Cricket Betting: Sri Lanka v England

Sri Lanka batted England out of the First Test in Kandy with Kumar Sangakkara leading the way. England supporters can get 6/4 with Betfred that Michael Vaughan's team salvage a draw at the Asgiriya Stadium. These Sri Lankan's have done nothing but break records in this Test, with spin king Muttiah Muralitharan the toast of the cricketing world on Monday when he became the highest wicket taker of all time. And they were at it again this morning with Sangakkara hitting his maiden Test hundred against the Three Lions to give him a three-figure score against every Test playing nation. For more than two hours this morning, Sri Lanka stood firm with England going wicketless until 10 minutes before lunch as skipper Mahela Jayawardene and Sangakkara made 60 runs in the first hour. England's hero of the first innings, Matthew Hoggard, made the breakthrough to split the 122-run partnership with his first delivery of his new spell. Jayawardene wafted at a leg-sider, which keeper Matthew Prior gobbled up having been standing close up to the stumps. Hoggard has been plagued by back injuries recently - it was damaged facet joints in his back which caused him to miss last summer's Test series against India - and he received treatment off the field as Sangakkara smashed James Anderson through the covers to bring up his century. Monty Panesar found some joy with the wickets of Charma Silva and Jehan Mubarek, while one-day skipper Paul Collingwood took the other Jayawardene's scalp by bowling him through the gate. Sangakkara kept on however, and since he gave up the post of wicket-keeper 18 months ago his average has stood in excess of 150. Sure enough, the lippy lawyer brought up that figure with two singles. Sri Lanka declared soon after Sangakkara was out for 152, and England started their second innings badly with Alastair Cook falling to Chaminda Vaas early on. Vaughan and nightwatchman Anderson will walk to the crease tomorrow to resume on 9/1 requiring 341 for victory England are now staring down the barrel with just a day to go and at 22/1 with Bet365 they make no appeal. The best they can hope for is a draw, although with Muralitharan in such superb form, and more importanly with six wickets in the first innings, some may fancy piling on Sri Lanka's price of 8/15 with Bet365.