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Sri Lanka in with a good chance for victory:
England 111 for 2, set 340 for victory
ELMO Rodrigopulle reporting from Galle
Set 340 to win, England were 111 for 2 still requiring a further 229
for victory at close on day three at the Galle International Cricket
Stadium, here today. The not out batmen were Jonathon Trott on 40 and
Kevin Pietersen on 29.
England would have been struggling had Kumar Sangakkara at leg slip
held on to a catch offered by Kevin Pieterson off Suraj Randiv with the
score on 81 and the batsman 12.
Sri Lanka will be looking to knock out the remaining… batsmen and
inflict on the visitors their fourth defeat in a row when play begins on
the fourth day, today. England lost three-nil to Pakistan in desert
country.
Skipper Mahela Jayawardena supported his bowlers well posting
attacking fields which pressurized the England batsmen who could not
give rein to their natural stroke play.
Batsmen out
Openers Alastair Cook 14 and skipper Andrew Strauss 27 were the
batsmen out. Both fell to spinner Rangana Herath. Cook was smartly taken
by Prasanna Jayawardena lunging forward.
Strauss frustrated jumped out and played an irresponsible shot for
Tillakaratne Dilshan to take a stunner at short mid on and leave his
side to sink or swim. England were 2 down for 48. On the second and
third days there was spin on the wicket and there is likely to be more
spin on the fourth day which should be to the liking of Sri Lankan
spinner Rangana Herath, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Suraj Randiv. The three
spinners, if they flight the ball more can obtain turn and worry the
batsmen and lure them to destruction. Other than for Ian Bell, the other
batsmen hardly use their feet to the spinners.
Evenly poised
After 25 wickets fell on the first two days and with the game evenly
poised with Sri Lanka only 209 ahead with 5 wickets remaining, the stage
was set for an absorbing third day’s play.
With both team’s knowing they had a chance of going one-up in the
meaningless Two Test series, the ground looked a picture with England
fans inside the ground and on the Fort making the most noise and
dominating with their colourful club flags. With 25 wickets falling in
two days, the nightmare that was the previous Test played here between
Australia and Sri Lanka, where the game ended in four days and with
match referee Chris Broad complaining to the ICC that the wicket was of
poor quality came back to haunt the teams.
Fears put to rest
But all fears were put to rest with the batsmen who made runs saying
that there was nothing wrong with the wicket. The wickets that tumbled
were due to poor shot selection and curator Jayananda Warnaweera who was
lynched last time round can take a bow. When the game commenced on the
third day with Sri Lanka on 84 for 5 with Dinesh Chanimal and Suraj
Randiv batting, it was paramount that they stay at the wicket and pile
on the runs and give Sri Lanka a lead that that could take the game away
from England and put Sri Lanka in a position from where they can probe
for victory.
wThe wicket played well and though there was turn, it was not vicious
and the Lankan batsmen could not take control because the England
bowlers led by off spinner Graeme Swann had them on a tight leash.Dinesh
Chandimal the better batsman and from whom much was expected motored to
31 and seemed to be going well when Monty Panesar tossed one up he lost
patience and tried an inside out lofted shot, mistimed and Kevin
Pietersen took the catch at mid off. With Randiv he added 42 valuable
runs for the 6th wicket.
Curb impetuosity
Chandimal must be told to curb his impetuosity. He is still young and
learning and must remember that Test cricket is a different ball game to
the slap bang overs limited games. He has immense talent.
A ball later Randiv went LBW to Graeme Swann for 18 and at 127
Rangana Herath Sri Lanka’s hero on day two with six wickets, swept
blindly to be bowled by Swann for 7.
Then Prasanna Jayawardena and Chananaka Welegedera took Sri Lanka to
lunch on 151 for 8 putting on 24.
Jayawardena was on 23 and Welegedera on 6. They added 16 more runs
after lunch when Welegedera was smartly snapped up by Andrew Strauss in
the slips off Panesar for 13. Wicket keeper batsman Prasanna Jayawardena
who has now fully recovered from his hernia operation, and last man
Suranga Lakmal added 47 valuable runs for the last wicket before Lakmal
was run out for 13.
Fourth Test fifty
Jayawardena who made his 4th Test fifty remained unbeaten on 61. It
was a classic innings. He took on responsibility, played with great
caution, but sent the ball rocketing to the fence and over it when the
opportunity presented itself. The last five Sri Lankan batsmen stuck it
out gamely, provided 130 runs and kept England roasting in the sun for
well over three hours. Number one spin bowler in the world Graeme Swann
who went wicket less in the first innings redeemed himself capturing 6
for 82 to bring England back into the game.
SCORECARD
SRI LANKA 1ST INNINGS: 318
(M. Jayawardene 180, J. Anderson 5-72, S. Patel 2-27)
ENGLAND 1ST INNINGS: 193
(I. Bell 52, S. Broad 28, R. Herath 6-74, S. Randiv 2-26)
SRI LANKA 2ND INNINGS
(overnight 84-5):
L. Thirimanne b Swann 06
T. Dilshan b Broad 00
K. Sangakkara c Bell b Swann 14
M. Jayawardene c Anderson b Swann 05
T. Samaraweera st Prior b Swann 36
D. Chandimal c Pietersen b Panesar 31
S. Randiv lbw b Swann 18
P. Jayawardene not out 61
R. Herath b Swann 07
C. Welegedara c Strauss b Panesar 13
S. Lakmal run out 13
Extras: (b1, lb4, nb4, w1) 10
Total (all out, 84.3 overs) 214
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-8, 3-14, 4-41, 5-72, 6-114, 7-115, 8-127, 9-167,
10-214.
Bowling: Anderson 10.3-2-26-0, Broad 11-2-33-1 (nb4, w1), Swann
30-5-82-6, Panesar 24-6-59-2, Patel 9-4-9-0.
ENGLAND 2ND INNINGS (TARGET: 340)
A. Strauss c Dilshan b Herath 27
A. Cook c P. Jayawardene b Herath 14
J. Trott not out 40
K. Pietersen not out 29
Extras: (lb1) 01
Total (for two wickets, 40 overs) 111
Fall of wickets: 1-31 (Cook), 2-48 (Strauss).
Bowling: Welegedara 5-2-16-0, Lakmal 3-1-9-0, Herath 15-3-52-2, Dilshan
9-1-14-0, Randiv 8-1-19-0. |
