England Cricket / Jaymes Monte / 16 June 2011 /

A rain delayed first day belonged to England as Sri Lanka's batsmen failed to cope with conditions...

It was a strange opening day for the first ever Test match at The Rose Bowl. Multiple rain delays did their best to ensure that not a lot happened, but, in fact, quite a lot happened during the time that things were actually happening. If you get what I mean?

Heavy morning rain ensured that we didn't get any play until 12.15pm - before which the draw was backed into a low of [1.4] without a ball even being bowled.

Andrew Strauss won an important toss and put Sri Lanka in to bat, sighting the likely rain stoppages as the main reason for his decision. It proved to be a shrewd and decisive assessment.

Sri Lanka's openers looked to have weathered the early storm but Lahiru Thirimanne edged one to Strauss in the slips just two balls before the rain set in and the players left the field with the tourists at 23-1 after just 13 overs of play.

With the rain lashing down lunch was taken early and play was resumed at around 3.15pm. Chris Tremlett trapped Tharanga Paranavitana lbw in the first over back and Kumar Sangakkara wafted at a nothing delivery from Jimmy Anderson a couple of overs later to leave Sri Lanka teetering at 29-3.

One over later and the rain set in once again. An early tea was taken but there was no relenting in the poor weather conditions and we didn't see any more play until 6.00pm, over two hours later.

When play did get back underway Jimmy Anderson and Tremlett picked up where they left off with the latter picking up the prize wicket of Mahela Jayawardene.

Although Thilan Samaraweera and Prasanna Jayawardene steadied the ship late on it was very much England's day with the tourists finishing on 81-4. But with more rain forecast for tomorrow the only bet in the match odds market has to be the draw at [1.6].

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