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| May 20, 2006 | Saturday | Rabi-us-Sani 21, 1427 |
Tharanga’s timely response
HOVE (England), May 19: Opening batsman Upul Tharanga did his case for keeping a place in Sri Lanka's Test team no harm at all with a gritty 140 as the tourists scored 283 for four come stumps on the first day of four against Sussex on Thursday.
Former captain Sanath Jayasuriya arrived during the drawn first Test at Lord's concluded Monday, having reversed his retirement from the five-day game.
And although the veteran left-handed opener was not included for the Sussex match, the tourists' last before next week's second Test at Edgbaston, Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody refused to rule Jayasuriya out of either the second or concluding third Test.But Tharanga, who responded to the disappointment of making just 10 in Sri Lanka's meagre Lord's first innings of 192 by making 52 in their match-saving second innings of 537 for nine declared, carried on that good form, albeit against an under-strength Sussex.
The 20-year-old, himself a left-hander, batted for five-and-a-half-hours before exiting shortly before the close when he mistimed a pull off Luke Wright to paceman James Kirtley, captain in his first match of the season since remodelling his bowling action, at mid-on. Tharanga faced 252 balls with 18 fours.
He shared in a second-wicket stand of 113 with Michael Vandort (44) as Sri Lanka, who won the toss before a small crowd.
Earlier, Tharanga's fellow opener Jehan Mubarak, who made nought and six at Lord's, holed out to cover for 26 to give fast bowler Tim Linley a wicket on his first-class debut.
But on the verge of tea he lost Vandort, lbw to left-arm spinner Chris Nash.
Fast bowler Duncan Spencer then had wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara caught low down at backward point.
But the equally experienced Mahela Jayawardene, fresh from his captain's innings of 119 which won him the man-of-the-match award at Lord's, soon found his form to go to 45 not out.—Agencies
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