Birmingham: Sri Lanka's top order failed again and England boosted by Kevin Pietersen's 142 was in command at stumps on Day II of the second cricket Test at Edgbaston on Friday.
England was bowled out for 295 in reply to Sri Lanka's first-innings 141 to take a lead of 154 runs.
Muttiah Muralitharan limited the damage, taking 6-86 off 25 overs, but Sri Lanka was in deep trouble at the close on 86-4 - still trailing by 68 runs - after Matthew Hoggard and Monty Panesar took two wickets each.
Opener Michael Vandort was not out 30 and Tillekaratne Dilshan was on 21.
Rain delayed the start for 80 minutes, but the weather turned fine for the rest of the day.
England resumed on 138-3, with Pietersen 30 not out. The South African-born batsman swept Muralitharan for four to move to 51 off 53 balls.
He notched his 100 off 115 balls by hitting Nuwan Kulasekara to the mid-wicket fence for four, becoming the first England player since Graham Gooch in 1990 to score centuries in three successive Test innings in England.
"I really am grilling myself and making sure that I get myself to three figures once I get a start," Pietersen said. "I set myself high standards."
Pietersen scored 158 in the drawn fifth Ashes Test against Australia last September and made 158 in England's only innings during the first Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's, which also ended in a draw after a dogged performance by the visiting side's tailenders.
He hit 20 fours and three sixes on the way to his latest score.
Hoggard added just one to his overnight total before he was bowled by Chaminda Vaas for 3.
Paul Collingwood was the next man out after lunch, caught by Upul Tharanga at short leg off Muralitharan for 19.
Pietersen was struck in the ribs by a ball from Lasith Malinga - known as "Malinga the slinger" because of his unusual bowling action - late in the morning session and later survived a hearty appeal for LBW off Muralitharan when on 104. Umpire Darrell Hair judged the batsman not out.
There was no doubt, however, when - two balls after Pietersen had hit him for six with a reverse sweep - Muralitharan trapped Pietersen plum LBW.
"It was probably a very naughty shot," Pietersen said of the reverse sweep. "It was premeditated, all other boundary options were closed, finished, and I thought that that was probably my only boundary option, to reverse sweep.
"I definitely didn't think I was going to hit it for six. I didn't even think I was going to hit it."
Muralitharan described Pietersen's knock as one of the best he'd witnessed.
"He played a brilliant innings," Muralitharan said. "He was dominating the bowlers with, I think, one of the best innings I have seen. It's challenging to bowl to him."
Pietersen's dismissal sparked a collapse, with England losing 5-5 in 29 balls. Andrew Flintoff was out for 9 when he was bowled three balls later by a Malinga delivery that uprooted off stump.
Liam Plunkett followed, caught at mid-on by Vandort off Muralitharan for no score, giving Muralitharan his 52nd five-wicket haul in Tests.
Muralitharan struck again when Geraint Jones, one four, attempted to sweep and got a top edge to Thilan Samaraweera at short fine leg.
Panesar was the last man out, LBW to Malinga for no score, leaving Sajid Mahmood stranded and yet to score.
On Thursday, Muralitharan claimed the wickets of Marcus Trescothick (27) and Alastair Cook (23).
England made immediate inroads in the tourists' second innings when Hoggard had Upul Tharanga caught behind by Jones with his fourth ball for a duck, giving the batsman a pair.
Panesar came on in the 15th over and, with his fourth delivery, had Kumar Sangakkara (18) caught by Collingwood at mid-wicket.
Hoggard then had Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene out LBW for five.
Panesar could have had another wicket had Jones not dropped a difficult chance off Samaraweera when the batsman was on two and the score 48-3, but the ball went for four through third-man.
Jones made amends when Panesar enticed Samaraweera down the wicket and was stumped for eight.
Comments
0 comment