By Jonathan Stevenson

Harmison appeals successfully for lbw against Upul Tharanga in Galle

Steve Harmison took three Sri Lanka wickets as England fought back on an emotional first day of the final Test.

Test cricket returned to Galle for the first time since the 2004 tsunami when play started after a two-hour delay because of a waterlogged outfield.

Sri Lanka were reduced to 44-2 before Kumar Sangakkara (46) and Mahela Jayawardene (51no) put on 88.

But Harmison (3-28) removed Sangakkara and Chamara Silva before bad light ended play with the hosts on 147-4.

Interview: England's Steve Harmison

Report: Galle stages historic Test

However, the day belonged to the people of Galle and it was an occasion they are unlikely to forget after the horror of what happened on Boxing Day three years ago when the whole area was devastated.

606: DEBATE Did England shade the first day in Galle? Have your say

The locals crammed into the ground to catch a glimpse of the action as their heroes and Test cricket finally returned to one of its most picturesque locations.

England desperately needed to get off to a flier - if they fail to win the match and level the series, they will drop from second to fifth in the ICC Test rankings.

They won the toss and decided to bowl - Michael Vaughan targeting the Sri Lanka batsmen, though leaving his side open to the wiles of Muttiah Muralitharan bowling in the fourth innings.

Matthew Hoggard was deemed sufficiently fit to regain his place in the side after a back problem and he took the new ball with Ryan Sidebottom.

Despite both men finding some early seam and swing, they were a touch wayward and Michael Vandort and Upul Tharanga looked in little discomfort.

The first chance came when Harmison replaced Hoggard in the 10th over, but when he found Tharanga's outside edge, Paul Collingwood put down a routine catch at second slip.

Lucikly for England and Collingwood, Sidebottom struck next over when he trapped Vandort lbw for 18, though it looked too high, rapping the 6ft 5in opener above the knee roll.

Jayawardene reached fifty yet again for Sri Lanka to thwart England

Sangakkara came in and he survived a massive shout for caught behind off Hoggard, umpire Daryl Harper joining the batsman in shaking his head, much to the dismay of the England fielders.

They did get Tharanga in the next over, as he was also given harshly out lbw to Harmison for 16 with the ball appearing to pitch outside leg stump.

But captain Jayawardene joined the world's number one ranked Test batsman Sangakkara and they soon made England toil in the energy-sapping conditions.

After Sangakkara's close call neither of them looked in any sort of trouble, as they carried on their devastating form from the previous two Tests.

Both with massive hundreds to their name in the series so far, they played Monty Panesar with consummate ease and never looked remotely flustered, going along at about three an over.

They batted seamlessly between lunch and tea and looked well set to take the game - and the series - away from England, until Harmison struck in the second over of the final session.

He hurried Sangakkara with a short ball and the left-hander could only pull it high into the air towards Panesar at deep square-leg, the spinner holding his nerve to take a steepling catch.

As darkness began to fall, Harmison picked up another wicket, finding the outside edge of Chamara Silva's bat with Ian Bell making no mistake at first slip.

Play was stopped because of bad light soon after with just 55 overs bowled and it will restart at 0400 GMT on Wednesday as a result.