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Captain Marvan Atapattu has not been labelled 'Marvellous Marvan' for nothing. Today he lived up to that name with an outstanding century, which has all but placed his team in a position to give Australia a good run in the second cricket Test played at the Cazalays Stadium here today.

Sri Lanka’s test captain Marvan Atapattu raises his bat after scoring a century during the first innings of the second test against Australia at Cazaly’s Stadium in the northern Australian city of Cairns, July 11, 2004. Australia and Sri Lanka are playing two off-season tests in northern Australia. Australia won the first test in Darwin by 149 runs. REUTERS

Replying to Australia's first innings of 517, Sri Lanka ended a rain shortened third day on 411 for five wickets to trail by 106 runs with five wickets in hand. Two days remain in the Test.

After Atapattu had set the tone for the innings with a chanceless knock of 133 - his 15th Test century and his second against Australia, Tilan Samaraweera (53) and Romesh Kaluwitharana (30) carried on the good work to be unbeaten at stumps having so far added 66 runs in an unfinished partnership for the sixth wicket.

Mahela Jayawardene (43) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (35) also made runs, but like Kumar Sangakkara before them, they threw away their wickets to indiscreet shots when well set.

Atapattu and Jayawardene put on a wonderful display of batting to see through the morning session without loss - a rare achievement for Sri Lanka against Australia who has been the dominant team in recent contests between the two countries. Starting the day at 184-2 they added 96 runs in the session to go to lunch strongly placed on 280-2.

Atapattu continuing from his overnight score of 75 was kept on a nervous 99 for two anxious overs before he finally cover drove Gillespie for his 16th four to take him to his century. It was his third hundred in four Tests as captain and one he will probably treasure most because it was scored against the world champions. It took Atapattu 261 minutes and he required 208 balls. The Australian team acknowledged his century and applauded him but Atapattu remained nonchalant. Apart from raising his bat in appreciation to the applause he hardly celebrated his century like any other batsmen.

Having scored 118 against Australia at the SSC in the final Test played in March this year his century today made him only the fifth Sri Lankan batsman to complete a Test century in Australia. Aravinda de Silva's 167 at Brisbane was the first in 1989-90 and he was followed by Asanka Gurusinha (143 - Melbourne), Hashan Tillakaratne (119 - Perth) and Sanath Jayasuriya (112 - Adelaide) - all on the 1995-96 tour.

The Atapattu-Jayawardene third wicket stand was worth 124 runs and just as everyone was hoping for it to flourish, within a matter of six minutes of each other both batsmen were back in the pavilion without any addition to their lunch time scores.

Atapattu tried to force a half volley from McGrath through the off side and was caught in the gully for 133 ending a lengthy stay of 337 minutes during which period he faced 268 balls and hit 19 fours. Off the next over from Kasprowicz, Jayawardene caught in two minds put up the simplest of return catches to be dismissed for 43 made in 166 minutes. The two wickets immediately after lunch brought Australia right back into the game. They already had the second new ball and two new batsmen at the wickets. But Samaraweera and Dilshan denied Australia of any further success until after an early tea break brought forward by bad light and rain. They put together 65 for the fifth wicket and during that partnership Sri Lanka went past the follow-on mark of 317 when Dilshan twice pulled McGrath to the boundary.

With Sri Lanka looking good at 342-4 at tea, Dilshan for no apparent reason made a charge on Warne in the second over after resumption and mistimed the drive to be caught by Kasprowicz at mid-on on the second attempt. It was a wasted wicket and Dilshan should learn to value his wicket having got on top of the bowling and struck five fours.

Kaluwitharana playing his first Test for Sri Lanka for over a year joined Samaraweera, who had by now assumed the sheet anchor role. The little wicket-keeper was on the attack straight away and he was halted in his tracks briefly when he was hit squarely on the temple by a short delivery from Gillespie, which he missed while attempting to hook. Luckily Kaluwitharana was wearing a helmet and not much damage was done to his head or his confidence by that blow. The helmet replaced, Kaluwitharana was again hooking Gillespie off a similar delivery and the runs started to flow. He used his feet to Warne and either hooked, cut or pulled the quicks to be unbeaten at the close on 30 scored off 39 balls with the aid of two fours.

Samaraweera once more proved his value to the team by batting for 161minutes and 131 balls in completing his sixth Test fifty inclusive of five fours. A batsman of limited potential he makes up for it with determination and concentration which some of his more illustrious teammates lack. He was fortunate to survive a confident appeal for a catch behind which was negatived by Pakistani umpire Alim Dar. It was a good decision because TV replays showed the ball brushing the top of his right pad.

AUSTRALIA - 1ST INNINGS 517


SRI LANKA - 1ST INNINGS
(overnight 184-2)