Shameful Sri Lanka capitulate again to pace
(01-03 15:49)
Stand-in Lahiru Thirimanne missed a century as Sri Lanka slumped to 294 all out at the third cricket test against Australia today.
Thirimanne, who only arrived in Australia this week to cover for the injured Kumar Sangakkara, threw away his chance in Sydney of a first test hundred, AFP reports.
Mahela Jayawardene scored his first away Test 50 in more than three years but was caught at slip on 72.
Sri Lanka, coming after a humiliating innings and 201-run defeat in Melbourne to lose the series, showed greater resolve this time around, but were all in the pavilion before stumps on the opening day with paceman Jackson Bird taking four for 41 off 19.4 overs.
Thirimanne reached his highest test score after he was given out leg before wicket to Bird for no score before the dismissal was overturned on review. He also had a life on 65 when put down by wicketkeeper Matthew Wade off spinner Nathan Lyon, but with a century in sight off 151 balls, tossed away his wicket on 91. His flashing miscue off Lyon was brilliantly caught by David Warner diving full length at cover point. Thirimanne trudged from the wicket shaking his head as he watched his dismissal on the large screen.
Jayawardene earlier steadied Sri Lanka after the loss of both openers before lunch.
The last time Jayawardene had passed 50 in an away test was way back in November 2009 in India, although he has continued to score heavily at home. He went 26 innings outside Sri Lanka without a half-century.
It was a more confident Jayawardene than seen in the Hobart and Melbourne tests and he faced 110 balls in 154 minutes before he was snapped up by Michael Clarke at slip off Mitchell Starc in the 43rd over.
Starc had a few anxious moments when New Zealand umpire Tony Hill checked for an overstepping no-ball. But replays showed that Starc's heel was just behind the popping crease before he dragged it forward and the dismissal was confirmed.
Bird snared the wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne in the eighth over but Australia had to wait until 20 minutes before lunch for a second, with the dismissal of Tillakaratne Dilshan.
Karunaratne was out to a poor shot, attempting to pull Bird but only getting a top edge that was safely caught by Mike Hussey, playing in his 79th and last Test match. Dilshan was caught behind off Bird for 34.
Thilan Samaraweera went leg before wicket to Peter Siddle for 12. Angelo Mathews put on 55 runs for the fifth wicket with Thirimanne before he edged Starc to Hussey at second slip for 15.
Left-armer Starc yorked Dinesh Chandimal with the first ball of the second new ball for 24 late in the day.
Skipper Clarke had looked for a quick return on a bold toss decision to bowl on a green-tinged pitch, after going into the match with four quicks for the first time since the third test against India in Perth a year ago.
|
|
|
|
