Honours Even at Kandy

He was aided in his first and third successes by contentious umpiring decisions by Australian official Daryl Harper.

His initial victim, Sanath Jayasuriya, was adjudged caught behind down the leg side by a juggling Chris Read despite the ball appearing to flick the thigh pad alone on its way through from the final delivery before lunch.

England were then given hope of dismissing the hosts for less than the average first-innings score of 285 at Kandy with a contentious leg before decision against Thilan Samaraweera, who was offering no shot to a ball wide of off-stump.

Although Samaraweera offered no shot to the left-arm spinner, the ball appeared to be on its way past off-stump.

That decision followed swiftly after Andrew Flintoff removed top scorer Tillekeratne Dilshan - recalled to provide more bulk to the batting - with a short-pitched delivery which looped to slip off the glove.

But a determined effort from Sri Lanka captain Hashan Tillekeratne and Chaminda Vaas, who was trapped leg before by James Kirtley late in the day, restored parity against a four-pronged attack to see the hosts close on 277 for seven.

That stand caused further problems to the tourists as captain Michael Vaughan was forced to leave the field with a sore hamstring, incurred while attempting to field off his own bowling, 15 minutes before the close.

Kirtley made the most of his surprise recall with heavy involvement in England's first-day successes, claiming two wickets, a run-out and catch.

In between England were made to toil, particularly during a century stand between Mahela Jayawardene and Dilshan, the latter passing 50 for only the second time in 11 Test appearances.

Their solitary afternoon reward came shortly before the second interval when Jayawardene, top scorer in the second innings of the first Test, top-edged a sweep off Giles to be well held by a diving Kirtley, running in from fine-leg.

Dilshan, who had not played a Test since being dropped following England's 2-1 win here three winters ago, led the assault, striking five of his first 10 deliveries to the boundary and reaching his landmark from 70 balls.

He provided the majority share of a stand with Jayawardene as Vaughan's limited resources were tested to the full.

Particularly strong through the off-side, the compact right-hander used his feet to Giles, who took Test-best figures of eight for 133 in the series opener at Galle, to good effect.

Neither was Jayawardene afraid to charge, lofting a straight six off Giles after straight-driving a boundary the ball before.

Earlier in the day, Kirtley, who was only scheduled to be part of the one-day series before James Anderson turned an ankle playing squash, sent back Marvan Atapattu after Vaughan lost his fourth consecutive toss in Tests this winter.

That initial breakthrough was followed shortly before the interval by a mix-up between Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara which resulted in the latter being run out by Kirtley's throw from mid-off.

Flintoff shared the new-ball duties days after coach Duncan Fletcher said the tourists were concerned about his workload and wanted to use the Lancastrian primarily as a batting all-rounder.

His county colleague Anderson was expected to return after knee and ankle injuries but it was felt he would not be able to bowl enough overs, so Kirtley was preferred to Matthew Hoggard and Richard Johnson, who both played in the Galle draw.

Former captain Nasser Hussain, 35, returned for his 90th Test appearance while Paul Collingwood, the man who deputised for him last week, was also retained in an extended batting line-up.

Due to England's limited options, Collingwood's medium pace was introduced as early as the 15th over and a second wicket arrived from his bowling.

The home side had suffered few scares in the opening session, a thudding blow to Jayasuriya's helmet from a Flintoff bounder aside, until Sangakkara, the first-innings top scorer for the Sri Lankans in the opening match to the three-Test series, was sacrificed.

Discuss it on the message board!