Collingwood tames Sri Lankan attack

Sri Lanka's bowlers made limited progress in a rain-interrupted first day of their tour match against Durham at Chester-le-Street. Although Chaminda Vaas claimed two early victims to reduce Durham to 17 for two, the tourists then found wickets hard to come by as the hosts closed on 219 for four.

England one-day international Paul Collingwood hit an impressive, unbeaten 103 to show the selectors that he can build an innings in the longer format of the game. Collingwood, 25, was in command from the start, and his first hundred of the season came off 119 balls with 14 fours and two sixes.

Gordon Muchall, 19, compiled his maiden first-class 50 as he and Collingwood added 129 for the third wicket. Sri Lanka looked ill at ease in the cold, overcast conditions. In the 52 overs that were possible only Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa looked dangerous with the ball.

Vaas, who is sure to be in the tourists' side for the first Test against England at Lord's beginning on May 16, bowled Jon Lewis for nine as he played no stroke to a delivery that moved back off the seam to clip his off stump. Vaas then accounted for Pratt for four in the same over, with wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara taking a comfortable catch to leave the hosts in trouble.

But after Muchall settled, Ishara Amerasinghe and Ruchira Perera struggled to bowl with the venom and accuracy of the opening pair. Spin was introduced in the 25th over in the form of Thilan Samaraweera, but Muchall immediately flicked the ball through midwicket for another boundary.

Rain then halted proceedings for just over three hours. On the resumption, Muchall square-cut the first ball to the boundary and another cracking shot through extra cover brought up his half-century, 75 balls with seven fours. Collingwood soon followed to 50 off the same number of deliveries with nine boundaries, but Muchall then went for 69, caught by Russel Arnold at second slip off Zoysa with the score on 146.

Nicky Peng was also caught by Arnold off the same bowler for 17 but Collingwood continued to dominate with a rich array of strokes including two huge sixes off Samaraweera. Ashley Thorpe, making his first-class debut, joined Collingwood and the duo added 24 before bad light brought an early close.