CRICKET: Whether you joined the souvenir sellers and bemused German backpackers to watch him in miniature from the top of the old Dutch fort, studied the TV replays in the media centre, or joined the Barmy Army and their new rivals, the Wavy Navy, as they flaked out in the tropical heat, the truth was unavoidable: Galle is designed for Muttiah Muralitharan.
That England remained vaguely in contention after three days of the first Test - Sri Lanka were 195 runs ahead with five second-innings wickets remaining at the close of play - said much for their sturdy communal spirit after they had been confounded by a great spin bowler in his element.
Murali has bettered his first-innings analysis of seven for 46 on only three occasions. In eight and a half Tests at this vibrant coastal ground he has taken 67 wickets at less than 15 runs each.
Murali, by the standards of a 466-wicket Test career, has turned his off-spinners more sharply than he did on the second day. But just because previous English sides have learned how to curb him does not mean that the knowledge has automatically passed down.
The tourists laboured to turn their overnight position of 97 for two into something meaningful. But they were rendered virtually strokeless for 64 overs, all but six delivered by the Sri Lankan spinners, and only found a release in some tail-end slogging.
Discovering an unshaven and grim-faced Thorpe on his way to the crease at the start of the day is generally a good sign of what is to follow from him, and Butcher's concentration was also padlocked. Together they ground ahead for 25 overs with 45 runs stolen as England started well.
But in 11 overs England lost four wickets for 13 runs. Chaminda Vaas rustled the first, trapping Thorpe lbw as he flicked across a straight delivery, but the next three fell to Murali. Paul Collingwood was spared a duck on his Test debut, but the doosra did for him as Jayasuriya held an excellent, left-handed catch at first slip. Andrew Flintoff made only a single after being caught lbw on the back foot to a leaping off-break, and Chris Read made nought.
Butcher had sweated for nearly four hours over his 51, a dogged innings that ended meekly as he cut a ball from Jayasuriya that was too tight to him. Ashley Giles and Richard Johnson both perished in the deep as England's resistance was concluded.
The last session was one of English pluck in the field. Collingwood, struck at silly point by a Marvan Atapattu drive, retrieved rapidly to run out Sangakkara. There were two wickets for Giles, trying to match genius with steadfastness, and two for Gareth Batty, gained with non-existent turn.
FIRST TEST - Sri Lanka v England
(Galle)
Overnight: Sri Lanka 331 (K Sangakkara 71; A Giles 4-69). England 97-2.
England First Innings
M Butcher c Sangakkara b Jayasuriya 51
G Thorpe lbw b Vaas 43
P Collingwood c Jayasuriya b Muralitharan 1
A Flintoff lbw b Muralitharan 1
C Read c Tillakaratne b Muralithara 0
G Batty c Jayasuriya b Dharmasena 14
A Giles c Atapattu b Muralitharan 18
R Johnson c Atapattu b Muralitharan 26
M Hoggard not out 6
Extras b12 lb8 nb8 pens 0 28
Total (100.4 overs) ... 235
Fall: 1-56 2-67 3-142 4-143 5-151 6-155 7-177 8-183 9-208
Bowling: Vaas 12 2 25 1; Fernando 3 1 21 0; Dharmasena 24 6 55 1; Muralitharan 31.4 15 46 7; Chandana 13 2 24 0; Jayasuriya 17 2 44 1
Sri Lanka Second Innings
M Atapattu st Read b Batty 35
S Jayasuriya c Trescothick b Giles 17
K Sangakkara run out 19
D M Jayawardene not out 14
H Tillakaratne lbw b Batty 1
T Samaraweera c Trescothick b Giles 1
W U Vaas not out 6
Extras lb6 pens 0 6
Total 5 wkts (44.3 overs) ... 99
Fall: 1-26 2-72 3-72 4-78 5-85
To Bat: H Dharmasena, U Chandana, K Fernando, M Muralitharan.
Bowling: Hoggard 6 1 24 0; Johnson 2 1 6 0; Flintoff 3 1 9 0; Giles 19 8 24 2; Batty 13.3 4 28 2; Vaughan 1 0 2 0
