Kandy, December 1:

England took the honours on the first day of the first Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday, destroying the hosts’ top order and dismissing them cheaply before making a steady start in reply.

England lost the toss but seamer Matthew Hoggard and spinner Monty Panesar shared seven wickets to skittle Sri Lanka for 188 runs in its first innings and England was 49-1 in reply. England lost its first wicket in the third ball of the innings without any score on the board when Alastair Cook was trapped leg before wicket by Chaminda Vaas. No 3 batsman Ian Bell was unbeaten on 36 at stumps with captain Michael Vaughan on 13.

Earlier, Sri Lanka’s skipper Mahela Jayawardene elected to bat first but his team soon slumped to 42-5 as Hoggard demolished the top order with a four-wicket spell. Sanath Jayasuriya (10) started with two boundaries but soon fell to a sharp catch by Kevin Pietersen at cover off paceman Ryan Sidebottom with the team total at 11.

With 18 more runs to the total, Michael Vandort (8) spooned a catch to England captain Michael Vaughan at mid-on, giving Hoggard the first wicket of his destructive spell. Hoggard had Sri Lanka’s captain Mahela Jayawardene (1), Chamara Silva (2) and Jehan Mubarak (0) — all caught by wicketkeeper Matthew Prior as the host team slumped from 40-2 to 42-5. Hoggard had figures of 4-29 off 14 overs while Panesar recorded 3-46 from 13 overs. A responsible 106-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Kumar Sangakkara and Prasanna Jayawardene restored Sri Lanka’s innings, but Panesar’s entry to the attack saw three quick wickets fall.

Sangakkara and Jayawardene took 131 minutes and spent 182 balls in a cautious partnership that came to an end when Cook at silly-point caught Prasanna Jayawardene off left-arm spinner Panesar for 51. He hit nine boundaries in his 102-ball innings.

Sangakkara missed out on his 16th Test century by eight runs when Paul Collingwood took a diving catch off seam bowler James Anderson. Sangakkara faced 159 balls and hit 13 fours to record his 24th Test half-century.