FAISALABAD, Oct 21: Old habits die hard. Pakistan batsmen threw away their wickets, as they have done so often in the past, but still managed to take a slender first innings lead at close of second day's play in the first Test against Sri Lanka at the Iqbal Stadium.

After speed king Shoaib Akhtar and Muhammad Sami had done the early morning mopping up of the Sri Lankan tail in style, bowling out the tourists for 243 in the first innings, the home batsmen couldn't match up with the bowlers.

When play ended for the day, Pakistan were 256 for eight, only 13 runs ahead with Shoaib and Sami at the crease, the team management perhaps expecting them to work wonders with their bats too. But certainly not the kind of runs that Thilan Samaraweera managed.

Samaraweera, who was 97 not out overnight, completed his first century outside Sri Lanka off the fifth ball of the morning after the tourists had resumed their innings at the score of 233 for seven wickets.

Shoaib, who had his ninth five-wicket haul in his 33rd Test and Sami who aptured four for 71 needed only 3.4 overs to finish off the tail.

The home team then let an early advantage, provided by opener Yasir Hameed, slip away as Asim Kamal, captain Inzamamul Haq, Shoaib Malik and Moin Khan all lost their wickets in careless fashion.

Yasir, scored his fourth half century in 11 Tests but Malik missed out on his fifty, which would have been his first, as he went for a single that was not there only to be run out by a Chaminda Vaas throw for 48.

Paceman Dilhara Fernando and left arm spinner Rangana Herath made life difficult for the home batsmen, claiming two wickets each while Vaas, Lasith Malinga and Sanath Jayasuriya picked up one apiece.

The tourists put the brakes on the home team in the second session after they were cruising along at 94 for one in the 26th over.

Fernando snared two wickets and Herath took one to check the flow of runs before tea was taken at 185 for four.

Asim on 17, flashed unnecessarily at a delivery pitched outside the off stump and Mahela Jayawardene fielding in the slips took a comfortable catch.

Shortly afterwards, Yasir too was sent packing for 58, Jehan Mubarak taking a brilliant diving catch as the batsman tried unsuccessfully to pull Fernando.

Yasir shared a second wicket stand of 66 with Asim Kamal and struck 10 boundaries.

Once veteran wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana caught Yousuf Youhana cheaply for 17 off Herath, Pakistan were in seeming trouble at 143 for four.

Inzamamul and Malik teamed up for a fifth-wicket partnership that yielded 54 runs but could not keep it going, the captain providing a top edge to Malinga to give Herath his second wicket just after tea.

Razzaq seemed to be doing well hitting three fours and six but was taken by Jayawardene in the slips for 39.

Pakistan had coasted to 85 for one by lunch, losing only Imran Farhat as he tried to pull paceman Malinga, only to be caught at the square leg boundary by Mubarak for 11 with only 28 runs on board.

But Yasir and the left-handed Asim ensured there was no further loss as the two batted sensibly to go for the break with the home team off to an encouraging start.

Earlier, the Pakistan pace duo of Shoaib and Sami continued the good work, mopping up the Sri Lankan tail in just 3.4 overs after the start of play with the tourists being able to add only 10 runs.

Samaraweera was sent on his way by Shoaib off the fifth ball of the morning but not before he had completed a well-deserved century, his fourth in Tests.

Sami, fielding at square leg, took a straight forward catch to end what was a fine innings from Samaraweera which had seen him pull his team out of troubled waters after they had been cut down to three for nine early on.

Samaraweera stroked 10 fours, facing 232 balls in a five and half hour stay at the crease in scoring exactly 100 runs in his 23rd Test match while Herath, the other man at the crease overnight, remained unbeaten on 33.

Shoaib who finished with five wickets for 60, also dismissed Fernando for nought and Sami uprooted Malinga's middle stump with a sharp delivery.

Scoreboard