Matthew Hoggard took five wickets for 25 runs as England endured a day of mixed fortunes against a Sri Lanka Cricket Board President's XI in Colombo. The Yorkshire fast bowler ripped through the home side's top order as they collapsed to 77-8 before bad light stopped play for the day.

Earlier, Ravi Bopara, who top-scored with 47 to advance his claims for a place in the first Test, was England's only shining light at the Nondescripts Cricket Club after they were bowled out for just 134. To make matters worse, James Anderson was ruled out of bowling on the second day after suffering an ankle injury.

With fellow paceman Steve Harmison already withdrawn from the attack due to a back spasm, it left Hoggard as England's only fit seamer.

And he responded in style as Upul Tharanga fell cheaply for the first time in three innings, cleaned up by a beauty, as Hoggard benefited from giving the ball a chance to swing.

Bopara, thrown the new ball due to injuries, chipped in with the removal of Malinda Warnapura before three wickets in four deliveries from Hoggard left the President's men on 32 for five.

Tillakaratne Dilshan flashed low to second slip, Jehan Mubarak padded up to one which shaped back and Chamara Kapugedera sliced his first ball to gully.

Hoggard completed his five-for when Kaushal Silva nicked an outswinger.

Bopara, meanwhile, continued his own prominence in the contest with involvement in the run-out of Sujeewa de Silva and the removal of Mahela Udawatte, who made 45 before being the penultimate dismissal.

Michael Vaughan, Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen all fell to the new ball in the morning after the President’s XI declared on 298 for nine overnight. Alastair Cook had shored things up for three-quarters of the session, but fell to the first over of spin as the tourists struggled to 61 for four by lunch.

Sujeewa de Silva and Chanaka Welegedara caused England the most problems, swinging the ball at pace to earn their dismissals.

De Silva, who is in Sri Lanka's 14-man Test squad, beat a defensive push from Vaughan to clip the stumps. He then ended the charmed but short innings of Bell by finding an inside edge to Kaushal Silva, the wicketkeeper. Bell had been dropped at slip and caught off a no-ball.

Welegedara had Pietersen caught behind in the next over, the seventh of the innings, to leave England on 21 for three. Cook provided the bulk of that total, having leg-glanced the first delivery of the second morning for four. He scored four other boundaries, twice clipping de Silva handsomely through the on-side and sending a couple of deliveries through the gap between third slip and gully.

Lokuarachchi, the leg-spinner, ended Cook's 23-run stand with Owais Shah before missing a sweep and being given out leg-before. Shah did not score until his 34th delivery, thanks to a misfield, having been joined at the crease by Ravi Bopara, his rival for the No 6 spot.

Bopara survived a confident lbw shout second ball before boosting the scoring rate with a rare boundary moments after Shah had found the rope for the first time with a fierce pull off de Silva.

But he was forced to change the pace of his innings after Shah was bowled, driving loosely at Ishara Amerasinghe.

Matt Prior was caught at slip off medium-pacer Chamara Kapugedera, via a nick deflected off the wicketkeeper's fingertips, and Hoggard was castled by de Silva, angling the ball in from around the wicket.

Having flashed a pull and a drive to the boundary in response to the sudden clatter of wickets, Bopara left with only the tail for company, attempted to make hay while he could, only to perish going for a third boundary in one over, after picking out extra-cover with another attacking stroke.

With Harmison not risked due to his back twinge, things were wrapped up when Anderson was yorked by Welegedara.

Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad are likely to come into the attack for the second Test to join Hoggard if Anderson and Harmison fail to recover.

England will also be able to fly in Chris Tremlett from India if any of their injury-hit bowlers are ruled out, The Hampshire fast bowler is currently with the England Performance Programme (EPP) national academy squad, who are currently based in Chennai.