Spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan grabbed two big wickets as England faltered after a bright start in the second cricket Test against Sri Lanka here on Thursday.
Off-spinner Muralitharan removed free-stroking openers Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan before England reached 163-4 at stumps on a controversial second day in reply to Sri Lanka's first-innings total of 382.
Muralitharan threatened to alter the course of the innings after left-handed Trescothick (36) and skipper Vaughan (52) had put on 89 for the opening wicket in just 18 overs with their aggressive batting on a slow turning track.
Trescothick was caught by Tillakaratne Dilshan at silly-point on the stroke of tea after hitting five fours.
Vaughan failed to read the line of a delivery that turned the other way, edging it to Mahela Jayawardene at slip after smashing eight fours in his attractive eighth Test half-century.
England slipped from 89 for no loss to 119-4 in the space of nine overs before Graham Thorpe (20 not out) and Paul Collingwood (19 not out) denied Sri Lanka further success.
England also had a tough time on the field as Sri Lanka, led by tailender Dinusha Fernando's maiden Test half-century, added 104 for their last two wickets before the innings ended on a controversial note.
Last-man Muralitharan was initially given not out after left-arm spinner Ashley Giles' delivery had clipped the off-stumps' bail.
Umpires Daryl Harper (Australia) and Aleem Dar (Pakistan) failed to notice the ball brushing the stump before being persuaded by the England skipper to consult TV umpire Peter Manuel of Sri Lanka.
Muralitharan was then ruled out.
Fernando frustrated England the most as he hammered an unbeaten 51 in only his second Test, adding 76 for the ninth wicket with Kumar Dharmasena (29) and 28 for the last with Muralitharan
(19).
England heaved a sigh of relief when Giles succeeded in claiming the last two wickets in the afternoon session to finish with 5-116, his third haul of five or more wickets in an innings in 29 Tests.
The tourists could get just one wicket in the morning session after Sri Lanka had resumed at 277-7.
Fast bowler Andrew Flintoff was
the wicket-taker when he had skipper Hashan Tillakaratne (45) caught hooking by Mark Butcher at long-leg.
Fernando batted sensibly to shatter England's hopes of making short work of the Sri Lankan tail.
He, however, failed to impress as a new-ball bowler as he was punished by Trescothick and Vaughan to concede 29 runs in his opening three overs before being replaced.
The Sri Lankan captain was forced to press Muralitharan into the attack after 13 overs in a bid to contain the England openers.
The spinner did not let his captain down as he dismissed Trescothick and Vaughan in his five overs.
Off-spinner Dharmasena had Butcher (four) stumped before left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas trapped Nasser Hussain (10) leg-before to send England reeling at 119-4.
Thorpe and all-rounder Collingwood steadied the innings with their 44-run stand for the unbroken fifth wicket.
Scoreboard
Scoreboard at close of play on the second day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and England at the Asgiriya Stadium on Thursday: SRI LANKA: First innings (overnight 277-7) Atapattu lbw b Kirtley 11
Jayasuriya c Read b Giles 32
Sangakkara run out 34
Jayawardene c Kirtley b Giles 45
Dilshan c Trescothick b Flintoff 63
Tillakaratne c Butcher b Flintoff 45
Samaraweera lbw b Giles 3
Vaas lbw b Kirtley 32
Dharmasena lbw b Giles 29
Fernando not out 51
Muralitharan b Giles 19
Extras: (b-1, lb-15, nb-2) 18
Total: (All out in 126.4 overs) 382
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-76, 3-84, 4-187, 5-201, 6-206, 7-270, 8-278, 9-354
Bowler O M R W
Kirtley 33 10 109 2
Flintoff 24 5 60 2
Giles 37.4 7 116 5
Collingwood 9 3 1 3
0
Batty 18 3 59 0
Vaughan 5 0 9 0
ENGLAND: First innings
Trescothick c Dilshan b M'tharan 36
Vaughan c J'wardene b M'tharan 52
Butcher st Sangakkara b D'sena 4
Hussain lbw b Vaas 10
Thorpe not out 20
Collingwood not out 19
Extras: (b-8, lb-7, nb-7) 22
Total: (For 4 wkts in 51 overs) 163 Fall of wickets: 1-89, 2-100, 3-119, 4-119
Bowler O M R
W
Vaas 11 3 3 3
1
Fernando 5 0
31 0
D'sena 12 2
42 1
M'tharan 16 6
28 2
J'suriya 7 0
14 0