BBC SPORT | Cricket | England | England batsmen lift Test gloom

Third Test, Old Trafford, day two (stumps): England 377-6 v Sri Lanka

Bad weather dogged the second day at Old Trafford but England's batsmen moved into a commanding position over Sri Lanka.

Mark Butcher hit his fifth Test century in the first one-hour passage of play after bad weather prevented a start before lunch.

And Alex Stewart completed a powerful half-century in the second, before bad light brought a halt at 1735 BST with England 377 for six.

The home side know that a first innings total in excess of 400 will put them firmly in control of the match.

But Sri Lanka were brought back to life by a double breakthough, sparked by left-arm paceman Chaminda Vaas.

Bad luck

Butcher lived dangerously after reaching three figures but he was perhaps unlucky to be adjudged lbw, struck high on the pad by a Vaas inswinger.

Butcher has made 1,186 runs in his last 14 Tests at an average of 49.41, with scores of 17, 105, 94 and now 123 in the current series.

Andrew Flintoff followed four overs later, victim of a freak run out.

A fan with a Manchester United umbrella
Local fans saw the entire morning washed out
Stewart hit a bump ball straight down the wicket but bowler Vaas got a finger to it, deflecting onto the stumps and catching Flintoff a yard from his crease.

Stewart passed Mark Taylor and Gordon Greenidge to move to 14th in the list of all-time Test run-scorers.

And he was 57 not out at the close, his career total at 7566 runs.

Stewart's half-century came from a leg-glance off Muttiah Muralitharan off the 61st delivery he had faced.

But Muralitharan and Vaas put on the brakes after the wickets fell, permitting just seven runs in the next four overs.

Muralitharan, diving athletically, was denied the scalp of Stewart when his leading edge to a straighter delivery fell just short.

Tudor faced 31 balls for his six not out, including an edged four through the slips off Vaas.

Sri Lanka's pace bowlers had mixed success, though, Eric Upashantha allowing 15 runs off his single over, taking his figures to 65 runs from eight overs for a single wicket.

Butcher reached three figures with his 14th four off the 189th delivery he had faced, a leg-glance off Vaas.