Dilshan hundred gives Sri Lanka hope

Sri Lanka 231 for 1 (Dilshan 127*, Sangakkara 13*) trail England 486 (Prior 126, Cook 96, Morgan 79, Broad 54, Bell 52, Welegedara 4-122) by 255 runs

Even in good batting conditions, for a team who were bowled out for 82 five days ago to reach 231 for 1 when the opposition have amassed 486 shows they have plenty of fighting spirit. Tillakaratne Dilshan led the way for Sri Lanka at Lord's with an unbeaten captain's innings of 127, in a record opening stand of 207 alongside Tharanga Paranavitana, to ensure England toiled after enjoying a fine morning when Matt Prior hit 126.

Dilshan showed real emotion when he cut Steven Finn for his 11th boundary to raise Test hundred number 12, pumping his fist and punching the Sri Lankan badge. It has been a difficult week for the captain, who was at a loss to explain what happened on the final day in Cardiff, and his problems continued when England recovered from 22 for 3 in their first innings here. He doesn't have a huge amount of bowling resources on offer - the disappointing fielding will have been a greater annoyance - but where Sri Lanka should be able to compete is in the batting.

Tharanga tests positive during World Cup

Upul Tharanga, the Sri Lanka opening batsman, will face an ICC inquiry after testing positive for a banned substance during the 2011 World Cup, ESPNcricinfo understands. The cricketer is reported to have tested positive for prednisolone, a drug that is used to treat asthma, a condition from which he is said to suffer.

Sri Lanka Cricket's Interim Committee secretary Nishantha Ranatunga, however, denied any knowledge of the incident. "Officially we know nothing about the case," he told Sunday Times, a Sri Lankan newspaper. "SLC has not received any complaints or reports about the use of the banned substance called prednisolone from any organisation or agency." The ICC refused to make an official comment about the case.

Farveez Maharoof, the Sri Lanka allrounder, said the allegations are not an issue to the team in England even though Tharanga is likely to be part of the one-day squad. "We haven't spoken about it as a team, so it hasn't been a distraction," he said after the fourth day's play in Cardiff. "We're here to do a job and here to play a good test match. We're planning to do well in this Test match and we're not bothered about what is outside."

Cook and Trott hit hundreds in record stand

The Ashes series finished more than four months ago, but for Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott it looked like only yesterday as the pair resumed their remarkable run-scoring combination with a century each in an unbroken stand of 240 in Cardiff. Cook reached his 17th Test hundred to continue his prolific form from Australia and Trott brought up number six to cement his mighty average as England moved to 287 for 2.

Play was delayed until 2pm on a damp, chilly day and the atmosphere couldn't have been more removed from the cauldrons of the Gabba and MCG, yet it made no difference to the hunger of either batsman. Cook's hundred came from 224 balls when he collected his eighth boundary with a rasping cut off Suranga Lakmal and it was his fifth in ten innings since the 110 against Pakistan, at The Oval, when many were calling for his head. Trott's followed not long after, from 196 deliveries, with a flowing cover drive in the first over of the second new ball, and the pair's alliance became England's best for any wicket against Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka in England 2011

Maharoof called up as cover for Fernando

Farveez Maharoof has been called up to the Sri Lanka squad for the first Test against England, following concerns over Dilhara Fernando's fitness. Maharoof, who is playing county cricket for Lancashire, was not part of the original 16-man Test squad but played the Sri Lankans' first tour game, against Middlesex, since several of the Sri Lanka players were still in India playing the IPL.

West Indies v Pakistan, 2nd Test, St Kitts, 4th day

Misbah, bowlers put Pakistan on top

West Indies 223 and 130 for 5 (Bravo 50, Rehman 3-26) need 297 runs to beat Pakistan 272 and 377 for 6 dec (Umar 135, Misbah 102*)

Having scored only two Test hundreds since January 2010, Pakistan scored two in one innings in setting themselves up perfectly for a series-levelling win in the second Test against West Indies in Basseterre. Taufeeq Umar's fifth Test hundred - nearly eight years after his last - and Misbah-ul-Haq's third set a dispirited West Indies 427 to win.

It was never remotely realistic and by the close Abdur Rehman had depleted spirits further with a relentless spell. Rehman took three wickets to leave West Indies down, almost out at 130 for 5; Darren Bravo's 50 was solitary defiance.