Sri Lanka put England under Pressure

Sri Lanka made England toil in the field for most of day two in Cardiff, reaching exactly 400 all out before claiming an early wicket when the hosts came into bat. Wicketkeeper-batsman Prasanna Jayawardene inflicted the most damage with a fine knock of 112. With three other players contributing half centuries, the tourists reached a defendable total, but still find themselves pushed out to 12/1 shots with Boylesports to win the match.

The prospects are scarcely any better for England at 11/1 with bet365. This inevitably means that the draw is the big favourite at 1/7 with VictorChandler. Andrew Strauss’s side will need to bat convincingly for all of day three for the bookies to re-think their chances. On the other hand, with the captain already dismissed, if a few more wickets tumble quickly then Sri Lanka will see their odds plummet rapidly.

However, with the possibility of more rain, a positive outcome to the 1st Test is seen as a long shot.