Lanka face defeat as tempers flare

Sri Lanka were facing defeat in the second Test against England on Friday, after ending the third day eight runs ahead with four second innings wicket left after a day of fresh controversy and confrontation.

Their last front-line batsman, Kumar Sangakkara, was on 47 not out as the home side closed on 98 for six.

The game threatened to spiral out of control after Sri Lanka, facing a 90-run deficit after dismissing England for 387 at tea, collapsed to three for three after just 13 balls when they batted again.

Tempers flared shortly after Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya was controversially given out, caught in the slips off Andy Caddick, by home umpire B.C. Cooray off what appeared to be a bump ball.

When Aravinda de Silva was dismissed moments later, gloving Darren Gough to the slips, batsman Kumar Sangakkara and Michael Atherton exchanged words, the Englishman wagging his finger angrily before then remonstrating with umpire Rudi Koertzen.

Sri Lanka saw their last hopes of salvaging the match all but disappear when Mahela Jayawardene, a century-maker in the first innings, chopped Craig White into his stumps to make it 42 for four before Robert Croft snapped up two late wickets to expose the tail.

Earlier, off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan finished with four English wickets for 127 off 63 overs.

Sri Lanka won the first Test of the three-match series by an innings and 28 runs, a match also blighted by some questionable umpiring decisions.

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka (1st innings): 297
England (1st innings):
M Atherton lbw b Vaas 7
M Trescothick c Sangakkara b Dharmasena 23
N Hussain b Muralitharan 109
G Thorpe c Dilshan b Jayasuriya 59
A Stewart c Dilshan b Jayasuriya 54
G Hick lbw b Muralitharan 0
C White st Sangakkara b Jayasuriya 39
A Giles b Muralitharan 5
R Croft not out 33
A Caddick b Muralitharan 7
D Gough lbw b Vaas 10
Extras (B16, LB20, W1, NB4) 41
Total (all out, 157 overs) 387
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-37, 3-204, 4-232, 5-236, 6-323, 7-330, 8-336, 9-346.
Bowling: Vaas 23-7-39-2, Zoysa 10-2-35-0, Muralitharan 63-21-127-4, Dharmasena 27-4-74-1, Jayasuriya 34-11-76-3.

Sri Lanka (2nd innings):
M.Atapattu c Stewart b Gough 2
S.Jayasuriya c Thorpe b Caddick 0
K.Sangakkara not out 47
A.de Silva c White b Gough 1
D.Jayawardene b White 18
R.Arnold lbw b Croft 22
T.Dilshan c Hick b Croft 0
H.Dharmasena not out 1
Extras (NB7) 7
Total (for six wickets) 98
To bat: W.Vaas, D.Zoysa, M.Muralitharan.
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-2, 3-3, 4-42, 5-81, 6-88
Bowling: Gough 6-0-24-2 (2nb), Caddick 8-2-29-1 (1nb), White 6-2-20-1 (1nb), Croft 5-3-7-2, Giles 6-3-18-0 (3nb)

Mail Cricket Editor