|
|
|
| May 14, 2006 | Sunday | Rabi-us-Sani 15, 1427 |
Daunting task ahead for Sri Lanka
LONDON, May 13: Upul Tharanga and Kumar Sangakkara restored some pride for Sri Lanka as they defied the England attack on the third day of the first Test at Lord's on Saturday.
Sri Lanka, following-on, were 93 for one in their second innings at tea – still 266 runs behind England's imposing first innings 551 for six declared.
But having looked set for another collapse when reduced to 10 for one, an unbroken stand of 83 between the two Sri Lankan left-handers prevented further embarrassment.
Earlier Yorkshire fast bowler Matthew Hoggard took his 200th Test wicket as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 192 – 160 runs shy of the follow-on target of 352 – shortly before lunch.
Hoggard, who finished with first innings figures of four for 27, soon struck again as he revelled in the overcast conditions.
The 29-year-old, known for his ability to swing the ball into left-handers, brought one back to Jehan Mubarak and the batsman, late on a drive, was bowled off an inside edge for six to leave Sri Lanka 10 for one.
At least Mubarak, one of four Lankan batsmen who made nought in the first innings, had avoided a pair.
But Tharanga and the experienced Sangakkara steadied the ship, both men playing attractively through the offside.
Flintoff brought on all-rounder Paul Collingwood, England's fifth seamer, while left-arm spinner Monty Panesar, who would have given the batsmen something else to think about, languished in the outfield.
Panesar, after more than 102 overs of England right-arm pace bowling in the match, came on just before tea and started with a maiden.
Sri Lanka started Saturday in the dire position of 91 for six and only stands of 44 and 61, for the seventh and ninth wickets respectively, took them to three figures.
Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka's captain and the last of their top-order batsmen, was 40 not out.
England fast bowler Sajid Mahmood, a Lancashire team-mate of Flintoff's, had enjoyed a debut spell to remember on Friday of three wickets for no runs in nine balls.
But the 24-year-old cousin of British boxer Amir Khan was denied a further victim and had to settle for innings figures of 13-2-50-3.
No Sri Lankan had made a fifty in the preceding fixture, a 10-wicket defeat against England ‘A’.
However, Jayawardene's seventh boundary, a cut off Mahmood, took him to the landmark in 102-balls.
Farveez Maharoof, six not out overnight, supported his skipper well in a handy seventh-wicket stand before he was caught and bowled by Hoggard for 22, after trying to turn the ball legside.
Hoggard was the tenth England bowler to take 200 Test wickets.
And eight balls later Jayawardene's defiant knock ended when he was caught behind off a rising Flintoff delivery for 61, Sri Lanka 131 for eight.
Chaminda Vaas (31), dropped twice and Nuwan Kulasekara (29) each hit four boundaries before both men fell to slip catches off Hoggard and all-rounder Flintoff respectively.
England's total, their highest score against Sri Lanka, was built around hundreds from Kevin Pietersen (158) and opener Trescothick (106) while Cook, on his home Test debut, made 89 and Collingwood 57.
Scoreboard
ENGLAND (1st Innings) 551-6 declared (K.P. Pietersen 158, M.E. Trescothick 106, A.N. Cook 89, P.D. Collingwood 57).
SRI LANKA (1st Innings, overnight 91-6):
J. Mubarak lbw b Hoggard 0
W.U. Tharanga lbw b Hoggard 10
K.C. Sangakkara c T’cothick b Sajid 21
D.P.M. Jayawardene c Jones b Flintoff 61
T.T. Samaraweera lbw b Sajid 0
T.M. Dilshan run out 0
C.K. Kapugedera lbw b Sajid 0
M.F. Maharoof c and b Hoggard 22
W.P.U.J.C. Vaas c T’cothick b Hoggard 31
K.M.D.N. Kulasekara c Strauss b Flintoff 29
M. Muralitharan not out 0
EXTRAS (LB-8, NB-10) 18
TOTAL (all out, 55.3 overs) 192
FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-21, 3-81, 4-81, 5-85, 6-85, 7-129, 8-131, 9-192.
BOWLING: Hoggard 14-4-27-4 (2nb); Flintoff 17.3-2-55-2 (3nb); Plunkett 11-0-52-0 (5nb); Sajid Mahmood 13-2-50-3.
SRI LANKA (2nd Innings):
J. Mubarak b Hoggard 6
W.U. Tharanga not out 41
K.C. Sangakkara not out 30
EXTRAS (B-9, LB-4, W-2, NB-1) 16
TOTAL (for one wkt, 29 overs) 93
FALL OF WKT: 1-10.
BOWLING (to-date): Hoggard 8-3-18-1; Flintoff 7-1-23-0; Sajid Mahmood 5-0-17-0 (1w); Plunkett 3-1-12-0; Collingwood 5-1-10-0 (1nb, 1w); Panesar 1-1-0-0.—Agencies
|
|
|
|
