Cook and Trott punish Lankans

Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott both made centuries against Sri Lanka in the first Test here on Saturday as they carried on from where they left off in Australia. Cook was 129 not out and Trott 125 not as England closed on 287 for two in reply to Sri Lanka's first innings 400, a deficit of 113, at stumps on the third day in this opening match of a three-Test series.
Cook's hundred was also his second in as many Test innings following the 189 he made in an innings win against Australia in Sydney in January. That victory completed a 3-1 Ashes series triumph during which the Essex opener scored a mammoth 766 runs at 127.66.
Meanwhile Cook and Trott's so far unbroken stand of 240 was their fourth century partnership in eight Tests, following 116 against Pakistan at The Oval, 329 in the Ashes opener against Australia at Brisbane and 173 in Adelaide. South Africa-born Trott, who is averaging more than 60 in Tests - only the legendary Don Bradman with 99.94 has a better mark among batsmen who have played at least 20 innings - was not far behind in reaching three figures.
The 30-year-old Warwickshire batsman completed a sixth century in just his 19th Test when, after Sri Lanka had taken the new ball, he cover-drove Lakmal for an eighth boundary - a shot that also raised a stand of 200 with Cook. The remaining bowlers generally lacked either the raw speed or, Mendis apart, the guile to worry England's third-wicket duo.
Cook though did give one chance on his way to a fifth hundred in nine completed Test innings when, on 87, he swept left-arm spinner Rangana Herath only for Tharanga Paranavitana, who had anticipated well at short leg, to drop the difficult catch.
ENGLAND V SRI LANKA FIRST TEST SCOREBOARD

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Sri Lanka 1st Innings: 400

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England 1st Innings (overnight: 47-1)

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A. Strauss c M Jayawardene b Lakmal     20

A. Cook not out                        129

J. Anderson c M Jayawardene b Mendis     1

J. Trott not out                       125

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Extras: (b5, lb2, nb5)                  12

Total: (2 wkts, 90 overs, 371 mins)    287

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To bat: K Pietersen, I Bell, E Morgan, M Prior, S Broad, G Swann, C Tremlett
Fall of wickets: 1-46 (Strauss), 2-47 (Anderson)
Bowling: Lakmal 19-4-54-1 (1nb); Perera 14-1-53-0; Dilshan 9-1-27-0; Maharoof 15-1-56-0 (3nb); Mendis 18-4-43-1 (1nb); Herath 15-1-47-0
Sri Lanka: Tharanga Paranavitana, Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Prasanna Jayawardene (wkt), Farveez Maharoof, Thisara Perera, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Ajantha Mendis
Match position: England are 113 runs behind Sri Lanka with eight first innings wickets standing.
Toss: Sri Lanka
Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Billy Doctrove (WIS)
TV umpire: Rod Tucker (AUS)
Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND).
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2011