Sri Lanka rally to rattle England

THIRD TEST, TRENT BRIDGE (day one, stumps):
Sri Lanka 231 v England 53-2

Muralitharan plays a no-eyes pull off an Andrew Flintoff bouncer

England let Sri Lanka off the hook on day one of the third Test at Trent Bridge with the teams on level terms.

The tourists, having elected to bat first, were in strife at 139-8 before recovering to be all out for 231.

England then had the chance to establish supremacy with the bat on a blameless wicket but Andrew Strauss and Marcus Trescothick were both dismissed.

At stumps, they were 53-2 with Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen at the crease and the pressure back on the hosts.

Interview: England debutant Jon Lewis

Strauss had weathered a fiery burst from Lasith Malinga before being bowled through the gate by a Chaminda Vaas delivery which cut back.

Farveez Maharoof at deep square leg had already dropped Trescothick off Malinga.

Andrew Flintoff came up trumps when we really needed it Jon Lewis Quotes: Day one reaction

But the batsman failed to make Sri Lanka pay by taking a crazy second run to deep fine leg to be run out, despite a desperate dive.

At the start of the day, Sri Lanka were all at sea with the bat and might easily have lost more than the one wicket they did to the new ball.

England debutant Jon Lewis, brought in at the expense of Sajid Mahmood, and world number five Matthew Hoggard got it to swing and it was no surprise when Michael Vandort was bowled off inside edge and thigh-guard.

It came in the day's second over, 30-year-old Lewis' first in Test cricket.

The very next ball, wicket-keeper Geraint Jones appealed vociferously for a catch down the leg-side.

Lewis was less convinced, and not out was the verdict, but replays suggested the batsman, Kumar Sangakkara, may have got a faint edge.

Chaminda Vaas had a good day with bat and ball for Sri Lanka

Gradually Sangakkara and fellow left-hander Upul Tharanga began to find life less difficult.

They hit an array of fine front-front drives through the covers as England's bowlers erred on a full length, looking for the edge.

Finally, captain Andrew Flintoff worked up a sweat and bowled some searching quick and hostile deliveries.

With the partnership worth 82, Sangakkara's luck ran out when umpire Darrell Hair ruled he had nicked a Flintoff ball that left him.

Further analysis revealed it might only have flicked the top of his pad.

There was no doubt about the next two wickets, however, as Tharanga and Mahela Jayawardene got faint touches playing at deliveries wide of their body and the score was 86-4 after the first session.

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England's purple form with the ball continued after lunch.

Four more catches were held in the slips and at gully - the highlight a diving effort by Strauss - as Sri Lanka's middle-order caved in.

Sanath Jayasuriya, who has been recalled to the team after retiring from Test cricket in April, made just four batting at number six when he fell to Flintoff's inspired spell.

And Chamara Kapugedera, the other man drafted in to strengthen the middle-order, also failed.

With the score 139-8, Sri Lanka were going nowhere, but initial respite came in the shape of a stand between Vaas and Malinga.

Flintoff was pumped up on the first day of the Trent Bridge Test

Malinga was dropped by Cook at square leg - it was a very tough chance - for two just before tea.

He went on to score 21 before chipping Lewis to square leg.

At 169-9, Sri Lanka were not expected to pass 200, but Vaas, who mixed solid defence with some punchy drives and pulls, and the wonderfully unorthodox Muttiah Muralitharan had other ideas.

Muralitharan played one extraordinary pull off Flintoff and then a nonchalant flick over fine leg for six off Lewis.

Liam Plunkett finally ended the fun when Muralitharan, on 33, picked out mid-on but what the partnership had done was underline how good the wicket was for batting.

Flintoff and Lewis each took three wickets, while Hoggard and Plunkett backed them up well with two apiece. Vaas was Sri Lanka's top scorer with 38 not out.