Vaughn and Cook concluded their second hundred bond of the competition as England ran the morning conference. This marked the eighth time that an opening pair was able to make a century partnership in both innings of a Test match and is the first time for an English pair to have captured the feat since Geoff Boycott and John Edrich against Australia back in 1970-71.

By lunch time Bell hooked up with Cook and they were able to lead England to 152-1. Bell got off to an excellent start and took four off his first over from Chaminda Vaas; confidently he took his feet to the spinners and danced down the pitch to loft Muralitharan. Later he put on fifty with Pietersen when the Warwickshire man tried to attack Muralitharan again but only managed to loft the ball.

Although England was somewhat confident they got a little shaky and with the help of Collingwood the team was once again able to reassure themselves of what they are capable of achieving. During the next ten overs he was able to make 21 runs while Pietersen as Muralitharan and Vaas enforced more pressure.

Pietersen as well as Collingwood were happy to get away when all of a sudden there was pressure released by Silva and his first delivery was hoisted over a mid-wicket by the Hampshire gentleman to make England's first six of the series.

England was then in a 53-run lead at tea when the match has to come to an end because of the rain and England was very much convinced that they would have been able to win instead of settling for a draw which is still is much better than having lost.

The Galle Test is scheduled to start on December 18th and Sri Lanka will most likely enter with a 1-0 advantage.