Sangakkara holds up England with another Sri Lanka 50

Leeds: Kumar Sangakkara profited from three "lives" to hit his 47th test match 50 but England`s pacemen hit back to reduced Sri Lanka to 182 for five at tea on the first day of the second test in Leeds on Friday.

Sangakkara should have been run out on nought by wicketkeeper Matt Prior then Prior dropped him on 27 before Moeen Ali put down a high chance off Chris Jordan when he had made 57. At tea he was 67 not out after holding the Sri Lankan innings together with Mahela Jayawardene who was one of Liam Plunkett`s victims in a two-in-two spell, the tall fast bowler wresting back the initiative for England. Jordan took a splendid catch low to his right to dismiss Jayawardene for 22 then from the next ball Lahiru Thirimanne fended a fierce delivery straight to Sam Robson a short-leg. Plunkett’s hat-trick ball was defended by Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews but the momentum was back with England as the visitors` two centurions from last week`s drawn match at Lord’s were tasked with rebuilding the innings. Mathews quietly accumulated runs at the other end and his crushing six off part-time spinner Ali brought up their 50 partnership, Soon after the captain became the fifth man to go, edging James Anderson to Gary Ballance who took a smart low catch at slip for 26. The wicket brought Dinesh Chandimal to the crease and he was still there on 10 with Sangakkara at the interval.