710 is new world mark: Murali finally gets it

Muralitharan began the third day equal with retired Australian legspinner Shane Warne on 708 wickets, but had a frustrating morning as Collingwood and Ryan Sidebottom batted seemingly determined to delay the offspinner’s pursuit for the record.

From 185-6, the pair added 57 runs for the seventh wicket as Muralitharan bowled nine overs in his morning spell and went wicketless for 19 runs.

As the partnership grew, captain Mahela Jayawardene called for the second new ball and reaped immediate results when paceman Lasith Malinga had Sidebottom (31) caught behind by Prasanna Jayawardene with the total at 242. Sidebottom faced 81 balls and hit three fours.

Muralitharan’s record wicket came when he delivered a ball around the wicket to bowl Collingwood’s middle stump to a rousing cheer from the crowd and bursting firecrackers. Collingwood spent 163 minutes at the crease, faced 121 balls and hit three boundaries.

Muralitharan later had tailender Matthew Hoggard stumped by Prasanna Jayawardene to finish with figures of 6-55.

Starting the innings just before lunch with a first innings deficit of 93 runs, the Sri Lankan opening pair took a brisk start adding 113 runs for the first wicket.

Jayasuriya hit six fours off seamer James Anderson’s fourth over to bring up his 31st half-century and was eventually dismissed trapped lbw to Hoggard for 78. Jayasuriya faced 106 balls and hit 10 fours and a six.

Vandort was caught brilliantly by a diving Ian Bell at slip off paceman James Anderson just one run short of his half-century.

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka 1st innings 188

England 1st innings (overnight 186-6)

P Collingwood b Muralitharan 45, R Sidebottom c P Jayawardene b Malinga 31, M Hoggard st P Jayawardene b Muralitharan 15, J Anderson lbw b Vaas 9, M Panesar not out 2, Extras: (6b, 1 lb, 11nb, 2w) 20, Total: (all out, 93.1 overs) 281

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-107, 3-132, 4-170, 5-182, 6-185, 7-242, 8-266, 9-272

Bowling: Vaas 18.1-3-76-2, Malinga 20-2-86-1, Muralitharan 35-14-55-6, S Jayasuriya 2-0-9-0, D Fernando 18-2-48-1

Sri Lanka 2nd innings

M Vandort c Bell b Anderson 49, S Jayasuriya lbw b Hoggard 78, K Sangakkara 30 batting, M Jayawardene 0 batting, Extras: (5b, 5lb) 10, Total: (2 wkts, 52 overs) 167

Fall of wickets: 1-113, 2-166

Bowling: Hoggard 11-3-28-1, Sidebottom 11-2-22-0, Panesar 18-1-53-0, Anderson 9-1-50-1, Bopara 3-1-4-0