Monty throws England a lifeline

So what happened next? The large English contingent could barely look. Minds were cast back 19 months to Mumbai when Monty froze as a similar skyer from Mahendra Dhoni dropped softly to the ground alongside him. Surely lightning could not strike twice? It did not.

Panesar safely pouched the catch, Sangakkara could barely believe what he had done, and Monty set off on a run of delight, throwing himself into Harmison's arms and, as usual, missing his target with a clumsy attempt at high fives. A disconsolate Sangakkara knew he had undone much of Sri Lanka's good work from earlier in the day.

Just another day in the life of Monty Panesar, but if truth be told he had another mixed one. His bowling was milked by Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene and earlier he risked the ire of match referee Jeff Crowe with a quite extraordinary appeal when Sangakkara seemed clearly to have edged Matthew Hoggard to Matt Prior when he had scored just two.

England were convinced they had their man and appealed animatedly. Panesar sprinted in from mid-off, jumped up and down on the spot when Daryl Harper refused to raise his finger and then stood in front of Sangakkara before England finally, reluctantly, carried on.

It appeared an obvious error from Harper, but England could consider themselves fortunate to have both Sri Lankan openers given out lbw by Asad Rauf after they had won what seemed like an important toss on a unknown quantity of a third Test pitch.

This is a Test like no other, with the people of the south-western Sri Lankan coast arriving en masse for the return of Test cricket to a ground which symbolised the devastation of the tsunami.

The groundstaff and builders had worked wonders over the last few days, but only the magnitude of the occasion can spare the Sri Lankan authorities from criticism over the whole operation. Why everything had been left to the last minute is anyone's guess.

Still, there was a huge will to get the game under way as soon as possible and it was on a damp, under-prepared pitch and a treacherous outfield that Michael Vaughan unleashed his pacemen, including Hoggard who was returning after a back injury.

Trouble was, England did not follow the script, failing to take advantage of the extreme swing and seam that was clearly evident in an opening session that was delayed until midday because of the damp.

Hoggard was not like his old self, straying far too often to leg. Ryan Sidebottom seemed to elicit more swing than was good for him until Rauf provided some respite for England by despatching Michael Vandort, giving him out lbw to a delivery that looked both high and missing leg stump.

Then Upul Tharanga, dropped by Paul Collingwood at second slip on 15, was adjudged lbw to Harmison upon his entry into the attack a run later to a ball Rauf did not realise had pitched marginally outside leg stump.

The umpires had offered the captains the chance to forego lunch and have just two sessions to get more cricket into a day that, ultimately, was shortened to 55 overs.

Both captains refused to give up the 40-minute break and it proved more beneficial to Sri Lanka than England as they eased their way from 44 for two to 132 for two in the afternoon session, Panesar suffering more than most.

These are challenging times for the England spinner. He began his spell immediately after lunch with two balls that turned and bounced, but he then consistently bowled too short.

Just last Saturday Panesar was engaged in deep conversation with the great Sri Lankan batsman Aravinda de Silva when both had visited a local school destroyed by the tsunami and now rebuilt by the generosity of Daily Mail readers.

The gist, at least to an ear-wigging correspondent, seemed to be that de Silva felt Panesar was bowling too quickly and was being let down by the field placings of his captain.

Now Panesar remonstrated with Vaughan when balls went where the spinner felt there should have been a fielder and kicked the ground in frustration when Jayawardene pushed at him on 16 and just eluded the grasp of Alastair Cook at silly mid-off.

It was not until his fielding skills came into play that Panesar at last had a smile on his face, one that was more than matched by the great enigma himself, Harmison.

This tour is turning out to be one of rejuvenation for Harmison and he followed the fortunate dismissal of Sangakka with one that owed everything to his pace, bounce and seam movement, finding Chamara Silva's edge.

That left England slightly on top but more heavy rain last night reminded everyone that this may well be a shortened game.

Last night, Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss set his batsmen a target of 300.

If they reach it, Vaughan may regret inserting opponents even more than Nasser Hussain did at Brisbane in 2002.

And England will probably have lost this series.