake retired Australian Shane Warne’s world record tally of 708, came on in the 12th over and conceded two runs in three overs.

Hoggard grabbed four wickets in a deadly opening burst while Panesar cleaned up the Sri Lankan tail after a defiant sixth-wicket stand of 104 between Kumar Sangakkara and wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene.

Left-handed Sangakkara made 92 and Jayawardene chipped in with 51 to rescue the hosts who were tottering at 42-5 after electing to bat.

He hit 13 boundaries before being denied a 16th Test century by Paul Collingwood, who picked up a brilliant one-handed catch at backward point as the batsman cut a short ball from James Anderson.

Sangakkara and Jayawardene retrieved the situation for the hosts before Panesar broke the partnership 30 minutes before tea when Jayawardene patted a ball to Cook at forward short-leg.

Panesar also bowled Vaas just before the break and the last four Sri Lankan wickets fell for eight runs as England regained their pre-lunch advantage.

Left-handed Sanath Jayasuriya, who is reportedly considering retiring from Test cricket before the series is over, hit two superb cover drives in the first two overs, but did not last long.

The 38-year-old perished in the third over when he drove Ryan Sidebottom uppishly to the cover region, where Kevin Pietersen lunged to his right to take a good catch with both hands.

Michael Vandort fell in the 10th over when he mistimed a flick off Hoggard on the slow pitch and offered Vaughan an easy catch at mid-on.

England struck immediately after the first drinks interval when Hoggard forced Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene (one) to edge an outswinger to Prior.

The Yorkshire paceman, who fashioned England’s win in a first-class match in Colombo earlier this week with a five-wicket haul, then removed Chamara Silva and Jehan Mubarak in similar fashion in his next over.

England awarded a Test cap to Ravi Bopara, preferring the 22-year-old Essex all-rounder to Owais Shah for the number six spot left vacant by the injured Andrew Flintoff.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA 1st innings

M. Vandort c Vaughan b Hoggard 8

S. Jayasuriya c Pietersen b Sidebottom 10

K. Sangakkara c Collingwood b Anderson 92

M. Jayawardene c Prior b Hoggard 1

C. Silva c Prior b Hoggard 2

J. Mubarak c Prior b Hoggard 0

P. Jayawardene c Cook b Panesar 51

C. Vaas b Panesar 12

D. Fernando c Vaughan b Panesar 0

L. Malinga not out 1

M. Muralitharan run out 1

EXTRAS: (LB-8, NB-2) 10

TOTAL: (all out, 59.4 overs) 188

FALL OF WKTS: 1-11, 2-29, 3-40, 4-42, 5-42, 6-148, 7-180, 8-182, 9-186.

BOWLING: Sidebottom 15-1-58-1, Hoggard 14-3-29-4 (1nb), Anderson 15.4-3-39-1, Bopara 1-0-8-0 (1nb), Panesar 14-4-46-3.

ENGLAND 1st innings

A. Cook lbw b Vaas 0

M. Vaughan not out 13

I. Bell not out 36

EXTRAS: 0

TOTAL (for one wicket, 17 overs) 49

TO BAT: Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ravi Bopara, Matt Prior, Ryan Sidebottom, Matthew Hoggard, James Anderson, Monty Panesar.

FALL OF WKT: 1-0.

BOWLING: Vaas 7-3-18-1, Malinga 5-1-20-0, Muralitharan 3-2-2-0, Jayasuriya 2-0-9-0.

UMPIRES: Alem Dar (PAK) and Asad Rauf (PAK)

TV UMPIRE: Tyron Wijewardene (SRI)

MATCH REFEREE: Jeff Crowe (NZ).—AFP