By Jonathan Agnew BBC cricket correspondent in Sri Lanka

As the players left the field at the end of the day, there was no doubt about which team believed it had had the better of the opening salvoes.

While Sri Lanka's batsmen scurried gratefully for the shelter of the dressing room, England's fielders remained to slap backs and shake hands.

Almost apologetically, Ashley Giles - whose 3-13 is his best Test return for a year - came forward to lead his team from the field.

Sri Lanka were left wondering how they can now go on to score the 400-plus they were looking for at the outset

From 76-0, Sri Lanka had squandered their advantage, largely due to some uncharacteristically tentative batting, but England's efforts in the field must not be ignored.

It was precisely these frustrating tactics - combined with the repeated kicking away of Muttiah Muralitharan's off-spin - that brought England success here two years ago.

And it seemed scarcely conceivable that Sri Lanka would fall for it again.

But Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu set the tone with a surprisingly circumspect opening stand, apparently accepting the need to bat for two days.

Jayasuriya paid it with the tamest of dismissals - prodding a catch to short leg off Giles for 48 - where the dashing left-hander would usually have driven firmly to mid-on.

Jayasuriya's dismissal was uncharacteristically tame

Atapattu followed him 12 runs later when he gloved the hard-working Andrew Flintoff down the leg side for 29 from 99 balls.

At least Kumar Sangakkara played fluently, but he lost Mahela Jayawardene for 17 when Paul Collingwood caught him at silly point off Giles.

And England then turned the screw magnificently by delivering 31 dot balls.

With men around the bat, the pressure on captain Hashan Tillekeratne, grew minute by minute.

Trying to seize on a rare short ball from Giles, he succeeded only in edging to Reid for a duck.

It was not long before the umpires offered the batsmen the light, and Sri Lanka were left wondering how they can now go on to score the 400-plus they were looking for at the outset.

The wicket is already deteriorating - a number of deliveries from Flintoff and Matthew Hoggard created puffs of dust from the Fort End.

And, with four spinners in their team, Sri Lanka still have the potential to make life very difficult for England's batsmen.

However, another profitable morning for the bowlers, and we may well have a tense, low-scoring match on our hands.