Galle Test: Rain holds up Lankan party

Cook scores half-century to defy fiery Sri Lankans

The visitors went into lunch at 102/1, needing 316 runs merely to make Sri Lanka bat once again. Cook was unbeaten on 53, his ninth Test half-century, with Ian Bell unbeaten on 17. The duo added 35 runs for the second-wicket after Michael Vaughan (24) was snapped by debutant Welegedara in the morning session.

Openers Vaughan and Cook shared a 67-run partnership. The England captain slashed at wide delivery and was caught by opposition captain Mahela Jayawardena at second slip.

The players left the field shortly before lunch and, despite rare brighter spells, monsoonal rains soon enclosed the ground.

England was bowled out for a humiliating 81 runs in the first innings and were forced to follow on after the hosts declared their innings on 499/8.

It was the lowest total by England in a Test innings against Sri Lanka, equaling the lowest innings in Tests between the two nations, with Sri Lanka also scoring 81 in 2001.

England faces an uphill task even to salvage a draw let alone win the Test as required to square the series. The Islanders require a further 9 wickets on the final day to wrap up the Test series 2-0 and catapult its status on the ICC Test Rankings to number 2.

Sri Lanka's left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas (4-28) was the chief destroyer in England's first innings.

In Sri Lanka's innings, Jayawardena made an unbeaten 213, his fourth double-century and in doing so surpassed Aravinda de Silva's record for the most Test centuries for the nation.

Sri Lanka won the first of the three-Test series in Kandy and the second ended in a draw in Colombo.