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England on top after day one
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![England spinner Monty Panesar took 3 for 46 as Sri Lanka slumped to be all out for 188 in Kandy [AFP]](http://mwcnews.net/images/stories/UK/2/3/Monty-Panesar.jpg "England spinner Monty Panesar took 3 for 46 as Sri Lanka slumped to be all out for 188 in Kandy [AFP]") | | England spinner Monty Panesar took 3 for 46 as Sri Lanka slumped to be all out for 188 in Kandy [AFP] |
England bowlers Matthew Hoggard and Monty Panesar shared seven wickets as Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 188 after winning the toss and electing to bat on the day one of the first Test in Kandy.
Hoggard was responsible for the early wickets, as he had the hosts struggling at 42 for 5 before lunch, while left-arm spinner Panesar helped to finish off the lower order. Panesar finished with 3 for 46 from 14 overs while Hoggard returned figures of 4 for 29 also from 14 overs.
Kumar Sangakkara rescued the hosts from an embarrassingly low score with a fine 92, falling short of his century only due to a spectacular diving catch from Paul Collingwood at backward point.
Sri Lanka's bowlers staged a small fight back as Chaminda Vaas had Alastair Cook out LBW in the first over of the innings before bad light stopped play early. "We have got a good start and it's now up to us to make sure we follow it through and get a big first-innings total." Matthew Hoggard,
England bowler
Vaughan remained not out on 13 with Ian Bell the other not out batsman on 36 as England moved to 49 for 1 at stumps.
"They got a good partnership going but I thought our bowlers stuck to the task magnificently well," said Hoggard.
"If you had said at the beginning that we would lose the toss and be 150 behind with one wicket down we would have taken it.
"We have got a good start and it's now up to us to make sure we follow it through and get a big first-innings total."
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Hoggard does the damage
Sri Lanka chose to have first use of a dry pitch under clear blue skies, conditions that appeared to be ideal for batting at the time.
However, Hoggard produced a superb 10-over spell with the new ball, claiming 4 for 21 after maintaining a tight line and finding some early swing.
Sanath Jayasuriya started the innings positively with a brace of boundaries before being brilliantly caught by Kevin Pietersen at cover point off left-arm Ryan Sidebottom for 10.
Opener Michael Vandort mistimed a checked drive and chipped a simple catch to Vaughan at mid-on to be out for eight.
Just after the first drinks break of the day the wickets started to tumble as Hoggard dismissed skipper Mahela Jayawardene for one with a perfectly-pitched outswinger, before Chamara Silva fell to a similar swinging delivery, pushing forward and edging behind to wicket-keeper Matthew Prior for two.
Five balls later Hoggard managed to seam the ball in the opposite direction and found another outside edge, this time off left-hander Jehan Mubarak who departed for a duck on his recall to the test team.
Panesar cleans up the tail
Wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene gave Sangakkara solid support, batting positively for his 51 from 102 balls with nine boundaries.
The pair added 106 runs in 30.1 overs either side of the lunch break before Panesar snared Jayawardene at short leg.
Sangakkara batted brilliantly, expertly negotiating the early swing movement and seizing on any opportunity to score, hitting 13 boundaries in his 159-ball knock.
Jayawardene's departure precipitated a further collapse as Panesar bowled Vaas for 12 and snared Dilhara Fernando for a duck off a leading edge.
England earlier selected all-rounder Ravi Bopara, making his Test debut, over middle-order batsman Owais Shah and picked fast bowler James Anderson ahead of the injury-troubled Steve Harmison.
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