Humiliation for England

Vaughan presumably batted first in the belief that a notoriously awkward pitch would not improve and that chasing a target under low floodlights might be tougher still.

For debut- maker Andrew Strauss, though, the problems began immediately and Middlesex's captain had little to show for a nine-ball innings after replacing the dropped Vikram Solanki.

Sri Lanka fielded two newcomers today. The first of them, slim, fast bowler Dinusha Fernando, stooped low during his second over to snaffle a half driven return catch from Strauss.

Marcus Trescothick had already thumped a boundary past point and he collected a second four via a lucky inside edge. When Chaminda Vaas tempted him into an optimistic swish across the line, however, Sri Lanka's other debutant, Nuwan Kulasekara, held a tricky skyer at deep mid-on.

An uphill struggle was already on the cards - and the journey soon became steeper still with Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff back in the pavilion by the end of the 13th over with only 26 in the plus column.

Vaughan's flimsy defensive stroke resulted in an inside edge and Flintoff, the destroyer of Bangladesh, was flummoxed by Vaas's slower ball and drove tamely to cover.

Rikki Clarke played all around paceman Kulasekara's 11th delivery, Ian Blackwell cut the same bowler low to backward point and Chris Read edged Upul Chandana's leg break to slip, where Mahela Jayawardene held a wonderful catch at full stretch.

When Collingwood was beaten in the flight by Chandana, a new low seemed inevitable - and would have been but for Giles.