Sri Lankan bowlers hit back as batsmen suffer against Middlesex

His grandfather, Sir Leonard, might have been an opening batsman of legendary proportions, but 25-year-old Ben Hutton made a name for himself with the ball at Shenley as the Sri Lankans suffered at the hands of the Middlesex attack. After getting off to a good start, the tourists were bowled out for 186 as Hutton returned career-best figures of four for 37 off 16 overs.

Marvan Atapattu scored 19 of the 22 that were on the board after just three overs, while it took just three-quarters of an hour for the 50 to be posted. Atapattu went on to score 46 from 58 balls while opening partner Sanath Jayasuria was even more savage against the county bowlers with an innings of 52 from 62 balls including seven fours and two sixes.

However, when the opening partnership was broken with the total on 81, there was little more resistance to what was not the most potent attack Middlesex could field. With the first Test at Lord's starting on Thursday, the Sri Lankans would have liked their frontline batsmen to have had much longer at the crease and not succumbed to the medium pace of Hutton, whose father Richard played for England as an all-rounder.

Having been bowled out cheaply, however, the Sri Lankan bowlers then hit back. There were two wickets for Charitha Fernando and one for Ruchira Perera as Middlesex slumped to 45 for three.

England hopeful Owais Shah halted the slide as he and Irishman Ed Joyce put on a century partnership for the fourth wicket. Shah scored 65 before falling to Eric Upashantha, as did Hutton, first ball, and Paul Weekes. But Joyce remained to the close, 65 not out, at which point Middlesex trailed by eight runs with four wickets in hand.