Atapattu proves a point

Atapattu makes stylish 56

Veteran Sanath Jayasuriya made full use of the lean Cricket Australia Chairman's XI attack to sneak out of his bad patch with a typically blistering knock of 154 runs at the Adelaide Oval here today. Sri Lanka made 335 for 4 in 86.1 overs before rain halted play.

Jayasuriya who hit six sixes and 16 fours in his 153 ball stay also put on an impressive 195 run stand for the first wicket with the last minute inclusion of former skipper Marvan Atapattu who made a patient 56 runs to seal his claim as an opener for the first Test a week hence. Tentative Atapattu batted for 171 minutes facing 140 balls and hit six fours.

With this knock Atapattu made sure that he acknowledged Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge’s decision to include him over the selectors’ attempt to leave him out of the tour. This will also mean that struggling opener Upul Tharanga will find it hard to stake a claim for his place as an opener in the first Test on November 8 at the Gabba.

Adding further woes to Tharanga’s place was the third opener Michael Van Dort who also helped himself to a self satisfying 55 made in 172 balls. Vice captain Kumar Sangakkara gave the visitors a bit of a scare when he retired on one with a hamstring pain, but, it was later revealed the it was only a mild one. The other Lankan concern was when skipper Mahela Jayawardena has an eight ball duck popping one back to spinner Heal.

At the end of the day there was another happy man in the Lankan dressing room. It was middle order batsman Tilan Samaraweera who also had rather a raw deal at the hands of the selectors coming back with a good unbeaten half century when rain halted play after the first ball of the 87th over when Van Dort was out. Earlier bad light halted play for a short while and the game resumed under floodlights. Samaraweera in his unbeaten knock hit seven fours facing a century of balls.