June 27, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 11, 1428

COLOMBO, June 26: Four batsmen scored centuries as Sri Lanka flexed their batting might to tighten the screws on Bangladesh in the first cricket Test here on Tuesday.

Maiden Test hundreds by Prasanna Jayawardene and veteran seamer Chaminda Vaas capped a solid batting display by the hosts, while captain Mahela Jayawardene and opener Michael Vandort also reached three figures.

Having shot out Bangladesh for 89 on the opening day, Sri Lanka piled up 577-6 in their first innings before declaring 15 minutes before the close of the second day's play.

Bangladesh, trailing by 488 runs, safely negotiated three overs before the close to finish the day on three for no loss.

Sri Lanka's run deluge left Bangladesh facing an uphill struggle to avoid defeat in the first of three Test matches on their five-week tour.

Mohammad Ashraful's tourists lasted just 32.3 overs on the first day with Muttiah Muralitharan taking five wickets after seamer Dilhara Fernando had destroyed the top order with three wickets.

Runs came easily against the tiring Bangladesh attack that lacked the firepower to disturb the batsmen on the easy-paced wicket at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

It was Sri Lanka's highest total against Bangladesh, surpassing their 555-5 declared when the two sides met for the first time in September 2001.

Bangladesh were frustrated by an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 223 between Prasanna Jayawardene and Vaas after Sri Lanka were restricted to 354-6 in the post-lunch session.

The partnership was Sri Lanka's best-ever for the seventh wicket, easily going past the 194 between Hashan Tillekeratne and Thilan Samaraweera against India in 2001.

Prasanna Jayawardene, the team's wicket-keeper after Kumar Sangakkara preferred to play as a specialist batsman, compiled an unbeaten 120 in only his 10th Test.

Mahela Jayawardene declared the innings soon after Vaas, a veteran of 97 matches, reached 100.

“It's the day I had been waiting for,” said the 33-year-old Vaas. “When you get older, the wickets sometimes don't come so easily so it is always nice to contribute with the bat.

“It's just great to get a century. Now we want to follow up with the ball. The wicket is turning a bit so we should be able to keep Bangladesh under pressure.”

Earlier, left-handed Vandort, a late replacement for the injured Upul Tharanga, hit 117 with the help of nine boundaries and three sixes.

Mahela Jayawardene, who had retired hurt the previous day on 93 due to leg cramps, returned at the fall of Vandort's wicket before lunch and duly completed his 17th Test century.

The captain, who was on 126 at lunch, added just one more run when he fell to the second new ball, punching Mashrafe Mortaza's fourth delivery to Abdur Razzak at point.

Mahela Jayawardene took over as Sri Lanka's second-highest scorer with 6,416 runs in 86 Tests, behind only Sanath Jayasuriya's record tally of 6,791.

Scoreboard

BANGLADESH (1st Innings) 89 (M. Muralitharan 5-15).

SRI LANKA (1st Innings, overnight 227-3):

M.G. Vandort c Shahriar b Rafique 117

B.S.M. Warnapura lbw b Shahadat 0

K.C. Sangakkara c Mashud b Shahadat 6

M. Jayawardene c Razzak b Mashrafe 127

L.P.C. Silva c Mashrafe b Razzak 1

T.M. Dilshan run out 79

H.A.P.W. Jayawardene not out 120

W.P.U.J.C. Vaas not out 100

EXTRAS (B-6, LB-7, W-2, NB-12) 27

TOTAL (for six decl, 135.5 overs) 577

FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-14, 3-187, 4-304, 5-320, 6-354.

DID NOT BAT: S.L. Malinga, M. Muralitharan, C.R.D. Fernando.

BOWLING: Mashrafe Mortaza 19-2-72-1 (8nb, 1w); Shahadat Hossain 18-0-102-2 (1nb, 1w); Abdur Razzak 30-2-109-1; Mohammad Rafique 28.5-1-138-1 (2nb); Saqibul Hasan 16-0-57-0 (1nb); Mohammad Ashraful 13-0-52-0; Rajin Saleh 3-0-12-0; Habibul Bashar 8-0-22-0.

NOTE: D.P.M.D. Jayawardene (93) resumed at 304-4 after retiring hurt at 184-2 on Monday.

BANGLADESH (2nd Innings):

Javed Omar not out 3

Shahriar Nafees not out 0

EXTRAS 0

TOTAL (for no wkt, 3 overs) 3

BOWLING (to-date): Vaas 1-0-1-0; Malinga 1-0-1-0; Muralitharan 1-0-1-0.—AFP