England 377/ 6 on second day of third Test against SL

Manchester, June 14: Mark Butcher's hundred was the highlight of a rain-marred day in the third and final Test between England and Sri Lanka here at Old Trafford on Friday.

At stumps on the second day England were 377 for six with Alec Stewart 57 not out and Surrey team-mate Alex Tudor six not out after poor weather meant only 28 overs' play was possible.

Frustrated spectators booed the batsmen when they went off for bad light at 1635GMT after rain had prevented play starting until 1300GMT.

But shortly afterwards a torrential downpour meant there was no chance of a resumption

The conditions saw 77 overs lost from the day's allocation.

That did not help Sri Lanka, plagued by bad weather throughout their tour, who need to win this match to level the series at 1-1.

Stewart, equalling Graham Gooch's England record of 118 Test appearances, kept up the pressure with a typically brisk fifty from 61 balls.

England's wicket-keeper reached the landmark with a huge swept four against Muttiah Muralitharan, the off-spinner back on the ground where he took 35 wickets in four matches as Lancashire's overseas player.

Surrey left-hander Butcher was on 119 before rain, which had washed out the entire morning session, forced a 78 minute stoppage in the afternoon.

Butcher, who made 94 in England's Second Test innings victory at Edgbaston, added just four more runs upon the resumption.

Then he was lbw to left-arm quick Chaminda Vaas, hitting across the line, although replays suggested the ball may have been going over the top of the stumps.

Butcher's 123 had come from 226 balls including 18 fours in an innings lasting just over five hours.

Before he was out his only worrying moment came when, on 93, fast bowler Dilhara Fernando almost deceived him with a slower ball.

Together with Stewart, Butcher put on 92 for the fifth wicket.

But 354 for five soon became 361 for six when new batsman Andrew Flintoff (1), in front of his home crowd, was unluckily run out when a Stewart drive was deflected by bowler Vaas into the stumps. 

England started the day on 273 for four with Butcher, 85 not out.

He needed a further 23 balls to go to his fifth Test hundred, bringing up three figures with a leg-glanced four off Vaas.

His innings came at the right time for a player who has been facing problems both on and off the pitch.

Butcher, who is struggling with a knee injury, also faces an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) disciplinary hearing for newspaper comments about Ruchira Perera, the Sri Lankan seamer whose action was reported by the umpires following the drawn First Test at Lord's.