Thanks to the half-centuries from Kumar Sangakkara and Chamara Kapugedera Sri Lanka were 286 for seven at the end of the third day play.
TRENT BRIDGE: England will have to score the highest Test score ever to win the Trent Bridge Test. Thanks to the half-centuries from Kumar Sangakkara and Chamara Kapugedera Sri Lanka were 286 for seven at the end of the third day play.
Kapugedera was 50 not out in Sri Lanka’s 286-7 as England trailed by 288 after Sangakkara had crafted a fine 66. Spinner Monty Panesar had the best figure of the day with 3 for 64 on the day when seamers were pegged down by the Lanka batsmen. It was in 2004, England successfully chased a target os 284 against New Zealand setting a new record at Nottingham.
But Engalnd have their own worries. Paul Collingwood was taken to hospital for an x-ray on a rib injury he sustained while batting and later batsman Kevin Pietersen left the the field with a hamstring injury while captain and pace bowler Andrew Flintoff appeared to be struggling with a left ankle problem.Collingwood, who top-scored with 48 in England’s first innings 229, was hit by slingshot fast bowler Lasith Malinga on Saturday’s second day of the match.
“We’ve all said it’s quite difficult to pick the pace up off him off the wicket,” Collingwood, had told reporters after stumps on Saturday. “He’s tricky. You have to try and to line him up like a left-arm bowler because that’s the kind of angle he’s coming from.
At tea, Sri Lanka were 219 for 5 with Tillakaratne Dilshan 31 and Chamara Kapugedera unbeaten on 31 and 16 respectively. Murali, who took three for 62 in England’s below par first innings 229, had claimed all four wickets to fall as the hosts made hard work of chasing the small victory target of 78 they needed to win the second Test at Edgbaston by six wickets.
Scorecard
Sri Lanka 1st Innings: 231
England 1st Innings: 229
Sri Lanka, 2nd Innings (Overnight: 45 for one): M Vandort b Hoggard 5, U Tharanga c Cook b Panesar 46, K Sangakkara c Trescothick b Flintoff 66, M Jayawardene c Jones b Plunkett 45, S Jayasuriya lbw b Panesar 4, T Dilshan c Jones b Hoggard 32, C Kapugedera not out 50, F Maharoof b Panesar 6, C Vaas not out 24
Extras: (1b, 3lb, 4nb) 8
Total: (for seven wickets; 104 overs): 286
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-100, 3-143, 4-148, 5-191, 6-223, 7-238.
Bowling: M Hoggard 19-4-51-2, J Lewis 20-6-54-0, A Flintoff 13-1-38-1, M Panesar 36-13-73-3, L Plunkett 14-2-54-1, K Pietersen 2-0-12-0
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