A wonderful Kevin Pietersen century proved the difference between the two sides as England reduced Sri Lanka to 86-4 at stumps on day two at Edgbaston.

The tourists were still 68 runs away from making England bat again after Pietersen's exciting 142 had led them to 295, a first innings lead of 154.

Matthew Hoggard and Monty Panesar then took two wickets each for the hosts.

Pietersen was the first England player since Graham Gooch in 1990 to hit three tons in successive home Test innings.

LATEST UPDATES (All times BST)

STUMPS: SRI LANKA 86-4 (Vandort 30, Dilshan 21)

1918: Vandort confidently flicks Flintoff through mid-wicket for three. Dilshan was a bit reluctant to come back for the third even though it was a comfortable one. There are few alarms in the last four balls but Sri Lanka have plenty to do to avoid defeat on day three.

1917: Panesar takes a well-deserved ovation after bowling his last over of the day. Flintoff will bowl the remaining one.

1911: Vandort is a whisker away from edging Flintoff behind - a lazy and irresponsible shot so late in the day and with his side in so much trouble.

1910: Another good decision from Dar as Panesar pitches the ball just outside leg-stump before it goes on to hit Dilshan in front of the stumps.

1904: As predicted, Flintoff brings himself on with 26 minutes left today. He's bowled only four overs so far.

"Why is Jonathan Agnew so worried about Panesar's fielding? So what if the Aussie crowd give him some stick? He saves more runs with economical bowling than he gives away in the field. Monty is a better bowler than Giles, he's more likely to take wickets and is 10 years younger."
Mr J Standing in the TMS inbox

1858: While Panesar has been busy creating panic, Mahmood has looked ineffective at the other end. A change seems likely for the last few overs of the day.

1855: Panesar launches another loud shout when the ball pitches on middle but is just a tad high when it strikes Dilshan on the pad. The batsman responds by cutting the left-arm spinner for three fours. Pietersen appears to have tweaked a hamstring giving chase for the first one but stays out there.

1846: A huge appeal from Panesar for lbw but Aleem Dar correctly rules that was missing off-stump, but Dilshan played a dangerous game there by offering no stroke. The ball then skids almost along the ground to Jones to set more alarm bells ringing.

1838: With his confidence soaring, Panesar runs up to get into position to bowl his next over. Dilshan edges the ball down to Flintoff at second slip but it doesn't appear to carry.

1832: WICKET SRI LANKA 56-4 Samaraweera 8
Monty gets his man when Samaraweera loses his mind and charges down the wicket. Jones whips off the bails and Sri Lanka are in deep trouble, still 98 behind. Panesar is so adrenaline-charged he almost flies down to third man at the end of the over and gets a raucous reception.

1831: Samaraweera is more deliberate this time as he plays Panesar down to third man where a good piece of fielding keeps it down to two runs.

1823: Panesar, who is in the middle of a quite magnificent spell of bowling, is unlucky when he forces a genuine edge off Samaraweera with a fine delivery and Jones fails to snaffle a good opportunity. After his woeful batting, there will be more calls for the wicket-keeper to be dropped. The fifty comes up for Sri Lanka but they should have been four down.

1807: WICKET SRI LANKA 43-3 Jayawardene 5
The ball keeps alarmingly low and Hoggard wins an lbw verdict even though it might just have missed leg-stump. A hammer blow for the tourists with their best two batsmen back in the hutch.

1803: Runs have dried up late on day two - one from the last six overs - as Sri Lanka attempt to avoid further damage. Panesar is bowling with great control and extracting sharp turn.

1745: Vandort comes desperately close to edging Plunkett behind and from looking reasonably comfortable, the Sri Lankans are up against it again.

1741: Captain Jayawardene avoids a pair by turning Panesar to fine-leg for four.

"Monty's fielding is devoid of confidence but his bowling isn't. The two are so divorced from each other."
TMS commentator Jon Agnew

1739: WICKET SRI LANKA 38-2 Sangakara 18
Panesar is rewarded for a fine piece of bowling when Sangakkara lofts the ball straight to Collingwood at mid-wicket and the crowd are singing his name. What a change from a few minutes ago when his fielding ineptitude was being ridiculed.

1737: Panesar is in the safest place for him on the field - bowling - but Sangakkara sweeps his first ball for four. Two balls later he has a loud shout for lbw but the ball struck the pad outside the line of off-stump.

