Kandy, December 5:

Muttiah Muralitharan bowled two magical deliveries when it mattered most to hand Sri Lanka an 88-run victory over a fighting England in the first Test here on Wednesday.

The off-spinner, who became Test cricket’s most successful bowler in the first innings, got out Matt Prior and Ian Bell in the space of three deliveries with the second new ball to end England’s spirited challenge.

The tourists, needing to bat out the final day for a draw after being set an improbable victory target of 350, were bowled out for 261 in the last hour of the match.

Sri Lanka took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series going into the second Test, which starts at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Sunday.

England, who resumed their second innings at 9-1, slumped to 90-5 in the morning session before Bell (74) launched a heroic rescue attempt in the company of the lower order batsmen. He put on 49 for the sixth wicket with debutant Ravi Bopara (34) and a defiant 109 for the seventh with wicket-keeper Prior (63) that threatened to frustrate Sri Lanka’s victory bid.

Muralitharan, who went wicketless for 31 overs, struck in his second over with the new ball when he floated a straight one to Prior, who missed the line and was bowled.Two balls later in a new over, Muralitharan bowled Bell to effectively seal his side’s victory. Bell’s knock followed his 83 in the first innings.

Muralitharan claimed a third wicket when he earned a lucky leg-before decision against Ryan Sidebottom from Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf with television replays showing a clear edge from the bat.

Lasith Malinga yorked Matthew Hoggard to signal Sri Lanka’s thrilling victory. The early damage was done by the seamers as veteran left-arm bowler Chaminda Vaas, playing his 100th Test, claimed the first three wickets of the innings and Dilhara Fernando chipped in with two wickets.

Vaas, who dismissed opener Alastair Cook on Tuesday evening, put England on the back foot by removing captain Michael Vaughan (five). In his next over, Vaas bowled nightwatchman James Anderson for 11 runs as England slipped to 27 for three wickets.

Kevin Pietersen attacked from the start with four superbly timed boundaries. But Pietersen edged a Fernando delivery that kept low on to his stumps and departed for 18.

Fernando claimed his second wicket soon after when Paul Collingwood, who scored 16, failed to keep a cover drive down and was snapped up by Kumar Sangakkara.

England lost Bopara in the fourth over after resumption when he was trapped leg-before by Sanath Jayasuriya, who retired from Test cricket after the match.

Sangakkara was named man of the match for his match-winning 152 in the second innings.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka — 1st Innings: 188

England — 1st Innings: 281

Sri Lanka — 2nd Innings: 442-8 (dec)

England — 2nd Innings (Overnight 9-1)

M Vaughan c P J’dene b Vaas 5

J Anderson b Vaas 11

I Bell b Murali 74

K Pietersen b Fernando 18

P C’wood c S’kara b Fernando 16

R Bopara lbw b Jayasuriya 34

M Prior b Murali 63

R Sidebottom lbw b Murali 1

M Hoggard b Malinga 8

M Panesar not out 2

Extras: 25 (b5, lb9, nb11)

Total: 261

FoW: 1-4, 2-22, 3-27, 4-55, 5-90, 6-139,

7-248, 8-249, 9-253

Sri Lanka bowling: Vaas 17-3-56-3,

Malinga 15-3-39-1, Murali 36-12-85-3, Jayasuriya 14-6-28-1,

Fernando 12-1-39-2