BBC SPORT | Cricket | England | Sri Lanka in the mire

Third Test, Old Trafford, day four (close)
Sri Lanka 253 and 63-1; England 512
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Agnew's Close of Play - BBC Radio Five Live

England made light of the loss of Andrew Caddick to put Sri Lanka on the rack.

And though bad weather has played a significant part in this match, England could still force a win on the last day which would give them a 2-0 series victory.

England bowled well enough on a pitch that is still an excellent batting surface to enforce the follow-on when Sri Lanka were all out some 259 runs behind England just before tea.

Alex Tudor and Matthew Hoggard stepped into the void created by the absence of an injured Andy Caddick to bowl with real aplomb.

Caddick requires scan

Sri Lanka resumed their first innings on 130-1, needing 313 to avoid the follow-on, but Tudor and Hoggard restricted their scoring opportunities with tight opening bursts.

Mahela Jayawardene was dropped by Ashley Giles at deep square leg on 15 as he failed to control a pull shot off Tudor.

Hoggard bowled with plenty of fire

But the batsman could only add another two runs before attempting a repeat of the shot to a fuller pitched Tudor delivery and spooning the ball in the air for the bowler to take the return catch.

Kumar Sangakkara played a loose drive at a wide Hoggard delivery on 40 and Graham Thorpe took a routine catch at first slip.

Worse was to follow for Sri Lanka as Aravinda de Silva gloved a short pitched delivery from Andrew Flintoff to a diving Nasser Hussain at short fine leg.

Captain Sanath Jayasuriya, who dropped down the order after a bad run as opener, put on 48 with Hashan Tillekeratne for Sri Lanka's fifth wicket.

Tillekeratne was hit several times on the body but threw away his wicket, after nearly one and a half hours of resistance, by swiping Ashley Giles to Flintoff at deep midwicket on 20.

The Sri Lankan tail folded, with their last five wickets falling for 34 runs.

Hashan Tillekeratne was hit a few times

Hoggard took the new ball and found some swing to trap Jayasuriya (35) and Chaminda Vaas lbw.

Tudor took four wickets and polished off Sri Lanka's first innings on 253 when Muttiah Muralitharan edged behind attempting a haymaker.

Marvan Atapattu was forced to sit out the innings after being struck on the finger by Flintoff on Saturday.

And he was also unavailable to open Sri Lanka's second innings.

Instead, Sanath Jayasuriya went back up to his accustomed opening slot, but was bowled off an inside edge for 26 by Hoggard before bad light came to the tourists' rescue.