By Oliver Brett

Muralitharan's treble strike in the final session was crucial

England fell to an agonising defeat as Sri Lanka secured an 88-run victory with only 25 minutes of play left in a dramatic first Test in Kandy.

The tourists slumped to 139-6 soon after lunch before Ian Bell (74) and Matt Prior (63) put on 109 in a stand that frustrated the hosts for 44 overs.

But Muttiah Muralitharan bowled both in consecutive overs after tea and quickly snapped up Ryan Sidebottom.

Lasith Malinga then wrapped up the win by dismissing Matthew Hoggard.

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Interview: England batsman Ian Bell

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Muralitharan had been unable to add to his world record tally of 710 wickets until the final session and after tea it looked like Prior and Bell could hold out for a remarkable draw.

But Murali found it easier to spin the new ball, and Sri Lanka just had enough time to register the victory they needed to end a poor run of form and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Ian Bell's tremendous five-hour vigil was not quite enough

England, resuming on 9-1, appeared to be sliding irretrievably to defeat during the morning session on Wednesday.

Skipper Michael Vaughan was dismissed in the fourth over of the morning.

He came half-forward to a straight ball from the left-arm seam of Chaminda Vaas, and perhaps expecting the ball to swing into his pads only succeeded in edging to wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene.

Soon afterwards nightwatchman James Anderson saw the top of his off-stump clipped by a very fine Vaas delivery and the score was a miserable 27-3 with the victory target of 350 no longer a realistic proposition.

Kevin Pietersen did not seem troubled by a broken bone in his hand and hit two confident boundaries off successive balls from Dilhara Fernando.

But Fernando did not have to wait long for his revenge, and Pietersen failed to get enough bat on a ball that kept slightly low, inside-edging it onto his stumps.

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Paul Collingwood was the most culpable of England's batsmen, driving Fernando loosely to short extra cover to make it 90-5.

Ravi Bopara could have fallen immediately, but Sri Lanka had opted to have just one slip for Fernando and the edge went between him and the wicket-keeper.

The debutant found Sanath Jayasuriya's left-arm spin particularly hard to deal with, and umpire Asad Rauf upheld the second of two vociferous appeals for lbw - he was out for 34 soon after lunch.

Replays, however, suggested the batsman had been struck a centimetre or two outside off-stump.

That wicket appeared to have put the result of the match beyond doubt as England had only four wickets in hand with nearly four hours of cricket still to be played.

But Bell, registering his fourth consecutive half century in as many Test innings, was playing with some ease and he finally found a willing partner in Prior.

Both batsmen played cautiously, generally playing Murali off the back foot, but were confident enough to put away the half-volleys for four.

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Prior survived a nasty bouncer from Fernando which hit him on the jaw, and a huge appeal for a catch at the wicket off Muralitharan.

The pair continued their remarkable partnership after tea, and when Chaminda Vaas failed to find any swing with the second new ball the draw suddenly looked the likeliest result.

But Muralitharan, so impotent for much of the day, finally gained the vital breakthrough by getting a delivery to defeat Prior's defences and hit the top of off-stump.

The wicket was not a complete disaster for England, but in Murali's subsequent over an exhausted Bell saw an off-break from round the wicket grip just enough to turn past his outside edge and hit the stumps.

Sidebottom and Hoggard batted diligently, knowing that bad light would bring an early finish if they could only stay together for around 45 minutes.

But umpire Rauf gave his second erroneous lbw decision of the day - roundly castigated by Test Match Special's summariser Simon Hughes - when adjudging Sidebottom lbw to Muralitharan.

Replays clearly showed the batsman had got a massive inside edge.

The partnership between Hoggard, in agony with his bad back that looks certain to rule him out of the rest of the series, and Panesar was England's final hope.