England endure day to forget

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After Sri Lanka declared for the third time in as many innings this campaign - this occasion on 499 for eight - England were shot out for just 81.

The tourists then reached two without loss following on, before bad light brought an early close to day three in Galle. England's hapless first-innings effort is their lowest total on the subcontinent and also a worst ever against Asian opposition in Test cricket.

Half-a-dozen wickets fell inside the opening 11 overs, and the only respite came during a seventh-wicket alliance between Paul Collingwood and Ryan Sidebottom. The pair batted together for 17 overs either side of a three-hour stoppage for an afternoon downpour but were then dismissed in quick succession when play resumed at 4.30pm.

Once their 41-run share came to an end, the innings folded at a pace - with debutant Chanaka Welegedara striking twice.

Captain Michael Vaughan fell among four pre-lunch wickets, and two more incisions by destroyer -in-chief Chaminda Vaas (4/28) shortly after the interval emphasised the gulf between the two teams in these conditions.

Vaughan misjudged a delivery from Vaas which shaped back in to trap him plumb in front of middle and off stumps in the third over. Ian Bell was run out in the next by Tillakaratne Dilshan's direct hit at the non-striker's end, after Alastair Cook dropped one into the off-side and initially called for a single.

Left-armer Vaas, who earlier hit a destructive 90, was extracting plenty of movement both in the air and off the pitch - and after Cook edged short of the slip cordon, umpire Asad Rauf adjudged a thinner nick next ball.

The best delivery of a chaotic eight-over spell before lunch was reserved for Kevin Pietersen, however, as a bouncer from Lasith Malinga caused the batsman to jump and sway evasively was deemed to have brushed glove on its way through to wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene.

Earlier, Jayawardene recorded the fourth double hundred of his Test career, finishing unbeaten on 213 before declaring his team's innings closed.