Tillakaratne Dilshan ploughed on towards a maiden double-century as Sri Lanka begins to close in on England's 486 on Day 3 of the second Test at Lord's.
Dilshan (187no), showing no signs of discomfort from the thumb injury he suffered yesterday, began on an overnight 127 and was still in situ in a lunchtime 344 for two.
The Lankan skipper was accompanied first by Kumar Sangakkara and then Mahela Jayawardene as England managed just one wicket in the session, despite the advantages of today's cloudier skies and a second new ball.
Sangakkara steadfastly reprised the anchor role played so long by Tharanga Paranavitana.
Doubtless anxious to improve his Test record in England, which is nowhere near as impressive as elsewhere over the past decade, the former captain left all the strokeplay to Dilshan.
He mustered only four fours and eventually fell to the second new ball, edging Chris Tremlett behind as he pushed forward, having registered a strike rate of under 28 from 93 deliveries.
As long as Dilshan was there, though, it did not matter if runs came slowly at the other end.
With Sangakkara just gone, he passed his previous career-best of 168 with a crunching pull for four off Stuart Broad.
There appeared to be a little more in the pitch than yesterday, and a suspicion of swing too.
England's pace attack beat the bat regularly but were struggling for the required consistency, dropping on to the pads too often and testing wicketkeeper Matt Prior with their faulty lines too.
Dilshan left especially well against Broad from the nursery end and kept on carving his runs, mainly through the off-side, whenever England gave him the opportunity.
Jayawardene did well to ride some extra bounce from Broad to keep the ball short of Graeme Swann at second slip, and kept pace with Dilshan in another unbroken 50 stand.
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Dilshan (187no), showing no signs of discomfort from the thumb injury he suffered yesterday, began on an overnight 127 and was still in situ in a lunchtime 344 for two.
The Lankan skipper was accompanied first by Kumar Sangakkara and then Mahela Jayawardene as England managed just one wicket in the session, despite the advantages of today's cloudier skies and a second new ball.
Sangakkara steadfastly reprised the anchor role played so long by Tharanga Paranavitana.
Doubtless anxious to improve his Test record in England, which is nowhere near as impressive as elsewhere over the past decade, the former captain left all the strokeplay to Dilshan.
He mustered only four fours and eventually fell to the second new ball, edging Chris Tremlett behind as he pushed forward, having registered a strike rate of under 28 from 93 deliveries.
As long as Dilshan was there, though, it did not matter if runs came slowly at the other end.
With Sangakkara just gone, he passed his previous career-best of 168 with a crunching pull for four off Stuart Broad.
There appeared to be a little more in the pitch than yesterday, and a suspicion of swing too.
England's pace attack beat the bat regularly but were struggling for the required consistency, dropping on to the pads too often and testing wicketkeeper Matt Prior with their faulty lines too.
Dilshan left especially well against Broad from the nursery end and kept on carving his runs, mainly through the off-side, whenever England gave him the opportunity.
Jayawardene did well to ride some extra bounce from Broad to keep the ball short of Graeme Swann at second slip, and kept pace with Dilshan in another unbroken 50 stand.
Related news
Dilshan leads Sri Lanka's fightback
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