| Can the
spirited Lankans make a match of it?
(Daminda Wijesuriya reporting
from Lords)
Sri Lankan batsmen staged a spirited display in their second innings
to score 183 for three, at stumps on the third day, yesterday, of
the first cricket test against England, being played at Lords. The
visitors, all out for 192 in the first innings in reply to England's
mammoth 551 for six, are yet to make 176 runs to make England bat
again.
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| Sri Lanka's captain Mahela Jayawardene hits a four off a ball
from England's captainAndrew Flintoff during the third day of
their first test cricket match at Lord's yesterday.-REUTERS |
Young Upul Tharanga and Kumar Sangakkara put a
record partnership for the second wicket and lifted the total from
10 for one to 119 for two in the second innings. However England’s
new found left arm spinner for England, Monty Paneser, got the breakthrough
that England looking for more than two and half hours.
Tharanga reached his fifty in 115 balls with seven hits to the rope,
gave a thick edge to wicket keeper Gerient Jones before Mahela Jayawardane
joined his deputy. Sangakkara, showing signs that he will be a better
number three, completed his half century without any discomfort.
The stylish left hander too departed in the similar fashion, with
eight overs to stumps, as Tharanga departed. In his 225 minutes
stay in the crease, Sangakkara faced 156 balls while sending six
of them past the rope.
Skipper Mahela Jayawardane is at the crease with a very broad bat
in his hand and there are two more front line batsmen waiting in
the dressing room for their turn.
England was in a commanding position by lunch yesterday as Sri Lanka
all out for 192. Resuming the innings at six for 91 in the morning,
visitors added 101 for the last four wickets. Chaminda Vaas (31)
and Nuwan Kulasekara (29) stood across the four pronged English
pace attack to collect 61 runs for eighth wicket Andrew Strauss
dropped Vaas on 13 off Liam Plunkett when the total was on 151.
That will come to the frame only if England has to bat again to
score less than 40 runs to win or a draw, which is far but not impossible.
Jayawardane batted absolutely well under the conditions, despite
the hosts were feeding him on his leg stump. The skipper showed
great courage and temperament but ran short of partners. Jayewardene's168
minutes stay in the crease fetched his 29th test half century in
102 balls and the stylish right hander it nine boundaries before
his departure from the crease.
English bowlers handled the shining red 'Duke' ball much better
than Sri Lankans did. They extracted a vicious swing apart from
the speed they generated on the conditions where Sri Lankans were
total mismatch.
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