December 06, 2007	Thursday	Ziqa'ad 25, 1428

KANDY (Sri Lanka), Dec 5: Muttiah Muralitharan bowled two magical deliveries when it mattered most to hand Sri Lanka an 88-run win over a fighting England in the first Test at the Asgiriya Stadium here on Wednesday.

The off-spinner, who became Test cricket’s most successful bowler in the first innings, got out Matt Prior and Ian

Bell in the space of three deliveries with the second new ball to end England’s spirited challenge.

The tourists, needing to bat out the final day for a draw after being set an improbable victory target of 350, were bowled out for 261 in the last 30 minutes of the match.

Sri Lanka took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series going into the second Test, which opens at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Sunday.

England, who resumed the final day at 9-1 in their second knock, slumped to 90-5 in the morning session before Bell (74) launched a heroic rescue attempt in the company of the lower-order batsmen. He put on 49 for the sixth wicket with debutant Ravi Bopara (34) and a defiant 109 for the seventh with wicket-keeper Prior (63) that threatened to frustrate Sri Lanka’s victory bid.

Muralitharan, kept wicketless for 31 overs, struck in his second over with the new ball when he floated a straight one to Prior, who missed the line and was bowled.

Two balls later in a new over, Muralitharan bowled Bell to effectively seal his side’s victory. Bell’s knock followed his 83 in the first innings.

Muralitharan claimed a third wicket when he earned a lucky leg-before decision against Ryan Sidebottom from Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf with TV replays showing a clear edge from the bat.

Fast bowler Lasith Malinga yorked Matthew Hoggard to signal Sri Lanka’s thrilling victory in front of 7,000 spectators, including at least 3,000 travelling English supporters.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA 1st innings: 188 (K. Sangakkara 92, P. Jayawardene 51; M. Hoggard 4-29, M. Panesar 3-46)

ENGLAND 1st innings: 281 (I. Bell 83, P. Collingwood 45; M. Muralitharan 6-55)

SRI LANKA 2nd innings: 442-8 decl (K. Sangakkara 152, M. Jayawardene 65, M. Panesar 3-132)

ENGLAND 2nd innings (overnight 9-1):

A. Cook c Silva b Vaas 4

M. Vaughan c P. Jayawardene b Vaas 5

J. Anderson b Vaas 11

I. Bell b Muralitharan 74

K. Pietersen b Fernando 18

P. Collingwood c Sangakkara b Fernando 16

R. Bopara lbw b Jayasuriya 34

M. Prior b Muralitharan 63

R. Sidebottom lbw b Muralitharan 1

M. Hoggard b Malinga 8

M. Panesar not out 2

EXTRAS: (B-5, LB-9, NB-11) 25

TOTAL (all out, 94 overs) 261

FALL OF WKTS: 1-4, 2-22, 3-27, 4-55, 5-90, 6-139, 7-248, 8-249, 9-253.

BOWLING: Vaas 17-3-56-3 (5nb), Malinga 15-3-39-1 (4nb), Muralitharan 36-12-85-3 (1nb), Jayasuriya 14-6-28-1, Fernando 12-1-39-2 (1nb).—Agencies