Thorpe, Vaughan rescue England

Graham Thorpe and Michael Vaughan pulled England out of trouble with an unbroken stand of 84 against Sri Lanka on the second day of the third and final Test on Friday.

After England slumped from 45 without loss to 91 for four, the fifth-wicket pair lifted the touring team to 175 for four at the close in reply to Sri Lanka's first innings of 241.

Thorpe was unbeaten on 71, counter attacking at first but subsequently blending watchful defence with steady accumulation, and Vaughan was 26 not out after a disciplined effort on his first appearance of the series.

With the teams level 1-1 and England facing the prospect of batting last on a turning pitch, left-hander Thorpe and Vaughan rose to the occasion with a crucial partnership after four wickets had gone for 46.

They have taken the side to within 66 of Sri Lanka's total, but the need for a useful lead has been heightened by a thigh injury to captain Nasser Hussain which is likely to curtail the part he plays in the rest of the game.

England ran into trouble directly after lunch, first losing Michael Atherton lbw for 21 as he pushed forward to a delivery from left-arm paceman Chaminda Vaas that came back into him a shade.

A freak dismissal then accounted for fellow opener Marcus Trescothick for 23. He swept at debutant left-arm spinner Dinuk Hettiarachchi and the ball lodged between Russel Arnold's arm and the inside of his shirt at silly mid-on.

THIGH INJURY

Hettiarachchi's first test wicket was followed by that of Hussain. England's captain, handicapped by his right thigh injury and using a runner, tried to drive but was caught at short extra cover by Sri Lanka skipper Sanath Jayasuriya for eight.

Thorpe responded defiantly by stroking his first 27 runs off 29 balls, but lost Alec Stewart when he played back to Muttiah Muralitharan's off spin and was bowled for three.

However, Thorpe, who completed his half-century from 116 balls, found a staunch ally in Vaughan and they resisted pace and spin for more than two hours.

England had made an ideal start to the day by capturing Sri Lanka's last three wickets for 20 runs in 35 minutes after they resumed at 221 for seven.

The initial breakthrough was made by off-spinner Robert Croft with the last delivery of the third over when Dilhara Fernando pushed forward and was snapped up off pad and bat for two by Trescothick at silly mid-off.

Vaas produced the only note of aggression by hitting three fours off Croft in two overs, twice forcing him square on the off side and also sweeping him to the fine leg boundary on his way to 19 not out.

England took the second new ball at 240 for eight and Darren Gough dispatched Hettiarachchi without scoring when he beat the Test debutant's forward push and hit his off stump.

Andy Caddick dealt the final blow by knocking back Muralitharan's leg stump as the off-spinner backed away.

Croft finished with four for 56, Gough took two for 33 and Caddick had two for 40.

Mail Cricket Editor