November 04, 2007	Sunday	Shawwal 22, 1428

BRISBANE, Nov 3: Former Test paceman Andy Bichel smashed a century before Ashley Noffke continued his sensational bowling form to put Queensland in control in their match against Sri Lanka here on Saturday.

Sri Lanka again got away to a poor start in their second innings and were 62 for four at the close of play on the second day, still trailing by 23 runs with a day to play, with captain Mahela Jayawardene on 22 and Chamara Silva on two.

Queensland were dismissed for 295 in reply to Sri Lanka’s 210 for nine declared in their first innings.

Bichel’s aggressive four-hour 125 was his ninth first-class hundred.

He was Queensland’s eighth wicket to fall, caught at short fine leg after hammering 11 fours and seven sixes from 168 balls at the small Allan Border Field.

The 37-year-old former Test fast bowler threw his arms into the air and kissed his helmet in jubilation upon reaching his 152-ball hundred.

Bichel’s seven sixes were a record for a Queensland batsman in a first-class game and it was his highest score for the Bulls.

Resuming on Saturday on 60 for four, Queensland slumped to 89 for five when Clinton Perren was out for 25 but the tail wagged vigorously.

Bichel spearheaded Queensland’s recovery by adding 80 runs for the sixth wicket with Noffke (34) and 94 for the eighth wicket with Mitchell Johnson (50).

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA (1st Innings) 210-9 declared (H.A.P.W. Jayawardene 58 not out; A.A. Noffke 5-36).

QUEENSLAND (1st Innings, overnight 60-4):

J.P. Maher lbw b Malinga 4

R.A. Broad b Maharoof 12

C.T. Perren lbw b Vaas 25

A. Symonds c P. J’wardene b Maharoof 22

C.T. Simpson c Samaraweera b Malinga 0

A.J. Bichel c Silva b Bandara 125

A.A. Noffke c M. J’wardene b Bandara 34

C.D. Hartley c P. J’wardene b Maharoof 8

M.G. Johnson c P. J’wardene b Jayasuriya 50

D.J. Doran c Silva b Jayasuriya 2

M.S. Kasprowicz not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-3, NB-10) 13

TOTAL (all out, 79.2 overs) 295

FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-26, 3-59, 4-60, 5-89, 6-169, 7-171, 8-285, 9-294.

BOWLING: Vaas 14-3-52-1 (6nb); Malinga 20-5-54-2 (2nb); Maharoof 20-7-72-3 (2nb); Bandara 19-0-89-2; Jayasuriya 6.2-1-25-2.

SRI LANKA (2nd Innings):

M.S. Atapattu lbw b Noffke 7

S.T. Jayasuriya c Perren b Noffke 2

M.G. Vandort c Hartley b Kasprowicz 26

D.P.M.D. Jayawardene not out 22

T.T. Samaraweera c Maher b Bichel 3

L.P.C. Silva not out 2

EXTRAS 0

TOTAL (for four wkts, 29 overs) 62

FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-11, 3-52, 4-55.

BOWLING (to-date): Johnson 9-1-25-0; Noffke 6-2-8-2; Kasprowicz 6-1-17-1; Bichel 6-2-10-1; Symonds 2-1-2-0.—AFP