England v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Cardiff, 2nd day

Prasanna keeps Sri Lanka on top

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan

May 27, 2011

Sri Lanka continued to impress with a gutsy display in Cardiff as they reached 316 for 6 at tea on the second day. Prasanna Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera struck half-centuries to bolster the middle order in the face of some impressive bowling from James Anderson, who later caused England some concern by leaving the field with a stiff back on another frustrating day for the hosts.

Tharanga Paranavitana

At various stages, especially when Tharanga Paranavitana was removed for a stubborn 66 and Samaraweera fell to the second new ball, England will have hoped to break the back of Sri Lanka's resistance but each time they came up against another obstacle. Prasanna and Samaraweera added 84 for the fifth wicket then Prasanna remained firm in his elevated role at No. 6 as the allrounders joined him for company. Debutant Thisara Perera was unbeaten on a composed 19 at tea in another valuable partnership.

The visitors hadn't added a run to their overnight score of 133 for 2 when England made the first breakthrough of the day as Mahela Jayawardene edged Anderson to Andrew Strauss, who held a superb catch diving to his right behind second slip. The wicket was brought about by trademark swing bowling from Anderson who began by probing Jayawardene's outside edge with a series of outswingers before bringing one back into him. Jayawardene tried to drop his hands but couldn't react in time.

Runs continued to be hard to come by as Anderson strung together four testing maidens and Chris Tremlett, the pick of the quicks yesterday, was also a handful as he hit an awkward length. He struck Paranavitana a painful blow on the inner thigh which required some attention from the physio and in his next over Tremlett found his inside edge to end a determined 191-ball innings.

Paranavitana had only managed to add eight to his overnight total but had shown the same good judgement and resilience that characterised his effort on the opening afternoon. However, it was due reward for Tremlett who continued to look dangerous and benefited from a hint of uneven bounce when he struck Samaraweera a nasty blow on his arm.

Samaraweera lived a little dangerously as he played away from his body but also collected some confident boundaries including a straight drive off Anderson. Whenever the England bowlers strayed onto his pads he was quick to pick them off although he wasn't far off edging to third slip when the ball just eluded a diving Alastair Cook.

Still, it was comfortably Samaraweera's best effort on British soil having failed to reach double figures in his previous four Test innings. After lunch Samaraweera went to fifty from 72 balls as the game drifted with England waiting for the new ball before he was squared up by Anderson and edged to second slip.

Prasanna, batting a place higher than normal at No. 6 to allow Sri Lanka to field five bowlers, had started his innings as a useful understudy for Samaraweera then became the senior partner. He twice gained boundaries to third man through the slip cordon but batsmen deserve some fortune when the ball moves around and he took advantage of Graeme Swann's introduction to collect two leg-side boundaries.

England, meanwhile, used up both their reviews in consecutive overs. The first was a waste after Broad seemingly convinced Strauss to use the DRS when Farveez Maharoof was clearly struck outside off stump. The second review was more understandable when Anderson swung one back into Maharoof's pads, but the batsman was again saved by the on-field decision, which remained.

Broad didn't do himself many favours in the afternoon session as he repeatedly appealed and only belatedly turned to the umpire. He was the least convincing of England's bowlers and also started to have problems with the foot holes which didn't help his mood. Strauss was further hampered by Anderson's injury which meant Jonathan Trott was given a ball just 12 overs old, although a huge stroke of luck went England's way when Trott deflected a straight drive into the non-striker's stumps to remove Maharoof.

Andrew McGlashan is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo