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| Sunday, 13 January 2002 |
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Zimbabwe enjoy best day in the series - restrict Lanka to 243/6 by SA'ADI THAWFEEQ Galle, January 12 - Outplayed in all departments in the series so far, Zimbabwe cricketers enjoyed their best day when they captured six Sri Lanka wickets for 243 runs at the end of the first day of the third and final cricket Test at the Galle International Stadium here today. On a bland and sluggish pitch which hardly encouraged stroke play, Sri Lanka's batsmen struggled to get the ball off the square. Only two batsmen went over the fifty mark - Mahela Jayawardene (76) and Marvan Atapattu (50) and Russel Arnold made 40. The rest of the batsmen with the exception of Hashan Tillakaratne, got starts but were frustrated by the lack of pace and bounce on the pitch and committed themselves to their own downfall. Sanath Jayasuriya won his first toss of the series and chose to bat first, but after a half-century stand with Atapattu he played on to a delivery from Travis Friend with his score on 28. Atapattu was unfortunate to be caught at forward short leg when he pulled Grant Flower and the ball lodged in the arms of Gavin Rennie who was celebrating his 26th birthday today. Atapattu made his runs in 162 minutes off 116 balls stroking four fours in reaching his tenth Test fifty. Jayawardene began briskly but mistimed many of his shots as he found the ball hardly coming onto the bat. He took three fours in a Heath Streak over, but after reaching his 14th Test fifty he played too early to give Grant Flower an easy return catch. Jayawardene batted 133 minutes and faced 129 balls hitting nine fours. The nearest he came to getting out was at the start of his innings when on four he lofted Douglas Marillier to mid-on where skipper Stuart Carlisle leapt in the air but got only his finger tips to the ball as it went over his head to the boundary. Off spinner Marillier who had looked pretty ordinary in the series, picked up the wickets of Kumar Sangakkara for 29, and Hashan Tillakaratne for three. Both batsmen were dismissed attempting sweep shots. Sangakkara trying to sweep from off stump was bowled and, Tillakaratne gloved a catch behind the wicket to give wicket-keeper Andy Flower his 150th victim in Test cricket. The second new ball taken after 85 overs, accounted for Russel Arnold's wicket for 40. The tall left-hander went for an ambitious drive to a ball wide off stump and only succeeded in edging a catch behind the wicket. It was not totally an irresponsible stroke, coming 15 minutes before the close. Arnold who survived a drop catch at slip by Craig Wishart at 32 off Grant Flower, batted the longest of the batsmen today, using up 165 minutes, hitting a solitary four in his 112-ball innings. Jayawardene and Arnold produced the best partnership of the innings adding 97 for the fourth wicket in 116 minutes. Spinners Marillier and Grant Flower shared four wickets which gave an indication how the pitch is going to play for the next few days. Sri Lanka made one change to their side including leg-spinner Upul Chandana for fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa. Zimbabwe also made one change with opener Dion Abraham replacing Hamilton Masakadza, who has gone to New Zealand to represent his country in the under 19 World Cup. SRI LANKA - 1ST INNINGS
M. Atapattu c Rennie b G. Flower 50
S. Jayasuriya b Friend 28
K. Sangakkara b Marillier 29
M. Jayawardene c and b G. Flower 76
R. Arnold c A. Flower b Streak 40
H. Tillakaratne c A. Flower b Marillier 3
T. Samaraweera not out 8
C. Vaas not out 2
EXTRAS: (LB-4, NB-3) 7
TOTAL: (6 wkts at close, 90 overs) 243
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-50, 2-107, 3-125, 4-222, 5-229, 6-236.
TO BAT: U. Chandana, B. Fernando, M. Muralitharan.
BOWLING: Streak 19-6-57-1 (3nb), Friend 13-3-31-1,
Olonga 8-1-30-0, G.Flower 25-5-57-2,
Marillier 21-4-48-2, Gripper 4-0-16-0.
ZIMBABWE: T. Gripper, D. Ebrahim, S. Carlisle, G. Rennie,
A. Flower, G.Flower, C. Wishart, H. Streak,
D. Marillier, T. Friend, H. Olonga.
UMPIRES: T.H. Wijewardene (Sri Lanka) and
D.R. Shepherd (England),
TV umpire: G. Silva (Sri Lanka),
Match Referee: C.M. Smith (West Indies).
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