The Murali' Show Leaves England Standing

England's openers began positively in their response to Sri Lanka's 331 at Galle, a ground upon which Sri Lanka and Muralitharan in particular has thrived.

Somerset left-hander Marcus Trescothick tucked into anything loose, hitting three fours through the off-side in one Dinusha Fernando over and pulling off-spinner Kumar Dharmasena to the boundary.

Vaughan greeted the new boy with consecutive boundaries - a thunderous pull followed by a straight drive - as the most was made of the hardness of the new ball.

He brought up the half-century, made inside 12 overs, with a late cut for four off Dharmasena and that signalled the introduction of Muralitharan, who claimed 48 wickets in his previous five Tests here.

The master off-spinner's first success, in his third over, arrived when Trescothick was adjudged caught behind despite television technology suggesting no 'snick'.

Vaughan followed to an equally fortuitous dismissal as the heat gave way to evening gloom, when a sharply-turning delivery crept through his legs and clipped off stump as the skipper shouldered arms.

It was Murali's performance with the bat earlier in the day which tarnished England's efforts in the heat as some lusty late hitting helped add 40 for the final wicket.

Muralitharan, coming in at number 11, greeted his first ball from off-spinner Gareth Batty by lofting over cover for four and swung the bat ferociously in tandem with Chaminda Vaas, who did not contribute a run to their partnership.

His biggest blow, off Batty, landed on the pavilion roof and he twice skewered Andrew Flintoff to the boundary over wicketkeeper Chris Read's head.

The innings was eventually ended by Ashley Giles, who finished with four wickets, as Murali attempted a force off the back foot and nicked behind, having made 38 off just 37 balls.

Prior to the late assault, ended an hour's wait for a success in the middle session when Dharmasena was adjudged leg before, sweeping, by umpire Srinivas Venkataraghavan.

Murali arrived at the crease soon afterwards when debutant Dinusha Fernando prodded to short-leg, where Paul Collingwood held his third catch of the innings.

England waited an hour-and-a-half for their initial breakthrough, after the hosts resumed on 138 for four, until Richard Johnson swung his first delivery of the morning and the fifth with the second new ball to trap top-scorer Sangakkara leg before.

Andrew Flintoff followed up with two wickets in three balls but Sri Lanka managed to add a further 102 runs.

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