Muttiah Muralitharan took three wickets for 38 in 37 overs as England reached 259 for eight at the close of the first day of the deciding third and final Test with Sri Lanka on Thursday.

On a day of fluctuating fortunes, England's openers had thundered along after Michael Vaughan won his first toss in six Tests, putting on 78 for the first wicket.

Marcus Trescothick blazed his way to 70 but edged the last ball of the morning session to Mahela Jayawardene at slip.

The touring side lost four wickets for 31 either side of lunch but with England wobbling on 139 for five, Andrew Flintoff temporarily restored the balance. He raced to an aggressive 77 from 109 balls, hitting 10 fours and four sixes.

But Sri Lanka reclaimed the upper hand by the close, taking the wickets of Flintoff, Gareth Batty (14) and Ashley Giles (10) in the final session.

Chris Read was unbeaten on 13 at the close, having occupied the crease for 82 minutes, with tailender James Kirtley on one.

Flintoff, who had scored only 36 runs in four innings during the series until Thursday, added 87 in 186 balls with Batty for the sixth wicket after England's mid-innings collapse.

Batty, promoted ahead of wicketkeeper Chris Read after his obdurate batting in the first two Tests, was content to play second fiddle to Flintoff, facing 101 balls in all.

Sri Lanka broke through luckily when Batty badly mis-timed a pull shot, dragging a long hop from Upul Chandana straight to Marvan Atapattu at mid-wicket.

FIRM DRIVE

Flintoff perished as Muralitharan snapped up a low caught and bowled chance off a firm back-foot drive.

Trescothick had dominated the morning with a boundary blitz against the new ball, reaching his 21st Test-50 off 39 balls as England plundered 75 runs in the first hour.

But the spinners clawed their way back into the game. They slowed the run rate and dismissed Vaughan (18), who was caught at slip off Upul Chandana, to end the opening stand.

Mark Butcher (23) started the afternoon in emphatic fashion, punching through the off-side, but Dilshara Fernando had him caught behind as he straightened a ball from around the wicket.

Nasser Hussain (8), preferred to Paul Collingwood after England opted to play an extra bowler, sparred unconvincingly against Muralitharan before being dubiously trapped lbw by Chaminda Vaas.

Muralitharan, who took 19 wickets in the first two drawn Tests, had put Sri Lanka in the driving seat when he trapped Graham Thorpe (14) lbw.

Scoreboard

England (1st innings):
M.Trescothick c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 70
M.Vaughan c Jayawardene b Chandana 18
M.Butcher c Sangakkara b Fernando 23
N.Hussain lbw Vaas 8
G.Thorpe lbw Muralitharan 13
A.Flintoff c and b Muralitharan 77
G.Batty c Atapattu b Chandana 14
C.Read not out 13
A.Giles run out 10
J.Kirtley not out 1.

Extras: (b-4 lb-7 nb-1) 12

Total: (for eight wickets, 95 overs) 259

To bat: J.Anderson

Fall of wickets: 1-78, 2-108, 3-114, 4-135, 5-139, 6-226, 7-236, 8-258

Bowling: Vaas 14-4-61-1, Fernando 12-3-55-1 (1-nb), Samaraweera 4-1-11-0, Chandana 26-7-82-2, Muralitharan 37-20-38-3, Jayasuriya 2-1-1-0

Sri Lanka: H.Tillakaratne (capt), M.Atapattu, S.Jayasuriya, K.Sangakkara, M.Jayawardene, T.Samaraweera, U.Chandana, C.Vaas, D.Fernando, M.Muralitharan, T.Dilshan