England's Michael Atherton and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara have escaped punishment after yesterday's angry confrontation on the third day of the Second Test in Kandy.

The pair were involved in a heated exchange after the controversial dismissal of Sanath Jayasuriya, ending with Atherton pointing a finger.

They have been severely reprimanded at a disciplinary hearing called at the end of the fourth day's play by match referee Hanumant Singh.

The pair will be relieved that no suspended match ban was incurred but Singh issued a "final warning" to both teams about their behaviour and stressed that any repetition of yesterday's stormy scenes would be "dealt with severely".

Singh has so far fined four Sri Lankan players for excessive appealing and gave Graeme Hick a suspended one-match ban for dissent in the First Test.

He imposed a suspended four-match sentence on Jayasuriya for dissent yesterday after the Sri Lankan skipper hurled his helmet over the boundary following his dismissal.

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