Mahela, Thilan continue to trouble Kiwi bowlers
Chris DHAMBARAGE
New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori’s joy of completing three hundred
career wickets was short lived as Mahela Jayawardena and Thilan
Samaraweera produced a repeat performance to carry Sri Lanka towards a
commanding position on the opening day of the second and final Test
match which commenced at the SSC grounds in Maitland Place yesterday.
Jayawardena and Samaraweera continued from where they left at the
Galle Stadium by putting on 147 runs for the unfinished fourth wicket
from 295 deliveries as Sri Lanka closed the day at an impressive 262 for
3 wickets having elected to bat first.
The partnership between Jayawardena and Samaraweera really took the
game away from the Kiwis after skipper Sangakkara had departed for a
fluent half century. The elegant left hander was shaping up well for a
big score having completed his fifty from 94 deliveries inclusive of
nine boundaries.
Sangakkara had stepped out twice to club Vettori over mid-on for four
but he fell to a slog sweep to Jacob Oram in the deep. With that,
Vettori became the first left-arm spinner to take 300 wickets.
Vettori also became only the eighth player to reach the 300/3000
double while joining a group of cricketing greats including Richard
Hadlee, Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Chaminda Vaas and Shane Warne. This
milestone has come on top of Vettori’s achievement in the first Test in
Galle where he overtook England’s Derek Underwood as the most successful
left arm spin bowler in Test history.
However Thilan Samaraweera joined former captain Mahela Jayawardena
and the pair simply carried on with the good work on their favourite
home batting track. Both players displayed a great amount of fluency
which has been associated with them in the past as the home side went
through the final session without losing a wicket.
Jayawardena grew in confidence as the game progressed after a shaky
start and is nearing another century having so far occupied the crease
for 271 minutes while stroking seven boundaries. Samaraweera in contrast
got his act together well from the start and has been able to match his
more senior partner having already struck ten boundaries.
Sri Lanka of course got off to a sedate start where they managed to
score only 62 runs during a restricted first session of play. This was
mainly due to some disciplined bowling from the New Zealanders with
Chris Martin and Ian O’Brien causing plenty of concern to the Sri Lankan
openers.
The other factor was that dashing opener Tillekeratne Dilshan was
unable to produce the same form which he displayed in the opening Test
match at the Galle Stadium where he won the Man of the Match award for a
scintillating batting double.
Dilshan of course did not have much of the strike initially but
departed shortly after lunch having faced 58 deliveries and stroked just
a solitary boundary. Incidentally he was let off in the previous
delivery but Ian O’Brien made certain in his second attempt.
Earlier opener Tharanga Paranavithhana became Daniel Vettori’s 299th
victim with Sri Lanka losing their first wicket in the 11th over. The
New Zealand captain was able to strike as early as in his second
delivery of the match that put an end to a promising opening stand.
Sri Lanka made three changes from the side that won the first Test in
Galle with Ajantha Mendis, Angelo Matthews and Nuwan Kulasekara been
replaced by Dammika Prasad, Chamara Kapugedera and Rangana Herath.
SCORECARD
SRI LANKA 1st innings T. Paranavitana c Taylor b Vettori 19 T. Dilshan c and b O’Brien 29 K. Sangakkara c Oram b Vettori 50 M. Jayawardene not out 79 T. Samaraweera not out 78 EXTRAS: (b2, lb4, nb1) 07 TOTAL (for 3 wkts, 90 overs) 262
TO BAT: Chamara Kapugedera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Thilan Thushara,
Dammika Prasad, Prasanna Jayawardene, Rangana Herath.
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-34 (Paranavitana), 2-75 (Dilshan), 3-115 (Sangakkara).
BOWLING: Martin 14-2-45-0, O’Brien 16-3-52-1, Vettori 30-11-65-2 (nb1),
Oram 18-6-45-0, Patel 9-1-32-0, Ryder 3-1-17-0. |