Collingwood survives Sri Lanka trial by spin

NOTTINGHAM, England, June 3 - Paul Collingwood stood firm as Sri Lanka spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya maintained their grip on the second day of the third and final Test at Trent Bridge here Saturday.

At tea England, 1-0 up in the series, were 191 for seven in reply to Sri Lanka's first innings 231 - a deficit of 41 runs.

Collingwood was 48 not out, having batted for over three-and-a-half hours, off 178 balls with a lone six. Matthew Hoggard was unbeaten on three.

England scored just 52 runs in 35 overs between lunch and tea.

Murali had two for 60 off 29 overs and Jayasuriya two for 19 off 11.

Together with Geraint Jones, Collingwood eked out a stand of 33 before the wicket-keeper, losing patience, went down the pitch to drive off-spinner Muralitharan only to be stumped by Kumar Sangakkara for 19 to leave England 151 for six. And when fast bowler Lasith Malinga returned, he hit Collingwood in the ribs with his first ball back.

Runs all but dried up as Muralitharan wheeled away from the Pavilion End before Collingwood broke the shackles with an on-driven six, England's only boundary of the session.

Collingwood's Durham colleague Liam Plunkett resisted for 72 minutes but on nine he was bowled off-stump by left-armer and former captain Jayasuriya, playing his first Test after reversing his retirement from the five-day game.

England resumed Saturday on 53 for two with Alastair Cook 12 not out and Kevin Pietersen, who made 142 in the hosts' six-wicket second Test win at Edgbaston, unbeaten on six.

Sri Lanka had needed a last-wicket stand of 62 between Chaminda Vaas and Muralitharan to take them past 200 on Friday.

But it was Malinga, with his distinctive 'slingshot' action, who made the first breakthrough Saturday.

He appeared to surprise Cook with a 90mph delivery and bowled the Essex batsman off the inside edge for 24.Malinga then left Collingwood on his back with a well-directed bouncer which the batsman did well to avoid.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene also put pressure on the batsmen with several inventive field-placings.

SRI LANKA - 1ST INNINGS 
231 (A Flintoff 3-52, J Lewis 3-68) 
ENGLAND - 1ST INNINGS (overnight: 53-2) 

M. Trescothick run out 			24 
A. Strauss b Vaas 			  7 
A. Cook b Malinga 			24 
K. Pietersen c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 	41 
P. Collingwood not out 		48 
A. Flintoff c Jayawardene b Jayasuriya 	  1 
G. Jones st Sangakkara b Muralitharan 	19 
L. Plunkett b Jayasuriya 		  9 
M. Hoggard not out 			 3 
EXTRAS(B1,LB8,W1,NB5) 		15 
TOTAL (7 wkts, 80 overs) 		191 
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-25, 2-39, 3-73, 4-117, 5-118, 6-151, 7-184 
BOWLING: Vaas 22-3-56-1; Malinga 18-2-47-1 (4nb, 1w); 
	Muralitharan 29-10-60-2 (1nb); Jayasuriya 11-4-19-2.