October 30, 2007	Tuesday	Shawwal 17, 1428

ADELAIDE, Oct 29: Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan claimed four wickets in the drawn three day tour match against the Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI at the Adelaide Oval here on Monday.

Muralitharan captured 4-121 off 44 overs as the Chairman’s XI forged a 41-run lead on the first innings.

The Chairman’s XI were dismissed for 409 off 122.2 overs in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings 368 for six declared.

Batting a second time, Sri Lanka finished at 125 for three off 36 overs when play was called off early by mutual agreement.

The tourists lost two wickets to paceman Mick Lewis (2-17) before captain Mahela Jayawardene (52) gained some valuable batting time ahead of the Nov 8 first Test in Brisbane, following his first innings duck, with Thilan Samaraweera (41 not out).

Sanath Jayasuriya missed the final day with a head cold with vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara and reserve paceman Chanaka Welegedara troubled by leg injuries.

Muralitharan had Philip Hughes stumped for 49, and claimed invitational skipper Luke Ronchi out on the second ball of the morning for a duck when he was bamboozled and was bowled by an off-break.

Cullen Bailey played back to a well-pitched quicker ball to be leg before wicket for three.

South Australian Tom Plant compiled 124 before the remaining wickets fell quickly after lunch with Muralitharan having Plant taken at short fine leg from a top-edged sweep.

The Sri Lankans next play Queensland in a three-day game in Brisbane starting on Friday.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA (1st Innings) 368-6 declared (S.T. Jayasuriya 154, T.T. Samaraweera 71, M.S. Atapattu 56, M.G. Vandort 55).

CA CHAIRMAN’S XI (1st Innings, overnight 262-4):

L.R. Mash c sub b Fernando 95

G.D. Moller c sub b Welegedara 33

T.C. Plant c Jayawardene b Murali 124

C.J. Ferguson lbw b Fernando 5

P/ Hughes st sub b Murali 49

L Ronchi b Murali 0

C.B. Bailey lbw b Murali 3

A.K. Heal run out 58

M.L. Lewis c Atapattu b Maharoof 12

D.E. Bollinger not out 0

P. Rofe c Murali b Maharoof 1

EXTRAS (B-7, LB-2, NB-20) 29

TOTAL (all out, 122.2 overs) 409

FALL OF WKTS: 1-79, 2-165, 3-171, 4-261, 5-263, 6-273, 7-386, 8-398, 9-408.

BOWLING: Maharoof 28.2-4-98-2 (14nb); Welegedara 6-2-23-1 (3nb); Fernando 20-0-71-2 (2nb); Muralitharan 44-7-122-4 (1nb); Jayasuriya 9-1-34-0; Mubarak 10-3-21-0; Jayawardene 5-0-31-0.

SRI LANKA (2nd Innings):

M.S. Atapattu lbw b Lewis 15

M.G. Vandort c and b Lewis 14

M. Jayawardene c Bollinger b Bailey 52

T.T. Samaraweera not out 41

J. Mubarak not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-2) 2

TOTAL (for three wkts, 36 overs) 125

Fall: 1-24, 2-31, 3-122.

BOWLING: Lewis 7-1-17-2; Rofe 7-1-20-0; Bollinger 5-0-14-0; Heal 11-1-42-0; Bailey 6-0-30-1.

RESULT: Match drawn.—Agencies