CRICKET: England coach Duncan Fletcher defended the cautious selection policy for the second Test at the Asgiriya Stadium, in Kandy, claiming it was the best combination to win, as Sri Lanka closed on 277 for seven.
The tourists' line-up included some surprise choices, not least of which was to go in with only four frontline bowlers, supported by part-timers Paul Collingwood and Michael Vaughan.
Having expressed concern about Andrew Flintoff's workload following the recent groin injury which kept the Lancashire all-rounder out of the Test series in Bangladesh, the decision to ask him to share new-ball duties as one of only two fast bowlers was just as curious.
James Anderson was expected to bolster the team that drew valiantly in the series opener following injury, but it was James Kirtley, the Sussex paceman who only stayed out here as cover when the former twisted his ankle playing squash, that opened up after Vaughan lost his seventh toss in eight matches as captain.
Kirtley finished with two wickets - as many as Richard Johnson and Matthew Hoggard managed between them in four bursts with the new ball in the draw at Galle.
"A lot of discussions took place about selection and we just felt after looking at the wicket that the fifth bowler would not be used much, as was the case last week," said Fletcher.
The four-pronged attack stuck to their task with Ashley Giles, as he did at Galle, offering the greatest threat despite coming into the match with lingering flu symptoms.
Given their eventual choice of personnel - former captain Nasser Hussain was brought in as one of six frontline batsmen for his 90th Test cap following illness - England were left to rue the luck that has seen Sri Lanka win the last five tosses between the sides on this island.
Vaughan endured ill fortune at both ends of the day, in fact, as he turned his ankle attempting a stop off his own bowling and left the field a quarter of an hour before the close.
Kirtley's ability to skid deliveries onto the batsman from a low trajectory earned him a match return of five for 63 against a President's XI a fortnight ago and he caused problems both early on and again when the new ball was taken in the early evening, gaining a leg before decision in each spell.
A ball of full length pinned Marvan Atapattu in front of middle stump in the seventh over of the morning while a hint of swing defeated Chaminda Vaas' prod late on.
That dismissal halted a stand with Sri Lanka captain Hashan Tillekeratne which threatened to haul the home side beyond the 285 par score for first innings in Kandy after two quick wickets after tea reduced them to 206 for six.
Kirtley was heavily involved throughout, having a hand in three of the first four dismissals.
Giles finished the day with figures of three for 83. The 30-year-old gained an initial success with the final delivery before lunch when Jayasuriya was adjudged caught behind by a juggling Chris Read after the ball popped up off the wicketkeeper's gloves via a deflection off the left-handed batsman's thigh pad.
