January 14, 2002	Monday	Shawwal 29, 1422

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GALLE (Sri Lanka), Jan 13: Tilan Samaraweera and Upul Chandana shared a Sri Lankan record eighth wicket partnership of 146 as the hosts reached 418 all out in the first innings of the third and final Test against Zimbabwe Sunday.

When the seventh wicket fell at 254 Sri Lanka looked in danger of being bowled out for less than 300 but Samaraweera with a stubborn knock of 76, and Chandana, who scored his maiden Test 50 and went on to make 92, denied Zimbabwe that chance.

By the close Zimbabwe, needing 201 to avoid a follow-on, had scored 18 without loss in 19 overs. On a slow turning pitch, where the odd ball stays low, they face a tough task to get those runs.

Samaraweera scored 76 in a marathon 335 minutes before being run out in mid pitch over a misunderstanding with his partner Buddhika Fernando. He faced 232 balls and hit five fours.

It was Samaraweera’s third half-century in eight Tests and took his career aggregate to 515 runs for an average of 103.

Chandana, returning to the Test fold after nearly two years, was the more enterprising of the two, scoring 92 runs out of the partnership of 146.

He batted for 231 minutes and faced 167 balls hitting 10 fours in compiling his maiden 50 playing in his sixth Test match since making his debut in 1999.

A century was well within his reach but his eagerness to get there cost him his wicket. He tried to hit off-spinner Douglas Marillier over the top and was caught by Stuart Carlisle at wide mid-off.

Zimbabwe had a chance at 70 to dismiss Chandana but Trevor Gripper failed to hold onto a chance at short mid wicket off Henry Olonga.

The partnership between Samaraweera and Chandana eclipsed Sri Lanka’s previous highest eight wicket stand versus all countries of 117 between Mahela Jayawardena and Chaminda Vaas against South Africa at Galle in 2000.

Off-spinner Douglas Marillier took two of the last three wickets to fall after tea, to finish with four for 101 — the second time he had taken four wickets in a five-Test career.

After a slow first session, when Sri Lanka added only 47 runs in 29 overs, they accelerated through Samaraweera and Chandana in the afternoon to add 93 runs off 28 overs.

Samaraweera moved from his lunch total of 28 to 58 reaching his third Test 50 in 256 minutes off 182 balls with four fours.

But Chandana was the more aggressive of the two, adding 60 runs in the session to his personal tally. Chandana completed his maiden Test 50 in 164 minutes off 117 balls hitting five fours.

His previous highest score in six Tests was 32 against South Africa at Colombo (SSC) in 2000.

The pair batted with little trouble from the bowlers on a benign pitch.

Sri Lanka’s scoring was limited by negative Zimbabwe bowling on the second morning to go to lunch at 290 for seven wickets.

Resuming at 243 for six, Sri Lanka lost one wicket in the session that saw them add only 47 runs, with not a single boundary in the last hour of play before lunch.