COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, 21 December 2003 — Thilan Samaraweera and Mahela Jayawardene were in rampant form as they notched up centuries against a lackluster England attack on the third day of the deciding third Test yesterday.
The duo helped Sri Lanka score a formidable 563 for five at the close of play in reply to England’s modest 265. The hosts, starting the day on 264 for two, posted their second highest innings total against the tourists to establish a commanding 298-run lead.
Samaraweera and Jayawardene started cautiously, adding 70 runs during a turgid morning session, before upping the tempo during the afternoon and extending their six-hour partnership to 262 from 543 balls.
The third-wicket stand was the highest ever partnership at the Sinhalese Sports Club for any wicket and a record third-wicket stand against England, surpassing the 243 compiled by Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva at The Oval in 1998.
A weary England, who have dropped a total six catches during the Sri Lanka innings, including five during the Samaraweera-Jayawardene stand, eventually broke through in the afternoon.
Jayawardene, the more fluent of the pair, finished with 134 from 246 balls, having hit 14 fours and one six. It was his 10th Test hundred and his first for 18 months.
Samaraweera reached his third Test century soon after lunch — the previous two were also scored at the Sinhalese Sports Club — before being run out following a mix-up with Tillakaratne Dilshan. Samaraweera scored 142 from 408 deliveries, having hit 13 boundaries in a painstaking innings that spanned just over eight hours.
Jayawardene pulled a short delivery from Andrew Flintoff to Paul Collingwood at deep square to end the partnership.
England’s players, kept awake into the early hours of the morning by a noisy party at their team hotel, were frustrated by a series of dropped catches and the rejection of several close lbw appeals.
Jayawardene was dropped in the gully on 71 and at long leg off a miscued pull on 74.
The first chance was extremely difficult as Mark Butcher flung himself to his left but Ashley Giles should have pouched a relatively straightforward chance running in from the boundary. Jayawardene, on 96, was also fortunate to survive a leg-before shout off Gareth Batty off the last ball before lunch. Samaraweera should also have been caught at slip by Marcus Trescothick on 98.
Nicholson Boosts Test Hopes Against India
In Hobart, sidelined paceman Matthew Nicholson bowled his way toward a possible Test recall with four for 25 to help dismiss India for 245 in their tour match against Australia A yesterday.
India resumed on their overnight score of 37 for one in reply to Australia A’s 311 for five declared.
Australia A were 57 for three at the close of the second day’s play of the three-day match, an overall lead of 123.
Test hopefuls Michael Clarke, on 22, and Brad Hodge, on 11, were the not out batsmen. Australia’s leading pacemen Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie will miss the third Test against India starting in Melbourne on Dec. 26 because of injuries while New South Wales fast bowler Brett Lee is expected to return to the side after overcoming ankle and stomach complaints.
However, doubts over the fitness of Brad Williams after he fell heavily on his shoulder during the second Test mean Nicholson is suddenly a contender to win a place in the national side. Nicholson, who played his only Test in December 1998 against England in Melbourne, took the key wicket of India captain Saurav Ganguly for five.
India’s Test wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel, 18, made a defiant 49 to help the tourists add 83 for the last three wickets after Nicholson had cut through India’s middle order at 162 for seven. Opener Akish Chopra, who scored 46, was the only batsman in the top six to reach 40 as the side clearly missed second Test century makers Vangipurappu Laxman and Rahul Dravid, who were rested.
Sachin Tendulkar, who has made just 38 runs in three innings in the opening two Tests of the four-match series against Australia, reached 36 yesterday before he was caught in the deep by Paul Rofe after hooking a ball from Damien Wright.