1735: A classic cover drive off Plunkett adds four to Vandort's total and after a nervy start, he appears to be growing in confidence.

1731: Oh dear. Panesar gives manful chase after Vandort flicks Flintoff off his legs through mid-wicket but just fails to get his hand to the ball to keep it from going over the rope, much to the amusement of all but the England camp.

"There is a contest within the England team at the moment with Harmison likely to come back for the third Test. Plunkett is in a bit of a shootout with Mahmood, and his batting - although he didn't show it today - will influence selection."
TMS analyst Gus Fraser

1720: Flintoff is back for Hoggard and Vandort picks up a welcome boundary - he had two runs in 10 overs previously - by tickling the ball down to fine-leg.

1715: Vandort doubles up in pain when he gets an inside edge into his nether region. He grimaces as some water is brought out to him. Plunkett follows up with a good delivery which almost yorks him and then beats him comprehensively outside off-stump - shades of yesterday morning.

1708: Plunkett is not quite in the groove he found on Thursday but almost has a lucky break when Sangakkara wafts well outside off-stump.

1657: Flintoff replaces himself with day one hero Plunkett after failing to trouble the batsmen.

"They shouldn't care how they do it but Sri Lanka somehow have to muster a lead of 150 because with Murali they know they have someone who can cause England problems."
TMS summariser Vic Marks works up some optimism for the visitors

1652: Flintoff completes a second tidy over but he has not looked dangerous so far.

1645: Sangakkara shows his class by lacing Hoggard through extra cover. He looked in good form in the first innings before Plunkett removed him with a superb delivery.

1639: Sangakkara dispatches a swinging ball through mid-wicket for four off his first delivery but his team are already under severe pressure.

1637: WICKET SRI LANKA 2-1 Tharanga 0
Hoggard gives England a great start when he has Tharanga caught behind for a golden duck, making it a pair for the left-hander.

1634: Hoggard oversteps as he unleashes a bouncer to get the tourists going.

1631: Flintoff offers words of encouragement to his players in their huddle. A few early wickets would leave the Sri Lankans well and truly under the cosh.

"Is England's collapse a downside of central contracts? We are almost at the end of May and Flintoff has had only three knocks (two in Tests), and Jones and Collingwood barely any more. Are we in danger of over-resting players, resulting in some of them falling out of form?"
Ian Bonny writing into TMS

TEA: INNINGS BREAK

1612: WICKET ENGLAND 295 ALL OUT Panesar 0
No surprise as Panesar is trapped leg before by Malinga for a seven-ball duck and England's innings comes to an end in sorry fashion - five wickets for five runs. They have a lead of 154, though, and remain strong favourites to win.

1611: Mahmood doesn't know much about a rapid yorker from Malinga which is missing leg-stump and a leg-bye is scrambled. There is a hush, with the crowd fearing the worst for Panesar.

1609: To his credit, Monty sees out the rest of the over, much to the bemusement of the Sri Lankan fielders.

1607: The crowd roar as loudly as they did when Pietersen completed his century to greet cult hero Panesar. The odds must be very short on wicket number seven for Muralitharan.

1605: WICKET ENGLAND 294-9 Jones 4
Muralitharan is gifted a sixth wicket when Jones' sweep balloons to short fine-leg.

1603: After looking distinctly average in his earlier spells, Malinga has suddenly found his radar and a searing yorker almost does for Jones.

1600: Mahmood is in and England's innings is in danger of folding in a hurry.

1558: WICKET ENGLAND 293-8 Plunkett 0
There is silence as Plunkett pulls Muralitharan straight to Vandort to give the spinner his 52nd five-wicket haul in Tests.

1556: Jones is beaten all ends up by a Muralitharan doosra, the ball spinning sharply away to make England's wicket-keeper look rather silly. Jones is wise to the next one and cuts for three to take the lead over 150.

1551: WICKET ENGLAND 290-7 Flintoff 9
Malinga beats Flintoff for pace and rips out his off-stump with a good delivery. The skipper had been unusually subdued and registers a rare failure. England have lost their two kingpins in successive overs but are still in control with a lead of 149.

