Close Zimbabwe 234 for 9 (G Flower 72, Muralitharan 9-51)
scorecard

Muttiah Muralitharan stands on the brink of the best Test bowling figures in the history of the game. On the first day of the second Test at Kandy, he took all nine Zimbabwean wickets to fall at a cost of only 51 runs, and could yet surpass Jim Laker's 10 for 53 against Australia at Old Trafford in 1956. In the course of his destruction Murali moved to 389 wickets, ahead of Ian Botham (383) into seventh place on the list of alltime wicket-takers.

But the day ended on an anticlimactic note as Murali went off injured before the close, after slipping while fielding. This in itself led to a slightly bizarre scene. The umpires, no doubt keen to be present at a historic moment, had already kept the players on past the 90-over mark, with Murali bowling at the tailenders. But, with his departure, they promptly produced the light meters, decided that it was too dark to continue and led the players off.

Muralitharan was at his mesmerising best. He teased and tested the batsmen all day, finding outrageous turn and bounce. His figures of 39-18-51-9 did not flatter him: the batsmen were all at sea.

All except one. Grant Flower batted intelligently and without alarm for his 72, seemingly oblivious to the chaos all around him. After defying Muralitharan for nearly four hours he was bowled by one that spun back into his off stump (201 for 9). But he had helped Zimbabwe to an impressive recovery: they had been 83 for 5.

Hard to believe now, but the day began well for Zimbabwe. Stuart Carlisle won the toss and Trevor Gripper and Hamilton Masakadza saw off the seamers without alarm. Then Murali came on. Gripper was first to go, for 20, caught at slip by Mahela Jayawardene as he tried a sweep (39 for 1).

Masakadza, who had not been exactly swift-scoring up to that point, retreated further into his shell. he hung around for an hour and was finally put out of his misery when he attempted to turn a straighter ball to leg and was bowled for 10 (45 for 2).

Zimbabwe tried to up the rate, but impatience got the better of Gavin Rennie, who became Murali's third victim when he advanced down the pitch, misjudged the prodigious spin and turned round in time to see Kumar Sangakkara whip the bails off (51 for 3). Rennie achieved the unusual distinction of being stumped for 0. Andy Flower fell shortly before lunch for 8. He too tried sweeping Murali, but the ball took the inside edge and ricocheted off his boot straight into the hands of a delighted Sangakkara. That was 67 for 4 and Zimbabwe's nightmare had just begun.

Stuart Carlisle fell shortly after lunch for 20 (83 for 5). He went back to a delivery that turned in sharply, and rapped him on the back pad. Then came a defiant stand of 54 runs between Craig Wishart and Grant Flower, before Wishart departed lbw for 26, a carbon copy of Carlisle's dismissal (137 for 6). Heath Streak came and went in the blink of an eye - clean bowled by guess-who for 1 (140 for 7).

Doug Marillier became victim No. 8 when he was bowled through the gate for, appropriately enough, 8. The ball pitched outside off and turned in viciously to take Marillier's off stump (166 for 8). Then Grant Flower went, leaving the tailenders at Murali's mercy. Somehow they survived - but Murali still has his shot at immortality tomorrow morning.

Zimbabwe 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Trevor Gripper, 3 Stuart Carlisle (capt), 4 Gavin Rennie, 5 Andy Flower (wk), 6 Grant Flower, 7 Craig Wishart, 8 Heath Streak, 9 Travis Friend, 10 Doug Marillier, 11 Henry Olonga.

Sri Lanka 1 Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), 2 Marvan Atapattu, 3 Russel Arnold, 4 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 5 Mahela Jayawardene, 6 Hashan Tillekeratne, 7 Thilan Samaraweera, 8 Muttiah Muralitharan, 9 Chaminda Vaas, 10 Nuwan Zoysa, 11 Charitha Buddika.

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