England slumped to 113 for five after a series of sloppy dismissals marred the opening morning of the first Test in Sri Lanka.
The tourists won the toss and opted to bat first at Galle but any hopes they had of building a steady foundation quickly bit the dust.
Keaton Jennings was the top scorer with 46 but even he cannot claim to have read conditions well, edging between wicketkeeper and slip on 12 and dreadfully dropped by Angelo Mathews on 26.
He was eventually clean bowled attempting a backfoot cut against Dilruwan Perera, one in a series of unforced errors.
On a surface where spin traditionally dominates it was seamer Suranga Lakmal who drew first blood with two wickets in as many balls in the third over. Debutant opener Rory Burns was strangled down the leg side for nine and Moeen Ali’s latest outing at number three ended with a golden duck as he lost his off stump.
Joe Root and Jennings put on 62 at a decent rate to suggest a fightback was on but the England captain misguidedly charged retiring local hero Rangana Herath, misreading the length and yorking himself. Fireworks were released above the nearby Galle Fort toasting the 40-year-old spinner’s 100th wicket at the venue.
Ben Stokes completed a miserable session when he lunged to sweep Perera, leaving his stumps exposed as he failed to make contact. Jos Buttler and Ben Foakes, England’s second debutant, were left to resume the battle after lunch.
