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Graeme Swann: 'England are favourites'

Swann: 'England are favourites'
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Graeme Swann believes that England are favourites to win the first Test against Sri Lanka heading into the fourth day's play in Galle.

England bowler Graeme Swann has claimed that England are favourites to win the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.

The tourists head into tomorrow's fourth day requiring a further 229 runs for victory after closing Wednesday on 111-2.

Chasing 340 for victory, Swann is confident that England's batsmen can put their bad form behind them and steer them to their highest winning total in history.

"I'd say we are [favourites]," Swann told Sky Sports News. "We've had a good start. We're 111-2, KP and Trotty are looking very secure at the crease so hopefully they can carry on with their burgeoning partnership."

"It still is a very good pitch and once people get in it's difficult to shift them, that's what was so frustrating with numbers 10 and 11 for Sri Lanka today, we just couldn't get them out for half an hour, 40 minutes."

"So you think the guys in our team, obviously the batsmen, were all watching that and thinking this is a pitch we can still score runs on."

Swann recorded figures of 6-82 in the Sri Lankan second innings to restrict the hosts to 214.

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