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Set for the Kill !
Dilshan’s ton puts Lanka on top
By Aubrey Kuruppu
At the close of an absorbing fourth day's play in the second test match at the Asgiriya Stadium, England needed a further 279 runs with seven wickets standing to win and go one up in the series. However, history seems to be against them, as the highest total they have made in the fourth innings to win is 332-7. And that was way back in 1928!

Sri Lanka need another eight wickets in three sessions to go one up in the Test series against England while the visitors need another 279 runs with eight wickets in hand to pull off an unlikely victory.

This was the situation at the end of the fourth day's play in the Second Test at Asgiriya with England reaching 89 for 2 at close of play. England skipper Vaughan was unbeaten on 50 while former skipper Nasser Hussain was not out on 17. Sri Lanka will look for an early breakthrough today so that this game will not end up on a repetition of the Galle game. If they get the breakthrough Sri Lanka will be set for the kill.

England's start to their second innings was tinged with causation. There was no free-flowing shot-making as on the second evening. Trescothick played a couple of attacking shots before cutting at Vaas without any movement of the feet and edging to Jayawardena. Butcher never looked comfortable and was but a shadow of the 'Galle Butcher'. He dragged his back over the line and wasn't quite able to get it back before Sangakkara performed the last rites.

Hussain has lived dangerously at times while Vaughan has been very solid, having as he does a load of responsibility on his shoulders. Muralitharan continues to be the danger man with his sharp spin and that mystery delivery.

Things didn't go Sri Lanka's way early morning, as Kirtley produced three good overs to begin with. To his frustration, he had a very good shout for a catch behind the wicket off Sangakkara negatived by Harper. The bowler then decided to do things himself and bowled Jayawardena through the 'gate' via the edge: a not unfamiliar mode of dismissal for Jayasuriya. He was playing a bit out of character and his attempted square cuts never made contact with the ball.

The only bowler who seemed capable of stemming the flow of runs was Flintoff. His duel with Dilshan was most absorbing. On 29, Dilshan slammed Flintoff first beyond Collingwood's reach at cover. Two balls later he hooked him for a mighty six over square leg. However rather disconcertingly Dilshan showed a tendency to keep his bat above his head, periscope style, when ducking Flintoff's bouncers.

Read missed stumping Dilshan off Batty when the batsman was on 29 and this proved to be a crucial and costly lapse. Batty bowled a tighter line later on. But Dilshan kept moving away and dabbing him through the vacant gully area. In fact, he got to his 50 with a similar shot. His half century came off 61 balls and included 8 fours and a six.

Dilshan and Jayawardena continued in the same vein after lunch, Mahela duly reached his 19th half century in tests, and his knock included four fours. Dilshan went up to his hundred in a mere 127 balls. This was from a batsman who was not considered good enough for the World Cup! His knock included 13 fours and a six in his pulverising effort. Dilshan came out to Batty and was stumped while Jayawardena looked out at Flintoff and dragged him on.

Tillekeratne stuck to the same order but had obviously ordered more attacking batting. He set the tone by making a quick 20. Vaas followed his example and included a mighty six over mid wicket off Giles. Samaraweera's footwork was a delight and his stroke-making very fluid. England's bowlers all tried hard on an unresponsive wicket, with Flintoff possibly the only one to contain the Sri Lankan batsman even to a limited extent.

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