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| Sunday, 16 May 2004 |
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Atapattu (202), Sangakkara (186) in triple century partnership Massacre of the innocents at Bulawayo Sa'adi Thawfeeq reporting from Zimbabwe BULAWAYO, May 15 - Sri Lanka skipper Marvan Atapattu scored his sixth Test double century and his third against Zimbabwe to guide his team to an impregnable position on the second day of the second cricket Test against Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club grounds here today. On a day when several batting records tumbled, Atapattu and Kumar Sangakkara waded into the hapless Zimbabwean bowling on a placid batting track to post an imposing second day total of 443 for one wicket by the close. Zimbabwe was dismissed on the first day for 228 and are already in arrears in the first innings by 215 runs. Both batsmen made centuries, Atapattu 202 not out, his 14th Test century overall and third in consecutive Tests and Sangakkara 186 not out, his fifth Test hundred and his first in four years. The pair have so far figured in a second wicket partnership worth 343 runs in 310 minutes, which is only the second highest all-time wicket partnership for Sri Lanka after their world record second wicket stand of 576 between Sanath Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama against India at the R. Premadasa Stadium in 1997-98. Their partnership also broke the highest ever for Sri Lanka against Zimbabwe for any wicket beating the 217 for the second wicket by Sanjeeva Ranatunga and Asanka Gurusinha at Harare in 1994-95. Atapattu and Sangakkara made runs at a cracking pace with 425 runs runs being scored in one day off 90 overs at the rate of 4.72 runs per over after Sri Lanka had resumed the second day at 18 for no loss. By Test match standards it was quite a brisk run rate, which only the Australians are capable of matching. By stumps Atapattu had batted for 441 minutes, faced 280 balls and hit 30 fours and one six. His sixth double century in Test cricket brought him level in third place with Pakistan's Javed Miandad in the all-time list. The great Don Bradman leads the list with 12 double hundreds followed by Wally Hammond and Brian Lara with seven apiece. Previously Atapattu had scored 223 and 216 (n.o) against Zimbabwe (see table below). It was also Atapattu's second consecutive century of the series after being officially appointed Test captain. He scored 170 in the first Test at Harare a week ago. Sangakkara has so far batted for 310 minutes and faced 248 balls hitting 28 fours and two sixes. Since scoring his first Test double century (230) in the Asian Test championship final against Pakistan at Lahore in 2001/02, Sangakkara has failed to score a hundred in 30 Test innings. His best effort in that period was 89 against South Africa at the Centurion in 2002-03. Overall it was his fifth hundred in 38th Tests and the second against Zimbabwe having scored 128 at the SSC in 2001-02. There was nothing on the pitch for the bowlers and Zimbabwe only made matters worse for themselves by spilling the catches that came their way. Sangakkara was dropped before he had scored off the third ball when Panyangara at extra cover put down a 'sitter' off Nkala. Atapattu was let off thrice after passing 150. Substitute Keith Dabengwa dropped him at mid on off Nkala at 153 and one run later, Mpariwa missed a return catch. Then at 184, Taylor missed him at square leg off Hondo. Atapattu, as the perfectionist and Sangakkara, with all grace and style taught the Zimbabweans a lesson in batting as they increased the tempo in the final session scoring 173 runs off 33 overs, flaying the bowling to all parts of the ground. Zimbabwe's only success of the day came soon after the first drinks break of the day when Jayasuriya went edging a catch behind the wicket to Nkala for 48 after posting the third consecutive century opening partnership with Atapattu. In the first Test at Harare this pair had added 281. The free scoring left-hander was kept tied down by some tight bowling which didn't allow him to score his first boundary until he had batted for 83 minutes and 60 balls. It seemed as if the Zimbabwean bowlers had done their homework on him and rarely fed him with his favourite area for the square cut. Jayasuriya hit a couple of them through the offside but he didn't look totally in command as he had during his century at Harare. He was lucky not to have got a touch to a splendid delivery in Mpariwa's first over in Test cricket, but eventually fell to another ball which left him off Nkala, two short of his 29th Test fifty. Jayasuriya batted 128 minutes and hit six fours facing 95 balls. Sri Lanka won the first Test by an innings and 240 runs at Harare and lead the two-match series 1-0. MARVAN ATAPATTU'S LIST OF DOUBLE CENTURIES (6) 223 v Zimbabwe at Kandy, 1997-98 216* v Zimbabwe at Bulawayo, 1999-00 207* v Pakistan at Kandy, 2000 201* v England at Galle, 2000-01 201* v Bangladesh at SSC, 2001-02 201* v Zimbabwe at Bulawayo, 2003-04 Zimbabwe first innings 228 (D.Ebrahim 70) Sri Lanka first inning (overnight 18-0) M.Atapattu not out 202 S.Jayasuriya c Taibu b Nkala 48 K.Sangakkara not out 186 Extras (nb-5 w-2) 7 Total (for one wicket, 103 overs) 443 Fall of wicket: 1-100 To bat: M.Jayawardene, T.Dilshan, T.Samaraweera, P.Jayawardene, C.Vaas, N.Zoysa, M.Muralitharan, F.Maharoof Bowling (to date): Hondo 21-4-86-0 (nb-3), Panyangara 19-3-92-0 (nb-1 w-1), Mupariwa 23-3-95-0 (nb-1), Nkala 23-3-69-1 (w-1), Chigumbura 12-1-67-0, Matsikenyeri 4-1-29-0, Vermeulen 1-0-5-0. |
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