The Hindu : Langer-Katich combine revels

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 28, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Langer-Katich combine revels

Australia: 401 & 375

Sri Lanka: 407 & 18 for no loss

COLOMBO, MARCH 27. Justin Langer scored 166 and shared a 218-run partnership with Simon Katich before Australia was dismissed for 375 in its second innings on Saturday, setting Sri Lanka 370 to win the third and final cricket Test. Sri Lanka was 18 without loss at stumps, still needing 352 to win.

Sanath Jayasuriya — who belted Michael Kasprowicz for three consecutive boundaries — was unbeaten on 13 and Marvan Atapattu on five.

Langer dragged a ball from Chaminda Vaas onto his stumps to end the sixth-wicket stand and Muttiah Muralitharan trapped Katich lbw for 86 to move level with Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne on 513 career Test wickets, six behind the world record held by Courtney Walsh.

Left-arm orthodox bowler Rangana Herath had Warne (0) caught at first slip and took a return catch from Brad Williams (2) as the Australians lost their last four wickets for 24 runs. Adam Gilchrist remained unbeaten on 31, including two towering sixes in one over of Herath, who returned four for 92.

Muralitharan had five for 123 in Australia's first innings and three for 93 in the second, giving him 28 wickets for the series. Warne, with one innings to bowl, has 22 for the series.

Australia needed 10 wickets to become the first touring team to sweep a three-Test series in Sri Lanka after winning by 197 runs at Galle and 27 runs last week in Kandy.

Sri Lanka faced five overs on Saturday and has three sessions to play on Sunday.

The record highest winning run chase in a fourth innings at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground was Sri Lanka's 326 for five against Zimbabwe in 1997.

Langer overcame cramps that forced him to use a runner and more than doubled his accumulated 75 runs in five previous innings this tour before he was out with the total at 316, ending his innings-saving partnership with Katich in the 93rd over.

Langer resumed on Saturday on 29 and with Australia on 80 for three. The Australians slipped to a precarious 98 for five after Herath and Muralitharan took a wicket each to remove Damien Martyn (5) and Darren Lehmann (1).

He belted 14 boundaries and two sixes and notched his 18th Test hundred, while Katich faced 214 balls before he was adjudged lbw to Muralitharan. It was Katich's fourth 50 in four Tests. — AP

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