England pacer's career-best 6-42 has Sri Lanka tottering on 177/9 before heavens open

Chris Tremlett marked his return to the Rose Bowl with a Test-best haul to leave Sri Lanka on 177 for nine when rain forced an early close to the second day of the third and final Test here yesterday.


England pacer Chris Tremlett on Day Two of the third Test against Sri
Lanka at The Rose Bowl in England yesterday. Pic/AFP

Fast bowler Tremlett took six for 42, surpassing his five for 87 against Australia in Perth in Decemberu00a0-- a match that marked his return to Test duty following a three-year absence since his debut in 2007.


The 29-year-old giant quick ripped through Sri Lanka's middle and lower order with four wickets for 16 runs in 32 balls here on Friday.Nevertheless Sri Lanka's total represented a revival from the depths of 39 for four.

Dilhara Fernando was 33 not out and Chanaka Welegedara seven not out when the players came off the field in a debut Test at the Rose Bowl that has been plagued by bad weather -- of the 180 overs scheduled for the first two days, only 61.2 have been bowled.

Tremlett, who made his name at the Rose Bowl with southern county Hampshire before moving to Surrey last season, had helped bowl England to an innings and 14-run first Test win in Cardiff before the drawn second Test at Lord's. He's already exploited the assistance offered by a green-tinged pitch to take two for 17 in 11 overs on Thursday before Thilan Samaraweera and Prasanna Jayawardene kept England at bay.