COLOMBO, Nov 26: England’s Test tour of Sri Lanka hit a low on Monday after injury scares to two key bowlers increased the agony of a miserable batting display in a practice match.

With strike bowler Steve Harmison already a doubtful starter for the first Test in Kandy from Saturday due to back spasms, fellow paceman James Anderson was temporarily sidelined with an injury in the left ankle.

Fast bowler Matthew Hoggard finally gave England reason to smile with a hostile opening spell late in the evening that produced five wickets, including three in one over.

The home team, who made 298-9 declared in the first innings, slumped to 77-8 in their second knock by stumps, a lead of 241 runs and the injured Kaushal Lokuarachchi unlikely to bat.

Scoreboard

SLC XI 1st Inns: 298-9 declared (U. Tharanga 86, J. Mubarak 68, K. Silva 53; M. Hoggard 3-57, M. Panesar 3-67).

England 1st Inns:

A. Cook lbw b Lokuarachchi 35

M. Vaughan b de Silva 0

I. Bell c Silva b de Silva 3

K. Pietersen c Silva b Welagedera 1

O. Shah b Amarasinghe 26

R. Bopara c Kapugedara b de Silva 47

M. Prior c Warnapura b Kapugedara 10

M. Hoggard b de Silva 0

J. Anderson b Welagedera 0

M. Panesar not out 0

S. Harmison did not bat

EXTRAS: (LB-3, NB-9) 12

TOTAL: (all out, 50.2 overs) 134

FALL OF WKTS: 1-6, 2-20, 3-21, 4-44, 5-98, 6-123, 7-124, 8-134, 9-134.

BOWLING: Welagedera 10.2-2-35-2 (4nb), de Silva 10-1-41-4 (5nb), Kapugedara 7-2-15-1, Amarasinghe 11-4-16-1, Lokuarachchi 7.2-3-9-1, Dilshan 4.4-0-15-0.

SLC XI 2nd inns:

U. Tharanga b Hoggard 5

M. Udawatte c Prior b Bopara 45

M. Warnapura lbw b Bopara 4

T. Dilshan c Shah b Hoggard 3

J. Mubarak lbw Hoggard 0

C. Kapugedara c Collingwood b Hoggard 0

K. Silva c Prior b Hoggard 2

S. de Silva run out 4

C. Welagedera not out 5

I. Amarasinghe not out 0

EXTRAS: (B-4, LB-2, NB-3) 9

TOTAL: (for eight wkts, 28.4 overs) 77

FALL OF WKTS: 1-9, 2-14, 3-32, 4-32, 5-32, 6-40, 7-52, 8-75.

BOWLING: Hoggard 9-3-25-5, Bopara 10-2-32-2 (nb3), Panesar 9-4-14-0, Pietersen 0.4-0-0-0.—AFP