"What a player. If he continues to produce performances like that, England supporters will have plenty of days in the sun for the next 10 years or so."
Gus Fraser pays tribute to Pietersen on TMS

1546: WICKET ENGLAND 290-6 Pietersen 142
Groans from the crowd and Pietersen walks off shaking his head after Hair decides he is out lbw this time to a Muralitharan doosra. A good decision from the umpire robs the crowd of more entertainment.

1545: One of the most amazing shots you will ever see from Pietersen, who reverse sweeps Muralitharan for six over point. He follows up by berating someone for moving behind the sightscreen.

"England are in such control that you almost feel it's fading out as a contest. I can't imagine Murali has been treated like this by many batsmen."
TMS analyst Gus Fraser

1535: Pietersen shatters the calm by rifling Muralitharan twice through the covers and chopping him backward of point for three successive fours. His score is now 134 and 24 short of his best.

1528: Things have calmed down a bit after the fireworks before the drinks break. Flintoff is playing himself in a lot longer than usual - seven off 40 balls.

"They need a cage over Pietersen to really keep him quiet."
TMS commentator Henry Blofeld

1516: Sri Lanka's most experienced seamer, Vaas, is back on after a drinks break. England are 122 ahead with two of the most destructive batsmen in the world in tandem.

1511: New evidence from the snickometer suggest Pietersen might have got the faintest of edges - it was a superb decision from Hair after all.

1507: Pietersen, perhaps lucky to still be at the crease, opens the face of the bat and guides Kulasekara down to third man for four, and launches the next ball high into the Hollies Stand for six.

1504: A savage blow from Flintoff forces Pietersen to sway and he tumbles over as the ball races away to the long-on boundary. A flick through mid-wicket for two brings up the 250.

1503: Muralitharan launches a loud appeal for lbw and this one looks as plumb as you like but Hair rules that Pietersen got some bat to it.

1454: Pietersen sweeps Muralitharan powerfully for two to take the lead to exactly 100. The off-spinner has a moral victory when the 25-year-old almost edges behind but Pietersen is winning the overall battle at the moment.

"One of the greatest spinners of all time is struggling to bowl at Pietersen - so I might have had one or two problems as well."
Former England slow bowler Vic Marks sympathises with Muralitharan on TMS.

1448: Sri Lanka's "reward" for that strike is the arrival of Flintoff. If he gets going and Pietersen sticks around, England could be out of sight by the end of the day.

1446: WICKET ENGLAND 238-5 Collingwood 19 Muralitharan's doosra sits up nicely for Collingwood to cut to the point boundary but he then charges forward and turns the ball straight into the hands of short-leg. A rush of blood from the Durham all-rounder, perhaps a result of the blistering strokeplay of Pietersen.

1443: Pietersen leaps up and punches the air in delight after registering his second century in as many Tests by driving through the on-side.

1441: Maharoof makes way for Kulasekara but it makes little difference as his first ball is cracked through the covers by Pietersen, who moves to 96 by swinging the next ball to backward square-leg for two.

"The Sri Lankans look content to push the field back and give Pietersen singles to take him off strike. He looks like a man in a hurry."
TMS expert Mike Selvey

1437: With runs flowing, Jayawardene brings on trump card Muralitharan in an attempt to slow Pietersen down.

1432: Are we at Wimbledon already? Pietersen produces a repeat of the previous Maharoof over, pirouetting to flip the ball down to the long-on fence. He then plays a quite exquisite cover drive straight out of the text book to bring up the fifty partnership. In this mood he is almost unstoppable.

1430: Pietersen races through for a quick single and the throw fells the batsman after thudding into his pad.

1426: We had some hockey-style shots from Pietersen at Lord's, and now it's time for tennis as he plays a top-spin forehand off Maharoof to crash the ball from outside off-stump down to the long-on boundary. The last ball of the over flies off the edge over the slips for another four to agitate the tourists futher.

1420: Pietersen finally makes clean contact to whip Kulasekara through mid-wicket to bring up 200 for England. The lead is now 60.

1415: Maharoof comes on for his first spell of the day instead of Malinga. Pietersen tries to thrash the first ball away but gets his timing all wrong and then misses with another swish off the next delivery.

1411: Collingwood hits Kulasekara's first ball uppishly past cover for two.

1409: The players are back out for the afternoon session. The hosts will hope to ram home their advantage with Pietersen's sights set on his second century of the series.

