Vaughan: 'It was my best hundred'

A delighted and weary Michael Vaughan refused to take all the credit after his battling hundred had helped England to draw the second Test at Kandy.

"I knew it was going to take a big effort, especially from the guys at the end," he said. "To see the last hour out was a great effort. It was pretty similar to the Galle game. We're all very proud of the team. To come away with a draw after losing the toss is a great achievement. It sets the series up for Colombo."

Asked how hard it had been to face Muttiah Muralitharan on the deteriorating wicket, Vaughan smiled. "I have never faced Murali when it has not been spinning. It is always a challenge. It was very hard in the middle. Facing someone like Murali, it's important that you have time in the middle against him and all our players have had some decent lengths in the middle and it's bound to increase our confidence. Considering the period that I batted and the position that we were in, and that it was on a fifth day wicket against Murali, I think it was my best hundred.

"In the last couple of years I have been used to scoring runs in a free manner but I knew that batting on a fifth-day wicket against Muralitharan and Vaas, I had to dig my heels in.

"We played some good cricket, they played some good cricket, but no one could drive their team home so I think a draw was a fair result in the end.

"We'll travel to Colombo tonight and look forward to the final Test. We've got fond memories of Colombo from three years ago. It's going to be another hard game of cricket."

In contrast to Vaughan, Hashan Tillakaratne, Sri Lanka's captain, could not hide his disappointment at having been thwarted on the final day for a second successive Test. "It was a very good Test match. Vaughan played very well and we could not finish the match. We are disappointed we could not finish it. Our bowlers were tired but they gave 100 per cent.

"In the morning I thought we had the advantage. We wanted to play positive cricket but we are looking forward to third Test. There are some positives from this Test. Congratulations to [Tillataratne] Dilshan for his magnificent 100 and, of course, Murali is a class act."