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by Sa'adi Thawfeeq reporting from Galle

GALLE, Thursday - Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, both aged 24 and the young 'uns of the Sri Lanka middle-order batting, anchored their side in a record third wicket partnership of 162 in 172 minutes to edge them closer to the West Indies first innings total of 448 in the first cricket Test played at the Galle International Stadium here today.

When rain brought an early finish to the third day with 23 overs yet remaining, Sri Lanka resuming at 103 for one had moved to 343 for three wickets, 105 runs behind the West Indies total.

Sangakkara anchoring the innings was unbeaten on 126, his second Test century and Russel Arnold on 18. Two days remain in the Test. On a pitch which had become increasingly slow the West Indies bowlers struggled to find a consistent line and length against the free-scoring Sri Lankan batsmen.

The best batting of the day came from Sangakkara who had all, but batted for 27 minutes of the Sri Lankan innings of 450 minutes, and Jayawardene.

The pair came together at the fall of opener Marvan Atapattu's wicket just after an hour's play in the morning. Jayawardene it was who dominated the partnership hitting a scintillating 99 off 134 balls spiced with 13 fours.

The elegant right-hander cut, drove and pulled the West Indies bowlers at will and looked in sight of his fourth consecutive hundred in Tests, when he was unfortunately dismissed. Attempting an impossible single to short mid wicket which would have brought him his ninth Test hundred, Jayawardene was easily run out by Marlon Samuels' direct hit.

His wicket was a lucky break for the West Indies who looked helpless when Jayawardene was in full flow.

"I was disappointed that I missed a hundred, but most of all, from the team's point of view, the way I got out. If I was there for a while, we should have pushed a bit more and put more pressure on the West Indies. That was our priority and I am very disappointed I couldn't do that," said Jayawardene at the end of the day.

He said that he was batting "pretty well" and "enjoying it out there at the moment which was the most important thing".

"When I started my career I wasn't making the big ones. Most of the senior players spoke to me especially Dav (Whatmore, the coach) and he told me that big scores are the most important thing from a personal point of view as well as the team's. The style I was playing, there were times I tended to mishit the ball and get out. But Dav said to play my normal game but to take a calculated risk without throwing away my wicket and try to make the big ones.

"I am pretty much doing it at the moment and enjoying it as well. But if the ball is there to be hit I am going to hit it. That's how I have been brought up," said Jayawardene. West Indies' only other success of the day was the wicket of Atapattu who edged a leg-break from Dinanath Ramnarine to Brian Lara at slip. Atapattu who was lucky not to be bowled by a delivery from Mervyn Dillon at 56 when he edged a ball onto his right boot, batted 197 minutes and hit four fours. He added 109 for the second wicket with Sangakkara. West Indies missed getting Sangakkara at 72 when he lofted Ramnarine to wide mid wicket and Samuels running along the boundary edge got his hands onto the ball but could not hold on to it.

Sangakkara made full use of that lapse to complete his second Test century by hitting Carl Hooper for four. It took him 307 minutes and came off 239 balls with 13 fours.

By the close he has extended his stay at the wicket to 422 minutes and 308 balls and hit 15 fours. Having kept wickets for the length of the West Indies innings of 546 minutes, Sangakkara had been in the pavilion for only 27 minutes before he came out to bat at the fall of Jayasuriya's wicket on the second day.

"It's good to be on the field for that long and I hope to be in there tomorrow as well," said Sangakkara not showing any signs of weariness at the end of the day. "The idea was always to consolidate. I want to be consistent and I've always got runs at Galle," he said.

Galle holds a special place for Sangakkara. He made his Test debut here against South Africa in July 2000 and he also scored his maiden Test century at this venue 105 (not out) against India three months ago.

Sangakkara said that his second hundred was made easy batting with Jayawardene.

"This hundred was easier than the first one because I didn't have to bat through with the tailenders. But it is equally special because hundreds rarely come often. I feel very good that I have managed to get a second one. It was easy with Mahela batting at the other end because there was no pressure on me," said Sangakkara.

"There were a few bad balls bowled, but with Mahela in the middle it's always quick runs because he just keeps on scoring off every bad ball. All I had to do was to nudge the ball around and give him the strike and he did all the rest.

"It was very disappointing to see Mahela get out for 99. That happens in cricket and all we have to do is to do out there and do well tomorrow so that we can probably win the game," said Sangakkara.

"You've got to be mentally tough out there which I think is the most important thing in today's game. As long as you are willing to fight it out, I think you are going to be okay.

Dillon bowled a lot of overs and kept a nagging line and length. Ramnarine is turning out to be quite a good leg spinner. He is a very good bowler very cunning and very wily and he knows what he's about. It's good to go out there to play against him. It's not going to be easy tomorrow to get quick runs," he said. Sangakkara said the wicket had eased up a bit, and although it was still very good for batting he said Muralitharan would be more effective than in the first innings on it. "He will get more turn and more bite and it will be interesting to see how the West Indians handle him," said Sangakkara.

WEST INDIES - 1ST INNINGS 448
(R. Sarwan 88, B. Lara 178, C. Hooper 69,
M. Muralitharan 6-125)

SRI LANKA - 1ST INNINGS
(overnight 103-1)

M. Atapattu c Lara b Ramnarine		 61
S. Jayasuriya c McGarrell b Dillon	 25
K. Sangakkara not out			126
M. Jayawardene run out			 99
R. Arnold not out 		 	 18
Extras (LB-8, NB-5, W-1)		 14
TOTAL (3 wkts at close, 110 overs)	343

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-37, 2-146, 3-308.
TO BAT: H. Tillakaratne, T. Samaraweera, C. Vaas, 
N. Bandaratillake, C.Buddhika, M. Muralitharan.
BOWLING: Dillon 30-7-83-1, Stuart 20-2-91-0 (NB-4, W-1),
McGarrell 16-2-47-0, Ramnarine 29-7-75-1 (NB-1),
Hooper 14-2-34-0, Samuels 1-0-5-0.

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