Sidebottom saved by common sense

Hours after England captain Michael Vaughan called for television adjudication to be made on contentious decisions, the officials did exactly that.

Technically, as the International Cricket Council playing regulations stand, Sidebottom should have been given out in the 20th over of the morning when Mahela Jayawardene claimed a catch at second slip off Dilhara Fernando.

A bouncer from Fernando hurried left-hander Sidebottom, the ball veered past the batsman's gloves, thudded into his shoulder and ballooned towards the slip cordon.

Jayawardene dived full length to grasp the chance and Australian umpire Daryl Harper conversed with colleague Aleem Dar.

Under the letter of the law the officials can only refer decisions if both are unsighted and the subsequent move to ask third umpire Gamini Silva to determine whether it was a clean catch inferred Harper was confident the ball brushed the gloves on the way through.

Television pictures showed it had carried but the 'common sense' factor prevailed and Silva advised the on-field officials via walkie talkie that he thought the ball had hit only body and Sidebottom was given not out.

At lunch, England were 327 for seven, propped up by a second consecutive half-century from wicketkeeper Matt Prior (60 not out). Sidebottom proved a useful foil, reaching the interval unbeaten on 13, in an ongoing stand of 55 runs.

Paul Collingwood was one of two early wickets this morning as England relinquished their position of strength. Collingwood became the third Englishman to hit a half-century at the SSC, when he scored off his first ball of the morning, but perished after misjudging a delivery from Chaminda Vaas.

Despite left-armer Vaas shaping the ball into the right-handers in the opening overs, Collingwood opted to shoulder arms and paid the price as the in-swing persuaded umpire Dar to raise the finger.