NEWS
SCHEDULES
COLUMNS
PREVIOUS TOURS
OTHER SPORTS
STATISTICS
INTERVIEWS
SLIDE SHOW
ARCHIVES

Sri Lanka 449 for 5 after record opening stand

A record 335-run opening partnership that saw Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya register centuries put Sri Lanka in command on the second day of the second cricket Test Pakistan in Kandy on Thursday.

By close of play the hosts were 449 for five, with Atapattu unconquered on 199.

Their 335-run stand was the fifth best ever, and easily broke the Sri Lankan record for first-wicket of 159 set by Sidath Wettimuny and Ravi Ratnayeke against India at Kanpur in 1986-87.

The last occasion an opening pair figured in a triple century partnership was 11 years ago when Australians Geoff Marsh and Mark Taylor put on 329 against England at Nottingham.

Both Atapattu and Jayasuriya (188) made use of some poor catching by the Pakistanis on an unhelpful pitch, to forge their big stand.

Jayasuriya, playing in his 50th Test was missed four times between 50 and 140. He notched his sixth Test cntury and his first for two years, batting for 467 minutes. He faced 357 balls and hit two sixes and 17 fours.

Jayasuriya was struck a blow on his right index finger by Waqar before he edged a catch to second slip off the following over bowled by Abdur Razzaq.

Atapattu, the passive partner, made full use of misses at 37 and 66 on the way to his fourth Test century. He has faced 450 balls and hit 19 fours and a six.

Pakistan who delayed taking the second new ball by 32 overs, struck back in the final session to claim four wickets for 33 runs, with off-spinner Arshad Khan taking three.

Abdur Razzaq dismissed Russel Arnold for 24, edging a catch to wicketkeeper Moin Khan with the score at 401, before Arshad picked up the wickets of Aravinda de Silva (0), Mahela Jayawardene (2) and Arjuna Ranatunga (6), reaping just rewards for sending down a marathon spell of 51 overs.

The destroyers of the Sri Lankan batting in the first two Tests, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis were wicketless after bowling 43 overs between them.

Pakistan hold an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Agencies