England enforce the follow on; Sri Lanka 253 all out

Manchester, June 16: Sri Lanka were made to follow-on by England captain Nasser Hussain in the Third Test here at Old Trafford on Sunday. On the stroke of tea, on the fourth day, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 253, 60 runs short of the follow-on target of 313 after England had piled up 512.

Fast bowler Alex Tudor did the bulk of the damage with four for 65 as England, 1-0 up in the three match campiagn, moved closer to wrapping up their first Test series victory in five attempts.

Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya, who dropped himself down the order after a run of low scores in his usual opening spot, showed his team-mates the way forward with a grinding 35.

That was Jayasuriya's highest score of the series - an indication of how out of touch the normally fluent strokeplayer has been in England.

He went lbw on the backfoot to Matthew Hoggard, the Yorkshire quick striking with the 13th delivery with the new ball.

That left Sri Lanka on 227 for six.

Eric Upashantha did not last long caught behind for one by wicket-keeper Alec Stewart off Surrey team-mate Tudor.

However, television replays suggested Steve Bucknor, standing in a world record 67th Test as an umpire, had erred, the ball appearing to have come off the batsman's armguard rather than his glove.

Nevertheless Sri Lanka were now 228 for seven, still 85 short of avoiding the follow-on.

Chaminda Vaas (14) was then plumb lbw to Hoggard to leave Sri Lanka 240 for nine.

Muttiah Muralitharan, still carrying a shoulder injury, resisted bravely albeit in the face of some unintelligent bowling before he was caught behind for six off Tudor.

Dilhara Fernando was six not out. Opener Marvan Atapattu did not bat again after retiring hurt Saturday with a suspected broken finger.

He could only watch as some of his colleagues gave their wickets away.

Hashan Tillekeratne (20), slog-swept left-arm spinner Ashley Giles straight to Andrew Flintoff on the square leg boundary.

Tillekeratne's shot was all the more rash because England were a bowler light with paceman Andrew Caddick off the field because of a side strain.

And before lunch Mahela Jayawardene (17) got underneath an intended attacking shot off Tudor and the bowler took the skied catch himself.

That left Sri Lanka 142 for two in the fifth over of the day.

And they lost their third wicket just seven runs later when Kumar Sangakkara (40) was caught at slip by Graham Thorpe off Hoggard.

Aravinda de Silva and Jayasuriya then tried to dig in.

Sri Lanka's two most experienced batsmen had put on 22 when they were separated by an inventive tactical ploy that left the tourists on 171 for four.

England captain Nasser Hussain had just stationed himself unusually close in at short backward square leg to Flintoff.

The Lancashire all-rounder then forced de Silva (18) to turn a rising delivery round the corner where Hussain held a superb two-handed reflex catch.