LUNCH: ENGLAND 193-4 (Pietersen 65, Collingwood 10)

1332: Malinga continues to be wayward and four leg-byes come in the last over before lunch as England end a shortened first session in a strong position. They added 55 for the loss of night-watchman Hoggard and are 52 ahead.

"We always see ducks at Edgbaston because there are lakes and things behind us in the park."
TMS commentator Henry Blofeld

1322: Pietersen doubles up after being hit in the midriff attempting to pull Malinga. He winces but is soon sharing a joke with umpire Hair.

1318: Malinga "The Slinger" comes on for Vaas. His unusual action has caused few problems for England so far.

1311: Collingwood drives Vaas with aplomb to the extra cover rope for his first four. England will have a selection quandary when Michael Vaughan regains full fitness with the Durham man growing in confidence with each game.

1305: Muralitharan comes off and is replaced by Kulasekara. A surprising move considering he has looked nothing more than an honest medium-pace trundler so far.

1300: Birthday boy Collingwood - 30 today - gets off the mark first ball by turning Muralitharan out on the on-side for a single.

1258: Pietersen shows he can be subtle by delightfully cutting Muralitharan late for four to move up to 60. He then tries to loft the off-spinner over the top but is fortunate when it drops short of the fielder at long-on.

1256: WICKET ENGLAND 169-4 Hoggard 3
The night-watchman is cleaned up by a full delivery from Vaas which crashes into the middle and off-stumps.

1254: Hoggard edges Vaas just short of second slip to continue an unhappy period for the Sri Lankans.

1252: Loud cheers ring out as Hoggard turns Muralitharan to backward square-leg for his first run of the day after facing 19 deliveries.

"It's an overstatement to call it a sweep - it was more of a jerking, stabbing prod."
TMS commentator Jon Agnew

1243: More embarrassment for the tourists as Muralitharan sends one past leg-stump and Sangakkara makes no attempt to prevent four byes. There is an appeal for lbw next ball when his doosra hits Pietersen on the back leg. It looked plumb but replays show it might have gone just over the stumps.

1240: Pietersen brings up his fifty with a powerful sweep off Muralitharan which gives the two fielders on the boundary no chance. He drives down the ground and picks up another boundary when Kulasekara runs past the ball and cannot stop himself. Jayawardene has a word with the umpire to protest about the wet outfield.

1235: A majestic straight drive off Vaas brings Pietersen his second boundary of the morning and England move past 150. That was hardly a half-volley but England's number four does look in very good form. Maharoof has to go off after making a mess off his trousers with a sliding stop to keep Pietersen down to three from an on-drive. 155-3

1234: Hoggard sweeps at Muralitharan, the ball loops up in the air and Jayawardene at slip claims a catch, but the ball came off the shoulder.

"Pietersen plays at deliveries other batsmen leave alone so I would persevere with a line just outside off-stump, the way Vaas has."
TMS summariser Gus Fraser

1229: Vaas finds Pietersen's outside edge but the ball drops just short of Samaraweera at first slip. Conditions are not ideal for batting but the forecast for the afternoon is good and the key for England is to see this mini session through.

1225: Pietersen caresses Muralitharan through the covers for four to move to 37 and push England into the lead.

1223 Vaas twice beats Pietersen by shaping the ball away but the batsman flicks him down to long leg for the first two runs of the day.

1219: Pietersen and night-watchman Hoggard make their way out to the middle. Pietersen, who looked in particularly good nick on Thursday, will face Vaas in the first over.

1217: The Sri Lankans are already out there in a huddle. They will need some early breakthroughs to force their way back into the game. As on day one, Muralitharan is likely to pose the biggest danger to England's chances of establishing a big lead.

1201: The covers are coming off and play is finally due to begin at 1220, with lunch scheduled to tke place at 1330.

1145: Umpires Hair and Dar decide another look is needed at 1200.

1122: There will be an inspection again in 10 minutes and if the outfield is dry enough and the light holds, play will begin around 1145-1200.

1105: The umpires will take another look at 1115 and see the condition of the outfield to determine a start time.

Twenty minutes ago we had decided to start at 11 o'clock. Now the light's not good and it's raining again so we'll wait until the rain stops and look again. The square is fine and the run-ups are good but the rain may cause a problem in the outfield.
Umpire Darrell Hair

1000: Umpires Darrell Hair and Aleem Dar decide to make an inspection of the playing area in an hour's time, so a prompt start appears out of the question.