After their drubbing by an innings and 111 runs by England in the second Test, Sri Lanka suffered further embarrassment as they were skittled out for just 127 in 35.3 overs in reply to the MCC's first innings 326 for seven declared. MCC captain David Fulton and fellow opener Andrew Strauss then batted out 17 overs with few alarms, reaching 93 for no wicket declared when an early halt was called to proceedings.

With the first day a complete wash-out, there was never a realistic chance of a positive result but MCC had reason to take great pleasure from the performances of Usman Afzaal, who scored a classy unbeaten century, and the pace trio of James Kirtley, Kevin Dean and Simon Jones, who destroyed the tourists' batting.

Resuming on their overnight 270 for six, MCC batted for a further 15 overs before Fulton declared. In that time, Afzaal celebrated his 25th birthday 24 hours early by advancing his overnight score from 80 to 111 not out. In a fine knock, Afzaal, aiming to add to his three England caps, batted for 246 minutes, faced 174 balls, hit 11 fours and three sixes.

Sri Lanka's only success of the morning came when Ruchira Perera had Richard Dawson caught by Russel Arnold for 15 with the total on 287. Perera was the pick of the bowlers with four for 66 off 20 overs but his new ball partner Eric Upashantha came in for particularly harsh treatment, conceding 96 runs without taking a wicket in only 12 overs.

Any hopes Sri Lanka had of some decent batting practice ahead of the Test were rudely shattered by Sussex's Kirtley and Derbyshire's Dean who reduced the tourists to a parlous 30 for five soon after lunch. Skipper Sanath Jayasuriya (16) was first to go with the total on 22 when he attempted to hook a short delivery from Kirtley but only succeeded in top-edging a catch to wicketkeeper Chris Read. The out-of-form Kumar Sangakkara was next to go, trapped leg before for six after padding up to a full-length Kirtley delivery.

If a total of 23 for two spoiled the Sri Lankans' lunch, matters quickly became much worse as they lost three more wickets for seven runs. Hashan Tillekeratne lasted just seven balls without scoring before being undone by a perfect Dean yorker and Arnold made three before edging the same bowler to Afzaal at second slip. Upul Chandana was another batsman who failed to trouble the scorers, run out by a direct hit from Strauss attempting a risky single.

Dean captured his third wicket with the total on 43 when he moved the ball away from Prasanna Jayawardene (7) who edged a straightforward catch to Read. Glamorgan's 23-year-old paceman Jones, named in England's 13-man squad for the final Test, was introduced to the attack and did not take long to make an impression. After softening up Thilan Samaraweera with a couple of hostile bouncers, he struck in his third over when Samaraweera (10) failed to keep down a short ball and was snapped up at short leg by Dawson.

Veteran Aravinda de Silva came in at the fall of the sixth wicket and he alone stood between Sri Lanka and complete humiliation. The tourists slipped to 57 for eight when Upashantha, on eight, attempted an ambitious cut at a Jones delivery and became Read's third victim behind the stumps.

De Silva decided attack was the the best form of defence and found an unlikely ally in Dilhara Fernando as the total was raised to 116 for eight. Fernando scored only three in a ninth-wicket stand of 59 but de Silva reached an entertaining unbeaten 54, scored off only 49 balls and including three sixes and five fours.

Kirtley ended Fernando's defiance by having him caught behind by Read and off-spinner Dawson wrapped up the innings by inducing an ugly slog by last man Perera (5) with the ball ending up in the hands of Jones at deep backward point.

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