| Lasith Malinga
claims stake for second test
(Daminda Wijesuriya reporting
from Hove)
Sri Lanka opted to bat again in their four day tour match, being
played at Hove, despite having a lead of 259 runs. The hosts were
bowled out for 262 runs and visitors were one for five in their
second innings, as bad light stopped play with 19 overs to be bowled.
Sri Lankans failed to stop debutant Oliver Rayner, who scored his
maiden first class century. Playing with only three front line bowlers,
Sri Lanka struggled despite using eight bowlers, with three part
timers operating.
Twenty year old Rayner became the fifth batsman to score a first
class hundred on début for Sussex and the first since K.A.
Higgs's 101 against Worcestershire in 1920, at Hove.
Rayner, playing as an all rounder, can definitely bat better than
he bowls. The tall off spinner who conceded 115 runs in 30 overs,
made the highest score for the home side in 181 minutes, facing
133 balls. He negotiated with Malinga's express deliveries well
with his height and hit 12 boundaries and a giant six off Tilan
Samaraweera.
Lasith Malinga, claimed five for 79 in 21.5 overs. However after
being placed at 6 for 98, Sussex recovered to 262 all out, with
three useful partnerships for 7th, 8th and 9th wickets, which totalled
163 runs.
Skipper Mahela Jayawardane tried out his two part time off spinners,
Jehan Mubarak and Tilan Samaraweera, on a favourable wicket but
none of them put their hands up.
All that Sri Lanka wanted is to do in this match was test their
three fast bowlers and give another opportunity for the young batsmen,
who couldn't make a mark at Lords Test. For Nuwan Kulasekara, it
was the number of wickets what mattered for him and certainly not
the number of runs he makes out there in the middle.
Despite Kulasekara and Nuwan Zoysa sharing five wickets amongst
them, neither of them showed anything extraordinary. Unless they
do something special in the second innings, their places in the
second test are very much in doubt.
In addition to that, Sri Lankans kept sending their reserve players
into the field. Former Sri Lanka skipper the most controversial
addition to the squad, Sanath Jayasuriya, was seen at fielding at
gully.
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