TEST CRICKET/England v Sri Lanka: There is a ghost to be laid in the England dressing-room and it concerns Marcus Trescothick. Each time he had made a century - twice in Tests and as many in one-day internationals - the team has lost. That surely is about to change, for yesterday, in perfect conditions against flagging opposition, he made his third Test century that put his side in a position from which they surely can't lose.
Having been under the cosh for two sessions Muttiah Muralitharan, with some mesmeric bowling allied to skilful support from Chaminder Vaas, pulled Sri Lanka back.
Muralitharan also became the fifth highest wicket-taker in Test history, last night passing Wasim Akram's total of 414 victims. But with Graham Thorpe and Andy Flintoff at the crease, England will resume today on 401 for five, a lead of 239, and will be looking to push that up to 500 and beyond by lunchtime.
Trescothick's contribution was 161, the highest of his international centuries, an innings ended only when he chipped the last ball before tea low to midwicket, Vaas suddenly producing some dipping reverse swing into the left-hander.
After Michael Vaughan's lack of discretion had got the better of him to end a 92-run opening stand, and put Muralitharan back on the wicket-taking trail, Trescothick had added 202 for the second wicket with Mark Butcher.
This is Butcher's 13th match of his new era, during which time he has scored 1,063 runs with two hundreds and he came within half a dozen of adding to them yesterday. But a piece of Murali magic did for him, the bowler going wide of the crease and pitching a delivery hugely outside leg stump and then spinning it sharply across the batsman's bows to clip the off bail.
Trescothick in this form is just terrific, a world away from the weary loose batsman of the winter. This is a yeoman Westcountryman with no frills or frippery. His defence is unfussy, solid as an oak table, the bowler seeing the full face of the bat. In attack, though, he is brutal, thriving on width and fullness of length.
With the departure of Trescothick, Sri Lanka came back into the match, with Vaas pinning down an end, and Murali starting to find purchase. If the delivery to Butcher was remarkable, then Nasser Hussain too had cause for reflection as he was bowled off his left thigh as he padded up to another viciously turning off-break while Alec Stewart's stay was just torture.
Sri Lanka had been keen to point out before the match that Muralitharan could not be expected to bowl all day from one end.
So he had a quiet day of it: just the 42 overs, four for 104. Wait until he gets fit.
Guardian Service
