Murali claims landmark wicket

The 35-year-old went wicketless in his initial nine-over spell at Asgiriya but sparked huge celebrations when he bowled Paul Collingwood in the first over of his return, before England were bowled out for 281.

That took the Sri Lankan beyond Shane Warne's career haul and secured a 61st five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

Murali's colleagues mobbed him in the middle after a delivery bounced to clip Collingwood's middle-stump in the 89th over of the innings.

Fireworks exploded in the stands to celebrate the achievement of hometown hero Murali, who has held the record once before - when he surpassed Courtney Walsh's tally of 519 wickets in 2004.

England were bundled out not long after the historic moment as Matthew Hoggard was stumped down the leg-side to provide Murali with number 710 and James Anderson was adjudged leg-before to Chaminda Vaas.

The Sri Lankans left the field 93 runs in arrears and Muralitharan was immediately presented with a trophy to mark his achievement.

Earlier his wait to become Test cricket's leading wicket-taker was extended by a determined England batting effort on the third morning.

Thwarted by the wet weather on the second day of the opening Test, Muralitharan proved unsuccessful for more than one hour and Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene was forced to turn to the new ball for a breakthrough.

It did the trick as a stubborn seventh-wicket stand between Collingwood and Ryan Sidebottom was terminated in just the third over. Sidebottom struck a Test-best 31, which represented the lion's share of a 57-run alliance, but perished when a thick outside edge was well held, diving forward, by wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene.