By Jamie Lillywhite

England were unable to dislodge the angular left-hander Vandort

Michael Vandort struck a patient fifty as Sri Lanka ended day two of the second Test on 105-2, 246 runs behind England in Colombo.

The in-form Kumar Sangakkara was ousted by Ryan Sidebottom but Vandort stood firm with captain Mahela Jayawardene.

England were earlier bowled out for 351, Muttiah Muralitharan taking his 62nd five-wicket haul, with Matt Prior the last man out after hitting 79.

He shared a defiant 74-run stand with Sidebottom, who made 17 from 81 balls.

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England's batting collapse allowed them 11 overs at the inexperienced Sri Lankan openers before tea but it was Test debutant Stuart Broad, not Steve Harmison, who shared the new ball with Sidebottom.

Broad was spoken to by umpire Aleem Dar after his second delivery for running too close to the stumps in his follow-through, and 26 balls into his Test career he had received two official warnings.

One more indiscretion and he would have been banned for the remainder of the innings but Broad persisted, switching ends later, although a maiden wicket eluded him.

After the revitalised Prior leapt to his left to pouch Upul Tharanga's edge one-handed, Sidebottom struck again in his next over, to leave Sri Lanka reeling on 22-2.

Sangakkara, who scored 244 imperious runs in the Kandy Test, followed one that left him and departed for just a single, the first time for seven innings that he failed to pass fifty.

Harmison spent much of the tea interval practising on the square with bowling coach Ottis Gibson and was introduced immediately upon the resumption.

Having battled with the bat, Sidebottom impressed again with the ball

While there were no deliveries heading towards second slip there were also few that presented much genuine threat to the batsmen and with Monty Panesar also failing to impress, the third wicket pair recorded a 50 stand from 109 balls.

Vandort and Jayawardene played in circumspect fashion to prevent any further England progress, but the tourists will be aware that two more wickets will expose an inexperienced lower order.

When day two began with England on 258-5, the pugnacious Paul Collingwood appeared to be the man most likely to guide them to their target of 400, but a fatal misjudgement saw him back in the pavilion in the seventh over of the morning.

Collingwood, who turned his first delivery of the day to complete his seventh Test fifty, tried to negate the threat of swing from Chaminda Vaas by standing outside of his crease, but then offered no shot and was out lbw.

Broad's quest for a score of note on his debut was quickly curtailed by Lasith Malinga, who found his range with his full deliveries and a rapid swinging one trapped the young left-hander low on the pad in front of middle stump, umpire Daryl Harper no doubt relieved to have a straightforward decision.

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That left England at 269-7 and Muttiah Muralitharan was introduced after 12 overs to clean up the tail.

The home side did not bank on the resolve of Sidebottom - although unlike some of his colleagues the redoubtable southpaw was afforded the benefit of the television replays.

A Dilhara Fernando bouncer pinned him on the crease and the ball looped to Jayawardene, who cupped his hands under the ball millimetres from the turf at third slip.

Mindful of the criticism of their failure to do so on day one, Harper and Aleem Dar referred the decision, although their concern was whether the ball had carried.

A recent change in the law allowed the third official to point out that although the catch had indeed been cleanly taken, it had not come via the glove at all but off the shoulder and Sidebottom was allowed to continue his intrepid vigil.

Prior was never afraid to drive when given width and a fine stroke through the covers signalled the 300, the fifty stand following from 82 balls.

He finally lost Sidebottom when Jayawardene clutched the ball at the second attempt at slip, while Harmison's return to the crease lasted all of one delivery when he attempted a particularly ill-advised sweep against Murali and gave a simple catch to the man positioned at short fine-leg.

Prior's lack of faith in Panesar's capabilities with the bat was demonstrated by a wild slog sweep that resulted in a top edge.

Murali gleefully grasped the chance, and his team strengthened their grip on the series, although Sidebottom's early burst retained English optimism.