Eng 273/4 on first day of third Test against SL

Manchester, June 13: Mark Butcher's unbeaten 85 guided England to a strong position when rain stopped play on the first day of the third and final Test between England and Sri Lanka here at Old Trafford on Thursday.

England were well-placed at 273 for four after winning the toss. Surrey left-hander Butcher had faced 166 balls including 13 fours.

After his 94 in his side's Second Test victory at Edgbaston he was once again in sight of a hundred.

Alec Stewart was seven not out in his 118th Test - an England record-equalling mark alongside Graham Gooch in a a match Sri Kanka must win to square the series.

Following a 27 minute break for bad light, England's batsmen resumed with the rain heavier than when they initially went off.

And they lost Graham Thorpe (32) shortly afterwards.

Eric Upashantha had been having a miserable first Test in England but induced an inside edge through to wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara.

Thorpe, who the tourists thought they had caught behind when he was on five, stood his ground.

But West Indian official Steve Bucknor, in his world record-breaking 67th Test as an umpire, gave Thorpe out and television replays suggested he was correct.

And 262 for four nearly became 262 for five when Stewart, on nought, cut Upashantha and Mahela Jayawardene in the gully failed to hold on.

Earlier England saw captain Nasser Hussain depart for his tea score of 16 when he skied fast bowler Dilhara Fernando to Muttiah Muralitharan at mid-off.

On a ground where he took 35 wickets in four matches as Lancashire's overseas player, Muralitharan eventually removed England dangerman Marcus Trescothick for 81.

The Somerset left-hander looked on course for back-to-back Test hundreds when Muralitharan had him well caught at slip by Jayawardene.

Trescothick faced 152 balls including 14 fours and put on 126 for the second wicket with Butcher.

But he was dropped twice in two balls soon after lunch with England on 122 for one.

Trescothick (64) cut fast bowler Fernando, playing his first Test of the series after recovering from a stress fracture of the back.

Hashan Tillekeratne took off in the gully but failed to hold what would have been a brilliant catch.

Next ball Trescothick top-edged an intended pull but Upashantha, also playing his first Test of the campaign, dropped the easiest of catches at short fine leg.

Upashantha was called up because left-arm quick Nuwan Zoysa was suffering from a groin strain and Buddika Fernando was out with a knee injury.

That meant the only other seam bowler Sri Lanka had available was Ruchira Perera, whose suspect action was reported to the International Cricket Council after the drawn First Test at Lord's.

Upashantha's first four overs cost 24 runs after Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya gave him the new ball.

He was a suprising choice given that in the tourists' final warm-up game against MCC Upashantha finished with match figures of 18-0-126-0.

And some three-and-a-half hours later his fifth over went for 12 runs, Jayasuriya ending Upashantha's second spell there and then.

In the morning England lost their first wicket on 66 when Michael Vaughan (36) chipped a slower ball from Fernando straight to Chaminda Vaas at mid-off.

England: Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan, Mark Butcher, Nasser Hussain (capt), Graham Thorpe, Alec Stewart (wkt), Andrew Flintoff, Alex Tudor, Ashley Giles, Andrew Caddick, Matthew Hoggard

Sri Lanka: Marvan Atapattu, Russel Arnold, Kumar Sangakkara (wkt), Mahela Jayawardene, Aravinda de Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), Hashan Tillekeratne, Chaminda Vaas, Eric Upashantha, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan.