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Sangakkara on song
Monday, 25 July 2005 - 1:45 AM SL Time
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Kumar Sangakkara smashed a brilliant unbeaten 135 as Sri Lanka increased their overall lead to 342 by batting through the entire third day of the first cricket test against the West Indies while making 340 for 7 in the second innings in Kandy here yesterday.
Sangakkara who began the day on 46 as the locals resumed on 146 for 2, held centre stage on a day interrupted several times by intermittent rains, and remained undefeated at the end having scored 19 boundaries in a six and half hour stay at the wicket that held the local innings together and prevented another collapse.
By stumps on the previous day, Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena were shaping up nicely for a big partnership having lifted the score to 146 from a troublesome 57 for 2, but West Indian paceman Jermaine Lawson struck a decisive double blow in the second over of the morning to stifle Sri Lanka.
Jayawardena and Tilan Samaraweera were dismissed within three balls by Lawson after the wet ground conditions caused by overnight rains delayed the start by nearly two hours.
Lawson got the third ball of the morning`s second over to cut back sharply and Jayawardena was beaten by the pace and the line of a ball that kept lower than anticipated to be bowled. Jayawardena was on 43 in a two hour stay that included six boundaries. Jayawardena and Sangakkara had added 98 for the third wicket in 29 overs.
Samaraweera also received a sharp cutter which he flicked as it went past him at an angle to be caught behind down the leg side before he opened his account.
Just 40 minutes from the start, the grey skies which were always threatening to open out, finally delivered and play had to be stopped while the umpires decided to use the break for lunch.
Sangakkara found a reliable ally in Tillekaratne Dilshan and began consolidating after the early blow, but within an hour from the resumption from the first rain interruption, the match had to be stopped again due to rain. This time the umpires decided to use the break for tea.
In the final session, which was the longest for the day, Sangakkara and Dilshan dominated the West Indian bowling. Sangakkara reached his century in the 200 th ball he faced with his 14th boundary of the innings through fine leg. This was Sangakkara`s eighth century of his 47-match test career, but it elicited an excessively animated celebration from the dashing left hander as it marked a special occasion being his first test century at Asgiriya, the ground which belongs to his school Trinity and where he played his initial cricket as a schoolboy.
Scoreboard
Sri Lanka 1st innings: 150
West Indies 1st innings: 148
Sri Lanka 2nd innings (overnight 146-2):
S. Jayasuriya c Morton b Lawson
36
M. Atapattu c Banks b Powell
19
K. Sangakkara not out
135
M. Jayawardena b Lawson
43
T. Samaraweera c Ramdin b Lawson
0
T. Dilshan c Morton b Banks
49
G. Wijekoon b Powell
12
C. Vaas b Banks
19
R. Herath not out
4
Extras: (b4, lb5, nb8, w6)
23
Total (for seven wickets)
340
Fall of wickets: 1-55, 2-57, 3-155, 4-155, 5-264, 6-278, 7-321
Bowling: Powell 27-4-79-2, Lawson 25-1-93-3, Best 19-2-79-0, Banks 16-5-39-2, Deonarine 3-0-13-0, Morton 5-0-15-0, Chanderpaul 3-1-13-0
Overs: 98
Sri Lanka lead by 342 runs with three wickets in hand
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