Cook holds firm against Sri Lanka

England were 165 for four at tea at Lord’s here on Friday, with opener Cook 75 not out and fellow left-hander Eoin Morgan 23 not out.

Sri Lanka, 1-0 down in this three-match series after an innings and 14-run loss in the first Test in Cardiff concluded Monday, where Cook made 133, enjoyed a sensational start at the ‘home of cricket’ after winning the toss.

They reduced England to 22 for three, with captain Andrew Strauss (four) and Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen (both two) all out in single figures.

Cook and Ian Bell, who also made a hundred in Cardiff, staunched the flow of wickets with a fourth-wicket partnership of 108 before the Warwickshire right-hander fell for 52.

Morgan, one of three men in England’s line-up playing on their Middlesex home ground, added typical impetus by lofting left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for the first six of the match.

Cook, whose 766 runs at 127.66 with three hundreds made him the rock of England’s batting during their 3-1 Ashes series win in Australia, carried on in typically unfussy style.

But when paceman Dilhara Fernando, recalled after missing the series opener with a knee problem, dropped short the Essex batsman pounced to pull him hard to the boundary.

At tea, Cook had batted for four hours, facing 135 balls including 13 fours.

Sri Lanka’s attack had looked largely unthreatening in Cardiff.

But left-arm seamer Chanaka Welegedara, recalled with Fernando in place of the dropped duo of spinner Ajantha Mendis and seamer Thisara Perera, had opener Strauss lbw, hitting across the line, and England were five for one.

Trott came into this match on the back of 203 in Cardiff but that didn’t matter when, aiming legside, he was lbw to seamer Suranga Lakmal.

Although Trott asked for a review, replays confirmed West Indian umpire Billy Doctrove’s verdict in favour of Sri Lanka.

Trott’s exit brought in Pietersen, who in falling for three to Herath in Cardiff had been dismissed by a left-arm spinner for the 19^th time in Tests.

However, Pietersen was out even more cheaply on Friday after loosely steering a Lakmal delivery to gully, where Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan held an athletic diving catch.

England were now 22 for three inside eight overs.

Bell then got off the mark first ball by pulling a short Lakmal delivery for four and he later cover drove him for a boundary.

However, Bell also also edged short of the close catchers before, fending outside off stump, he guided Welegedara’s fifth ball back to first slip Tharanga Paranavitana to leave England 130 for four.