Sidebottom puts England in charge

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- England paceman Ryan Sidebottom took two early wickets to give the tourists the upper hand on the second day of the second Test against Sri Lanka.

Left-armer Sidebottom removed world number one batsman Kumar Sangakkara and Upul Tharanga in quick succession before tea but an unblemished final session meant Sri Lanka closed on 105-2, when bad light left nine overs of the day unused.

The departure of Sangakkara, almost immovable in Sri Lanka's 88-run victory in Kandy last week, was greeted by manic celebrations within the England camp.

Both of Sidebottom's dismissals were well held by wicketkeeper Matt Prior, whose 79 in England's total of 351 held their first innings together earlier in the day.

Prior's wicket was one of three quickfire dismissals which provided Muttiah Muralitharan with his 62nd five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

Murali had Sidebottom taken at slip pushing forward, Steve Harmison wedging a sweep straight to short fine-leg and Prior skying to the leg-side to end the innings.

Earlier, Paul Collingwood became the third Englishman to hit a half-century in their innings, when he scored off his first ball of the morning.

But he perished after misjudging a delivery from Chaminda Vaas and England were soon reduced to 272-7 -- a chronic demise from 133 without loss -- when debutant Stuart Broad failed to jab down on a full-pitched delivery from Lasith Malinga and became the third lbw victim of the innings.

Despite their two early wickets, England could not force a third Sri Lankan breakthrough despite a couple of early flutters.

Home captain Jayawardene flashed a Harmison delivery over the slips for four while short-leg Alastair Cook could not clasp a forceful clip from left-hander Michael Vandort. E-mail to a friend