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Form is temporary, class is permanent, and Chaminda Vaas is a class act.

Following his electric performances for Northamptonshire, slaying the Welsh dragon in Division 2 of the LV County Championship, Vaas gets the phone call which most accomplished commentators assume to be inevitable. At first, Vaas does not wish to go - he would rather play for Northamptonshire, than Sri Lanka - but David Capel puts his arm round his shoulder, and tells that the truly splendid put country before club. And it is Vaas that makes all the difference to a beleaguered Sri Lanka.

First come the wickets; the 37 year old isn't too quick any more, but he is still good enough to get 6-23 in England's 199 all out under the leaden Lords sky. His bowling done, he sits down with a nice mug of green tea in the dressing room, only to be confronted by captain Tillikatne Dilshan. He is asked to pad up and open the batting. Two hours later, the little left-hander takes off his helmet, saluting the Lords crowd who rise to applaud his second test century. Sri Lanka are eventually dismissed for 299. It's almost as if they wanted to make the maths easy.

As England go out to bat in the second innings, coach Andy Flower is left to reflect on how much improved the Sri Lankan attack is. From the dross of Cardiff, to Chaminda Vaas and Dilhara Fernando; and Flower smiles as his batsmen struggle, because he knows that England are finally in a Test Match worthy of the name. As it is, Ian Bell and Eoiaeen Morgan both prove that they are splendid, each scoring combative hundreds. Conveniently for the scorers, England are all out for precisely 299, setting Sri Lanka precisely 200 to win with precisely two days to go.

The fourth day is, unfortunately, lost to rain.

On the final day, Sri Lanka bat well, but whilst that is the case, England bowl better. Stuart Broad provides the England attack with his customary aggression, and Chris Tremlett bowls fast, but the real star is lanky paceman Steven Finn. He starts nervously, but then shows the beauty of accomplished swing bowling. Truly, James Anderson's absence is no loss - if that could ever be true - due to the resplendence of Finn's bowling. The Sri Lankan dressing room is puzzled by Finn's sudden improvement. Enquiries are made, and coach Stuart Law is furious to discover that the England bowler's advance was caused by an impromptu coaching session from Vaas on the Lords outfield immediately before play. Confronted by the Australian, Vaas smiles nicely, and explains that he wanted to help a promising young bowler making his way. For a moment - just for the shortest moment - Law understands everything. But it is all too brief, for soon the light in Law's mind flickers, and then it is gone.