Dilshan and Paranavitana hit hundreds

On the first day at Uxbridge it was the England captain reacquainting himself with first-class cricket and on the second it was the turn of Sri Lanka's. Barely three days after flying in from the IPL for this tour, Tillakaratne Dilshan helped himself to 123 on a productive day for the tourists' top order against a weak Middlesex attack as Tharanga Paranavitana also made 103.

The value of these runs will be tempered by the fact that none of the Middlesex bowlers are regular first-team players, but Dilshan and Paranavitana made the most of the friendly fare on offer and a flat surface. As the opening day confirmed the suspicion that Sri Lanka's bowling will suffer, today's action showed the batting should be able to hold itself together. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara will arrive next week and along with Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera they form a potent line-up. England's bowlers may toil as well.

There is often much made about the switch from Twenty20 to first-class cricket, but Dilshan took one style into the other and set off at a pace more akin to the IPL he has just left. although he was dropped at second slip on 10. Middlesex's young seamers, Tom Parsons and Gurjit Sandhu, had a tough introduction while left-arm spinner Tom Smith was taken for 14 in his first over.

Dilshan's fifty came from 48 balls and he only slowed a little to reach three figures from 108 deliveries before retiring midway through the afternoon session to give his team-mates a chance. England's bowlers know plenty about Dilshan - he struck an unbeaten 108 in the World Cup quarter-final - and will have to ensure they can string some maiden overs together against him.

Paranavitana, as he often has been during his 16-match Test career, was content to ride in Dilshan's slipstream and play at his own pace. It has caused some surprise that Upul Tharanga, who helped Dilshan secure the 10-wicket victory over England in Colombo, doesn't make the Test squad these days but Paranavitana has made a promising start with two hundreds and an average of 37.

However, all his 16 Tests to date have been on the subcontinent so his challenge will be to adapt to the extra bounce that Strauss will hope the Test pitches offer. It helps Sri Lanka's cause that the first Test is in Cardiff, one of slower surfaces in the country, and the England management will wish for more carry than the Ashes pitch two years ago.

On this slow pitch at Uxbridge, Paranavitana had few problems adjusting during his 145-ball hundred before remaining in the pavilion after the tea interval. That allowed two of Sri Lanka's rising talents, Lahiru Thirimanne and Dinesh Chandimal, to add an unbroken 59. Chandimal dominated the stand and may take the No. 6 spot during the Tests after a prolific domestic season.

Sri Lanka could have batted on for the remainder of the day, but Dilshan showed another of his positive sides when he gave Middlesex a short session. It paid off as Suranga Lakmal removed Sam Robson for a duck and more success on the final day will leave the tourists in decent heart.