KANDY (Sri Lanka), Dec 4: Kumar Sangakkara became the first batsman to hit 150-plus scores in four consecutive Tests as Sri Lanka pressed for victory in the first Test against England at the Asgiriya Stadium here on Tuesday.

The left-hander made 152 as Sri Lanka piled up 442-8 in their second innings when they declared 30 minutes before stumps on the fourth day to leave England an imposing victory target of 350.

England closed the day on 9-1, losing Alastair Cook to the fourth ball of the innings from Chaminda Vaas, who forced an edge to Chamara Silva at first slip.

Skipper Michael Vaughan was unbeaten on one and nightwatchman James Anderson was on four as England return on the final day to attempt a history-defying win against world number one Muttiah Muralitharan.

The highest fourth innings total achieved at this venue to win a Test was 264-3 by India in 2001.

Vaughan’s men can, however, take heart from their previous visit to Kandy in 2003 when the tourists, set a target of 368, ended with 285-7 to draw the match.

Sangakkara followed his 92 in the first innings with a brilliant century containing 19 fours before he was caught at mid-on by Vaughan off part-time seamer Paul Collingwood.

Sangakkara’s 16th Test century – the sixth in his last 10 innings – made him only the ninth batsman in history to score a hundred against all the other nine Test-playing nations.

But he was the first to achieve the rare feat of four 150-plus scores in as many Tests after making 200 not out and 222 not out against Bangladesh at home in July and 192 against Australia in Hobart last month.

Australian legend Don Bradman, Wally Hammond of England and Mudassar Nazar of Pakistan did it in three successive Tests. Of his 16 Test centuries, Sangakkara has crossed the 150-run mark 11 times.

But he almost did not get there on Tuesday as Ian Bell at first slip dropped an easy catch off left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom when the batsman edged a rising ball on 98.

Sangakkara put on 122 for the third wicket with captain Mahela Jayawardene (65) and a quickfire 71 in 75 minutes with Silva, who contributed 37.

Left-arm spinner Monty Panesar, who made the ball turn and jump on the wearing wicket, was England’s best bowler with 3-132 from 45 overs.

The only time England got a breather was when they were forced to lie on the ground for two minutes as a swarm of bees wafted across the ground in the final session.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA 1st innings: 188 (K. Sangakkara 92, P. Jayawardene 51; M. Hoggard 4-29, M. Panesar 3-46)

ENGLAND 1st innings: 281 (I. Bell 83, P. Collingwood 45; M. Muralitharan 6-55)

SRI LANKA 2nd innings (overnight 167-2):

M. Vandort c Bell b Anderson 49

S. Jayasuriya lbw b Hoggard 78

K. Sangakkara c Vaughan b Collingwood 152

M. Jayawardene c Prior b Hoggard 65

C. Silva lbw b Panesar 37

J. Mubarak c sub (Swann) b Panesar 9

P. Jayawardene b Collingwood 20

C. Vaas not out 6

L. Malinga b Panesar 2

D. Fernando not out 9

EXTRAS: (B-5, LB-10) 15

TOTAL (for eight wkts dec, 130 overs) 442

FALL OF WKTS: 1-113, 2-166, 3-288, 4-359, 5-387, 6-423, 7-426, 8-429.

BOWLING: Hoggard 18-5-55-2, Sidebottom 25-5-65-0, Panesar 45-5-132-3, Anderson 23-4-128-1, Bopara 8-3-16-0, Vaughan 3-0-6-0, Collingwood 8-0-25-2.

ENGLAND 2nd innings:

A. Cook c Silva b Vaas 4

M. Vaughan not out 1

J. Anderson not out 4

EXTRAS: 0

TOTAL (for one wkt, five overs) 9

FALL OF WKT: 1-4.

BOWLING: Vaas 2-0-7-1, Malinga 1-1-0-0, Muralitharan 1-0-2-0, Jayasuriya 1-1-0-0.

UMPIRES: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Asad Rauf (PAK).

TV UMPIRE: Tyron Wijewardene (SRI).

MATCH REFEREE: Jeff Crowe (NZL).

—AFP