BBC SPORT | Cricket | England | Lord's Test ends drawn

First Test, Lord's, final day (stumps):
Sri Lanka 555-8 dec. and 42-1 dec. v England 275 & 529-5 dec.

In the end, an excellent pitch that never deteriorated and two poorly-selected sides ensured that the first Test between these two teams finished in a rare Lord's draw.

Monday began with England simply looking to stretch the lead they had earned through sheer hard graft on Sunday despite having been forced to follow on.

And the application of Mark Butcher, Nasser Hussain and Graham Thorpe - who all made in excess of 50 - ensured that England would not lose the game.

Butcher was rather lazily run out between lunch and tea after collecting his fourth Test century.

Chancing a third run, he was well beaten by Chaminda Vaas's accurate throw from fine leg and was out for 105.

Mark Butcher: Important innings at Lord's

Surrey colleague Thorpe prevented any chance of a sudden collapse by collecting a rapid half-century soon afterwards.

His timing and placement were exquisite on a pitch which hardly played like a final-day track. Looking in sublime form, he was also out, however, just before tea.

Aravinda de Silva's gentle off-breaks were too tempting and Thorpe tried to hit him over the top for a boundary only to be caught by Charitha Buddika diving forward at mid-on.

With Thorpe out for 65, Alec Stewart joined John Crawley at the crease with slow bowlers operating from either end.

Eventually, Hussain - who had been the only batsman to be dismissed in the morning when he looked unfortunate to fall to Ruchira Perera lbw for 68 - called his players in with Crawley nine runs away from a fifty.

Andy Caddick and Andrew Flintoff had the opportunity to gain a few psychological blows before the Edgbaston Test on 30 May - and Caddick obliged by removing Marvan Atapattu for just seven.

Atapattu made 185 in the first innings, but this time he contrived to steer a quick half-volley straight to Butcher at square leg.

England: N Hussain (Essex, capt), ME Trescothick (Somerset), MA Butcher (Surrey), MP Vaughan (Yorkshire), GP Thorpe (Surrey), JP Crawley (Hampshire), A Flintoff (Lancashire), AJ Stewart (Surrey, wkt), DG Cork (Derbyshire), AR Caddick (Somerset), MJ Hoggard (Yorkshire).

Sri Lanka: ST Jayasuriya (capt), MA Atapattu, K Sangakkara (wkt), DPMD Jayawardene, PA de Silva, RP Arnold, HP Tillekeratne, WPUJC Vaas, DNT Zoysa, PDRL Perera, Charitha Buddhika Fernando.

Umpires: Srinivas Venkatraghavan (India), Daryl Harper (Aus)