Pietersen,Cook put hosts on top

Kevin Pietersen struck a superb 85 and Alastair Cook hit a record-equaling fifty as England closed Day Three of the third and final Test on 195-4.

Kevin Pietersen struck a superb 85 and Alastair Cook hit a record-equaling fifty as England closed Day Three of the third and final Test on 195-4,with an 11-run lead over beleaguered Sri Lanka at the Rose Bowl on Saturday. Ian Bell 39 and James Anderson 0 were the not-out batsmen at the close of a rain-disrupted day.

Captain Andrew Strauss was out for the third Test consecutive time to Sri Lankas left-arm paceman Chanaka Welegedera as England reached 54 for two at lunch. England,replying to Sri Lankas 184,also lost their in-form No.3 batsman Jonathan Trott 4,who chased a wide pitched-up ball from Suranga Lakmal,delivered from around the wicket to him.

Strauss,with just one test century in two years,departed to the 14th ball of the innings,edging Welegedera to Tharanga Piranavitana at first slip for three. Strauss has fallen to Welegedera three times in 22 balls in the series now.

Bunny in the making

He admitted in his pre-Test media conference that he had been working on his technique against the left-armer after he was lbw to him twice at Lords. The England captain,who angrily thumped his bat after his latest dismissal,is not under pressure for his place but he should expect no respite with another left-armer Zaheer Khan expected to lead Indias attack in the four-test series starting next month. Curiously,Strauss made 151 for Middlesex against the Sri Lankans a month ago,and Welegedera took the new ball in that game.

Stuart Broad earlier claimed Sri Lankas final wicket as the tourists were dismissed after the start of play was delayed for 20 minutes by rain. England required just 19 balls to end Sri Lankas resistance.

Broad made the breakthrough by having Welegedera caught at short extra cover by Eoin Morgan on his overnight score of seven. Dilhara Fernando was not out on his test-best score of 39,which was made from 51 balls and included six boundaries.

Chris Tremlett failed to add to his overnight haul and finished with six for 48,beating his previous test best of five for 87 against Australia at Perth. Only 61.2 overs were bowled on the first two days because of rain. Sri Lanka need to win to draw the series after England went 1-0 up in the first Test at Cardiff.

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Brief scores: Sri Lanka 184 P Jayawardene 43,D Fernando 39,C Tremlett 6/48,J Anderson 2/56; England 195/4 K Pietersen 85,A Cook 55,D Fernando 1/36