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Sangakkara and Herath boost Sri Lankan hopes
Callistus Davy reporting from Darwin
Left arm spinner Rangana Herath bowled himself into contention as the first choice spinner in the absence of Muttiah Muralitheran for the first cricket Test against Australia with a haul of four wickets as Sri Lanka showed positive signs of strangling the Northern Territory Chief Minister's X1 on the third day of their four-day match here at the Marrara oval in Darwin yesterday.

As the pitch appeared to get slower, Herath could have been the most pleased bowler visibly enjoying himself by picking up his first two wickets in successive balls which included the prized scalp of Test player Justin Langer who was bowed for a first-ball duck after overnight batsman Kumar Sangakkara reached 203 and Sri Lanka declared at 378 for 7 in reply to the home side's total of 419.

Langer who made 151 in the first innings, batted in the middle order and could not believe his eyes when a ball from Herath kept low and bowled him on the back foot. The host team eventually made a surprise decision to declare at 145 for 9 leaving Sri Lanka a 179-target. In chasing the target Sanath Jayasuriya was bowled with the total at six after he exposed his leg stump to glance a ball from paceman Glenn McGrath.

But Herath was easily the star of the day as he picked up four wickets to lift up team morale ahead of the first Test. "Without (Muttiah) Muralitheran in the team I have to be more than a hundred percent confident. I think with these four wickets I could live up to the challenge and do something for the team. I'm pleased with the work-out in the second innings", said Herath who has played just four Tests.

Lasith Malinga, who is nudging the selectors to make his debut, bowled what would have been the quickest over of the day in his first over of the second innings and was rewarded with the scalp of opener Ashley Williams who was caught behind by a diving Romesh Kaluwitharana for 23.

With six wickets in the first innings the 20-year old Malinga who hails from the village of Ratgama in Galle has compelled the selectors to do some extra home-work when deciding on whom to pick to join Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa for the first Test.

His skidding type of bowling action has already put him alongside Fervez Maharoof and Dilhara Fernando in competing for a place in the Test side. Sangakkara had the honour of making the first double hundred on Australia's latest Test venue when he adventurously but recklessly raced to 203 from his overnight score of 163 before Sri Lanka declared 41 runs behind the home team's first innings total. Sri Lanka need a further 173 runs to win with nine wickets in hand.

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