England struggle as Vaas prospers

Chaminda Vaas celebrated his 100th Test with a devastating new-ball spell which left England struggling to stave off defeat at Asgiriya.

Left-armer Vaas, who dismissed Alastair Cook before the close on the fourth evening, sent back overnight pair Michael Vaughan and James Anderson in the morning.

Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood then perished to Dilhara Fernando as the tourists slumped to 125 for five at lunch.

Michael Vaughan's first ball faced found the boundary but from a thick inside edge off Vaas - and his next edge proved fatal as he was drawn to one angled across him to be caught behind.

Nightwatchman Anderson fell in Vaas' next over, the 11th of the innings, when failure to get forward saw him defeated by one which shaped away to hit off-stump.

Pietersen, batting with a cracked finger in his right hand, drove handsomely to the boundary on four occasions and appeared in good touch.

But he was undone by his decision to stay on the back foot when a shooter from Fernando, cannoned into off-stump, less than halfway up, off the bottom of the bat.

Fast bowler Fernando doubled his wicket tally thanks to a loose drive from Paul Collingwood, which Kumar Sangakkara pocketed at cover.

Debutant Ravi Bopara then edged between wicketkeeper and slip off Fernando - neither moved - to register the first of a collection of boundaries.

Once again, Ian Bell dug in, following a first-innings 83, and had progressed to an unbeaten 25, the same score as his sixth-wicket partner Bopara, by lunch.