Cricket/ England v Sri Lanka, first Test: The country boy is shorn of his hayrick locks now but Matthew Hoggard's power remains. Ducking and darting the new ball as if on a piece of string, having been let loose after Andrew Flintoff had taken most by surprise in declaring his innings closed at 551 for six with tea still 20 minutes away, Hoggard removed both openers, exposing Sri Lanka's most experienced batsmen to a fearsome challenge.

Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene survived the early onslaught but the struggle for Sri Lanka to stay in touch in the match would always be uphill and, as overhead conditions changed, their frailties were exposed in dramatic fashion with the tourists closing on 91 for six.

Through the opening created by Hoggard stormed the young debutant Sajid Mahmood, who was brought on to bowl the 21st over.

His second over brought an injudicious drive from Sangakkara and, with Marcus Trescothick safely pouching the catch at first slip, a first wicket.

His following over gained him further success when a wickedly reverse-swung delivery, touching the upper 80s for pace, the fastest of the match, caught Thilan Samaraweera in front and lbw.

These are early days but this may just be the answer to the vacancy created by injuries to Simon Jones.

Further trouble came in his following over when Tillakaratne Dilshan drove to extra cover and ran but was sent back by Jayawardene and was unable to beat Hoggard's throw.

When Chamara Kapugedera received a fast inswinging full-toss first ball and was also lbw, Mahmood had taken three for six in 3.2 overs, all three wickets at no cost. At 85 for six, Sri Lanka were being buried.

Earlier Kevin Pietersen, 54 overnight, had tormented the Sri Lankan attack with his third Test century.

His 158 matched his landmark innings at The Oval last September and contained two sixes and 19 fours.

On the way he added 173 for the fifth wicket with the faithful Paul Collingwood, who was to make 57 before Muttiah Muralitharan's quicker ball cramped his back foot and bowled him.

There was time for Flintoff to romp to 33 from 29 balls, belting his last ball into the Tavern Stand before charging in for his tea as if called by his mum.

Hoggard's opening burst placed in perspective the ease with which England had helped themselves to their runs and showed just what havoc he might have wrought had he enjoyed first use of a sappy pitch on Thursday morning.

Good surface it may be, but this is early season and with moisture around, a top bowler will always find assistance.

There was no surprise in the manner of his dismissals either. When the cloud cover rolls in high, as it began to do yesterday afternoon, and the ball carves a curved path through the air, Hoggard uses the inswinger as a stock delivery to lefthanders, forcing them to play and compelling them to think about doing so even when he runs the ball straight across toward the waiting slips.

Jehan Mubarak had no chance, the ball booming back into his pads and leaving Aleem Dar with a no-brainer.

If that was classic new-ball bowling then the dismissal of Upal Tharanga, another left-hander, was masterly in its conception and execution.

Minutes before, Tharanga had had his brains rattled by Flintoff's bouncer, responding with a cover drive that was fluent but betrayed how it had unsettled him.

Hoggard saw this and a sharp inswinger caught him bang in front and embarrassed by a three-card trick.

• Guardian Service

Scoreboard

Overnight: England 318-3 (M E Trescothick 106, A N Cook 89, K P Pietersen 54 no).

England First Innings

K P Pietersen lbw b Vaas 158

M J Hoggard b Vaas 7

P D Collingwood b Muralitharan 57

A Flintoff not out 33

G O Jones not out 11

Extras b16 lb7 w4 nb15 pens 0 42

Total 6 wkts dec (143 overs) ... 551

Fall: 1-86 2-213 3-312 4-329 5-502 6-502

Did Not Bat: L E Plunkett, S I Mahmood, M S Panesar.

Bowling: Vaas 36 2 124 2; Maharoof 28 4 125 1; Kulasekara 25 3 89 0; Muralitharan 48 10 158 3; Dilshan 6 0 32 0

Sri Lanka First Innings

J Mubarak lbw b Hoggard 0

W U Tharanga lbw b Hoggard 10

K C Sangakkara c Trescothick b Mahmood 21

D P M Jayawardene not out 40

T T Samaraweera lbw b Mahmood 0

T M Dilshan run out 0

C K Kapugedera lbw b Mahmood 0

M F Maharoof not out 6

Extras lb7 nb7 pens 0 14

Total 6 wkts (30 overs) ... 91

Fall: 1-0 2-21 3-81 4-81 5-85 6-85

To Bat: W P U J C Vaas, K M D N Kulasekara, M Muralitharan.

Bowling: Hoggard 8 2 14 2; Flintoff 11 2 29 0; Plunkett 6 0 32 0; Mahmood 5 2 9 3.