Charlie Austin
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1st Test: Sri Lanka v West Indies at Galle, 13-17 Nov 2001 Charlie Austin |
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Sri Lanka, though, continue to close in on the West Indies first innings score of 448. At tea, Sri Lanka were 317-3.
Jayawardene had looked in imperious form all day. He marched through the 80’s and 90’s with a string of boundaries, including three fours in an over off Colin Stuart.
However, needing one for his ton, he tried to scramble a single after looping the ball short of the fieldsman at mid-wicket. Sangakkara, rightly, sent him back and Marlon Samuels ripped out the stumps with a direct hit, leavingh Jayawardene just short. He didn’t wait for the replay.
Russel Arnold has now come to the wicket and is under pressure to perform, having been dropped for Sri Lanka’s last Test against Bangladesh.
Arnold was unbeaten on four at tea, whilst wicket-keeper batsmen batted throughout another session to score 115.
Being wicket-keeper he has only been off the field for 27 minutes so far in this Test match.
Sangakkara’s first Test century was also scored at Galle, against India in August. It’s been a studious and determined five-hour innings. He has been particularly strong square on the off-side and, fittingly, he reached his hundred with a square cut.
He was 100 not out from 243 balls at the water break, having hit 13 fours so far.
Mahela Jayawardene continues to bristle with positive intent and looks likely to reach his third century in consecutive Test innings and his fourth century in consecutive Tests.
At the break he was unbeaten on 81 from 113 balls, having hit nine fours and umpteen late cuts for two and three.
West Indian captain Carl Hooper has tried to stem the flow of runs. He is bowling to a packed off side field and has instructed his leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine to bowl around the wicket into the rough outside Jayawadene’s leg-stump.
The two 24-year-olds have added 131 runs for the third wicket in 229 balls
With their score on 223-2, the follow on target of 248 appears a mere formality, as they reply to the West Indies first innings score of 448.
Mahela Jayawardene, who had started his innings unconvincingly, scored freely in the last half hour, especially with his delicate late cut as, time and again, Neil NcGarrell dropped short.
The 24-year-old right-hander had scored 48 from 65 balls with four boundaries at lunch.
Sangakkara, now happily playing the anchor role and in search of his second Test century, was dropped on 72 by Marlon Samuels, but otherwise looked secure as he batted out the two-and-a-half hour session.
Sangakkara used his feet and tried to hit leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine straight back over his head but pulled his shot wider than anticipated. Samuels, fielding at deep mid-wicket, made a valiant diving effort, but failed to hold onto the ball.
The left-hander, also 24, was 80 not out at the interval, having faced 201 balls in his four-and-a-quarter hour innings.
Sri Lanka were 170-2 at the second water break of the morning.
Atapattu, the scorer of five double centuries in Test cricket, who historically converts 50 per cent of his fifties into centuries, had reached his eighth half-century earlier in the morning before falling to the leg-spin of Dinanth Ramnarine for 61.
Reached forward, with a slightly open face, to play defensively, but the ball spun, caught his outside edge and Brian Lara held a comfortable low catch at slip.
Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka’s premier batsmen of recent times, looked vulnerable in his opening overs and was nearly bowled by a Yorker from Colin Stuart, who had replaced Mervyn Dillion (7-1-18-0). He also played and missed against Ramnarine.
Moments before the second morning water break he stroked his first boundary, a classy late cut past the right hand of second slip. He has scored 13 from 21 balls.
Sangakkara, after such a brisk start in the opening overs, is now playing watchfully, unbeaten on 64 from 161 balls.
Sri Lanka, 103-1 overnight, lost no wickets in the first passage of play and were 134-1 at the water break, with Atapattu looking solid on 57 and a Sangakkara on 47.
The left-handed Sangakkara started the day in style with a rollicking square cut off Colin Stuart. The fast bowler dropped short again later in the over and was similarly punished.
Atapattu, too, started the day confidently with a square cut for four off Mervyn Dillon, who was once again the best fast bowler on show for the West Indies.
Stuart was replaced after three overs (3-1-16-0) by leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine. Dillion bowled unchanged from the Fort End.
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 15 Nov2001 - 18:34