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Wednesday, Jun 27, 2007
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Sport - Cricket

Lankan batsmen make merry

STANDING TALL: Comeback man Michael Vandort grabbed his chance to notch up his third Test hundred.

COLOMBO: Four batsmen scored centuries as Sri Lanka tightened the screws on Bangladesh in the first cricket Test here on Tuesday.

Maiden Test hundreds by Prasanna Jayawardene and veteran seamer Chaminda Vaas capped a solid batting display by the host, while captain Mahela Jayawardene and opener Michael Vandort also reached three figures.

Having bundled out Bangladesh for 89 on the opening day, Sri Lanka piled up 577 for six in its first innings before declaring 15 minutes before close on the second day.

Bangladesh, trailing by 488 runs, safely negotiated three overs to finish the day on three for no loss.

Sri Lanka’s run deluge left Bangladesh facing an uphill struggle to avoid defeat in the first of three Test matches on its five-week tour.

Runs came easily against the tiring Bangladesh attack that lacked the firepower to trouble the batsmen on the easy-paced wicket at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

It was Sri Lanka’s highest total against Bangladesh, surpassing its 555 for five declared when the two sides met for the first time in September 2001.

Bangladesh was frustrated by an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 223 between Prasanna Jayawardene and Vaas after Sri Lanka was restricted to 354 for six in the post-lunch session.

Record stand

The partnership was Sri Lanka’s best ever for the seventh wicket, easily surpassing the 194 between Hashan Tillakaratne and Thilan Samaraweera against India in 2001.

Prasanna Jayawardene, the team’s wicketkeeper after Kumar Sangakkara preferred to play as a specialist batsman, compiled his first century in only his 10th Test.

Mahela Jayawardene declared the innings soon after Vaas, a veteran of 97 matches, got his maiden ton.

Earlier, left-handed Vandort, a late replacement for the injured Upul Tharanga, hit 117 with the help of nine boundaries and three sixes.

Mahela Jayawardene, who had retired hurt the previous day on 93 due to leg cramps, returned at the fall of Vandort’s wicket before lunch and duly completed his 17th Test century.

He became Sri Lanka’s second-highest scorer with 6,416 runs in 86 Tests, behind Sanath Jayasuriya’s record tally of 6,791. — AFP

SCOREBOARD Bangladesh — 1st innings: 89.

Sri Lanka — 1st innings: M. Vandort c Nafees b Rafique 117, M. Warnapura lbw b Hossain 0, K. Sangakkara c Mashud b Hossain 6, M. Jayawardene c Razzak b Mortaza 127, C. Silva c Mortaza b Razzak 1, T. Dilshan (run out) 79, P. Jayaw ardene (not out) 120, C. Vaas (not out) 100; Extras: (b-6, lb-7, nb-12, w-2) 27; Total (for six wkts. decl. in 135.5 overs) 577.

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-14, 3-187, 4-304, 5-320, 6-354.