The Sunday Times on the Web Sports
28th February 1999

Front Page|
News/Comment|
Editorial/Opinion| Business| Plus |
Mirror Magazine

Home
Front Page
News/Comment
Editorial/Opinion
Business
Plus
Mirror Magazine
Contents
Presented on the World Wide Web by Infomation Laboratories (Pvt.) Ltd.

Mahela rides his luck

Asian Test Championship game between Sri Lanka and India is heading for a draw

By Marlon Fernandopulle

Twenty-one-year-old Mahela Jayawardene compiled his maiden double century in Tests as the Asian Test Championship game between Sri Lanka and India was heading for a tame draw at the end of the fourth day's play at the SSC grounds yesterday.

Sri Lanka were bowled out for 485 in reply to India's 518/7 declared. Enjoying a lead of 33 runs the visitors were 59 for 1 wicket when bad light and rain ended play with 11 overs still remaining.

Playing in only his seventh Test match, young Mahela Jayawardene showed tremendous promise as he flayed the mediocre Indian bowling attack, striking 30 boundaries and two sixes in his 465 ball knock which earned him 242 runs.

Playing on his home ground where he had scored two double hundreds in the current Premier Championship tournament, Mahela dished out an array of strokes that were perfectly placed and immaculately timed. He was not afraid to punish the loose deliveries and often chanced his arms and took the aerial route to accelarate the scoring. He made full use of some surprisingly sloppy Indian fielding that grassed as many as five catches.

The elegant right hander was last out in the Lankan innings when he offered Anil Kumble a simple return catch but not before he surpassed his previous best Test score of 167 against New Zealand.

Skipper Arjuna Ranatunge, who was unbeaten on 66, did not bat this morning due to a hamstring injury. However the skipper walked out at the fall of the seventh wicket but was out in the very first ball, caught at forward short leg.

Sri Lanka lost their last four wickets for just 19 runs as leg spinner Anil Kumble, who was wicketless after 51 overs, finished with 4 for 134 in 54.1 overs. Off spinner Harbajahn Singh extracted good turn from the docile wicket to finish with 3/127.

Lanka's task to enter the final

The latest position in the Points Table reads: Pakistan (17), India (10), and Sri Lanka (4).

As no points are awarded for the scond innings Sri Lanka will have to either beat Pakistan outright to get 12 points or draw/lose the game and obtain a minimum of seven bonus points if they are to enter the final of the championship. In order to obtain seven bonus points, Sri Lanka has to:

(1) Score 350 runs in their first innings inside 100 overs and also take 7 wickets within the 100 overs in Pakistan's first innings.or

(2) Score 300 runs in the first innings inside 100 overs and take nine wickets in Pakistan's first innings inside 100 overs

SCOREBOARD

India 1 st Innings 518/7 decl.

Sri Lanka 1 st innings ( 293/4 overnight)

M. Atapattu lbw b Nehra   06
R. Arnold run out        34
M. Jayawardene  c& b Kumble      242
(driving straight back to the bowler)
C. Hathurusinghe lbw b Prasad    14
A. de. Silva b Singh     23
A. Ranatunge ct Kanitkar b. Kumble       66
(playing forward ct. at forward short leg)
H. Tilekaratne st. Mongia b Singh        14
R. Kaluwitharana  b Singh        23
(attempted pull over mid wicket)
C. Vaas ct Lakshman b Kumble     23
(attempted off drive,thin edge to 1 st slip)
E. Upashantha lbw b Kumble       06
(playing back,wrapped on the pads)
R. Perera not out        01

Extras: (b-1,lb-19,w-4,nb-9) 33

Total: (for 10 wkts. in 159.1 overs) 485

Fall of wickets :1-18,2-93,3-129,4-178,5-354,6-390,7-466,8-466,9-484

Bowling: V. Prasad 31-6-94-1; A Nehera 28-4-94-1; A Kumble 54.1-10-134-4; H. Singh40-9-127-3; S Tendulkar 5-0-16-0; S. Ganguly 1-1-0-0.

India 2 nd Innings

S. Ramesh ct Tilekaratne b Upashantha    30
(drove on the front foot,ct at short extra cover)
V. Lakshman not out      17
S. Ganguly not out       7

Extras: (w-1,nb-4) 5

Total: (for 1 wkt in 13.3 overs) 59

Fall of wickets: 1-59

Bowling: C. Vaas 7-1-23-0; R. Perera 4-0-31-0; E. Upashantha 2.3-2-5-1.


Test discards shine

By Saif Izzadeen

A solid unbeaten 55 by Sri Lanka discard Roshan Mahanama was a welcome sight as rain and bad light saw most of the Premier Inter-Club cricket matches been curtalied on the second day's play yesterday.

At Maitland Place two well compiled half centuries by Naveed Nawaz (72) and Asela Pathirana (73) helped NCC to make a commanding 307 for 9 against Wattala Antonian SC at which stage play was called off due bad light.

At Maitland Crecent, CCC helped by three sparkling knocks by Bradman Ediriweera (103), former Sri Lanka wicket keeper Lanka de Silva (95) and Hemantha Boteju (72 n.o) piled up 315 for 5 dec.

At Reid Avenue two Test discards - Champaka Ramanayake (50) and Roshan Mahanama (55n.o) - shone with the bat as Bloomfield, replying to Galle CC's 152, made 111 for 4.

At the P.Sara Stadium Tamil Union helped by an unbeaten 95 by Saman Kumara were 192 for 4 in reply to Singha SC's first innings score of 185 all out.

At Maitland Crecent - CCC vs Matara SC

CCC - (227 for 4 overnight) 315 for 5 dec in 79 overs (Bradman Ediriweera 103, Lanka de Silva 95, Hemantha Boteju 72 n.o)

Matara SC - 134 for 5 in 54.3overs (Pulasthi Rangana 76)

At Maitland place - NCC vs Wattala Antonian SC

NCC - 307 for 9 (Pradeep Hewage 26, Naveed Nawaz 72, Chinthaka Jayasinghe 18, Kumara Sangakkara 21, Anil Reddegamagedera 34, Swanji Madanayake 26, Asela Pathirana 73; Krishan Dharmasena 3 for 65, Charaka Silva 2 for 37, Udaya Hettiarachchi 2 for 43)

At Reid Avenue - Bloomfield vs Galle CC

Galle CC - (61 for 4 overnight) 152 all out in 84 overs (T.Sudarshana 26, C.Fernando 22, Champaka Ramanayake 50, Hemantha Alles 46; Kumara.Dharmasena 3 for 30, Priyankara Wickremasinghe 2 for 44)

Bloomfield - 11 for 4 in 32.4 overs (Sajeeka Abeynayake 17, Roshan Mahanama 55 n.o; J.C.Gamage 2 for 21) At P.Sara Stadium - Tamil Union vs Singha SC

Singha SC - (134 for 7 overnight) 185 all out (H.Premasiri 30, S.Sanjeewa 27; U.Chandana 4 for 65, D.Rajapaske 3 for 17)

Tamil Union - 192 for 4 (Saman Kumara 95 n.o, N.Weeraman 34, Upul.Chandana 26; Saman Jayantha 3 for 34)


More Sports

Return to Sports Contents

Sports Archive

Front Page| News/Comment| Editorial/Opinion| Business| Plus | Mirror Magazine

Hosted By LAcNet

Please send your comments and suggestions on this web site to

The Sunday Times or to Information Laboratories (Pvt.) Ltd.