England Dominate Rain Hit Draw

The regulation afternoon shower in the Sri Lankan capital turned into a terminal washout, and the match had to be abandoned as a draw just as the home side wiped out the arrears on 135 for four, a lead of one run.

With captain Russel Arnold unable to bat because of split webbing in his hand, there had appeared to be a chance for England's spinners to expose the tail.

Robert Croft, introduced for the 31st over of the innings as the dark clouds rolled in, claimed his first wicket on tour when Bathiya Perera edged the Welsh spinner's 13th ball behind.

Each of the tourists' three slow bowlers were successful in the afternoon session.

Left-armer Ashley Giles responded to being hit for two fours and a six by enticing Chamara Silva to edge to slip, and Gareth Batty snared Michael Vandort after the opening batsman charged down the pitch.

James Kirtley, who decimated the top order with four early wickets in the first innings, trapped Dammika Sudarshana lbw with a full-length delivery to start the slide shortly after lunch.

It was Mark Butcher's durability which had offered the chance of a win in the build-up to the three-Test series, turning his overnight century into an unbeaten 151.

Despite two early-morning scares on the final day of this first-class match, Butcher brought about the England declaration by reaching his third landmark with a swept six - his third of the innings - off left-arm spinner Ranil Dhammika.

Having registered his first significant score of the winter yesterday, he added 46 runs as wickets fell steadily at the other end.

He began shakily as a mis-timed shot dropped just short of deep square-leg off Thilan Samaraweera in the second full over of the morning - and the 31-year-old was then dropped on 113, low down in the same position by Bathiya Perera after a flick off the hips off fast bowler Dilhara Fernando.

Butcher struggled for the fluency displayed in yesterday's middle session until on-driving Fernando for four in the ninth over of the morning.

Fernando, who hopes to return for next Tuesday's opening Test in Galle after seven months out with a back injury, gained an initial success when Geraint Jones attempted to pull a delivery of good length and had his off-stump knocked back.

Giles offered a counter-attacking 30, finding the ropes on a number of occasions; a sweep off Samaraweera cleared the boundary, and a cover drive followed in the same over.

Giles was particularly harsh on the spinners, also tucking into Dhammika whenever he erred in length.

He greeted Chamila Gamage Lakshitha with a square-cut four before chopping the seamer into his stumps.

Croft and Matthew Hoggard quickly followed, both adjudged leg before - the former contentiously so as he appeared to get an inside edge.

Left with only Kirtley for company, Butcher struck two fours and that huge blow off Dhammika to allow a 45-minute work-out for the attack pre-lunch.

Vandort, a gangly left-hander, was particularly impressive before the interval - hitting seven fours from his 31 balls in a half-century stand with Sudarshana.

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