Columbo Test - Day 3

[Rachael]

So... can the Aussies do it? The cricinfo bulletin at lunch notes:

"Jason Gillespie rebounded after his two wayward spells on Thursday to peg back Sri Lanka on the third morning. Gillespie snapped up two wickets in his first over - Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan - and Michael Kasprowicz cleaned up Marvan Atapattu soon after. Hashan Tillakaratne (31 not out) and Thilan Samaraweera (28 not out) consolidated afterwards, but it was still Australia's morning as Sri Lanka reached 308 for 5 at lunch.

Atapattu worked a single off his pads on the first ball, but Gillespie found his range with his third delivery, a legcutter that caught Jayawardene on the crease and found the outside edge, to gift Adam Gilchrist a low catch. Jayawardene had not added to his overnight 29. Next ball, Gillespie conjured up an even better ball, a jaffa that was angled in, pitched on the stumps but held its line and shaved the top of Dilshan's off peg (240 for 4).

Gillespie might have also dismissed Atapattu, a thick edge perfectly bisecting the wicketkeeper and a wide first slip. But the let-off was not costly as Michael Kasprowicz was finally rewarded for his honest toil when Atapattu chopped an inswinger onto his stumps. "

Since then there has just been the following:

98.6 Gillespie to Samaraweera, OUT: brilliant catch! short delivery
angling down the leg side, Samaraweera moves across and tries to
play it away but only manages to get an edge wide of the keeper,
Gilchrist moves across quickly, dives full length to his left and
takes a blinder

Sri Lanka 327/6, Partnership of 71
TT Samaraweera c Gilchrist b Gillespie 41 (84b 8x4 0x6)

Situation right now: Australia 401 - Sri Lanka 372/6 (109.2 ov)
Sri Lanka trail by 29 runs with 4 wickets remaining in the 1st innings

[Rachael]

From cricinfo:

112.1 Warne to Vaas, OUT: gone! throws away his wicket! flighted delivery, pitched outside the off stump and turning in, Vaas comes down the track and has a wild swing, misses the target by miles and gets bowled, Warne gets one

Sri Lanka 378/7, Partnership of 51
WPUJC Vaas b Warne 24 (31b 5x4 0x6)
HP Tillakaratne 59* (151b 9x4) SK Warne 28.1-5-99-1

[Rachael]

From cricinfo:

113.1 Lehmann to Zoysa, OUT: Lehmann strikes! good delivery outside the off stump, draws Zoysa forward and beats him, Gilchrist does the rest pretty quickly, third wicket for Lehmann, eight down two more to go!

Sri Lanka 381/8, Partnership of 3
DNT Zoysa st Gilchrist b Lehmann 3 (3b 0x4 0x6)
HP Tillakaratne 59* (154b 9x4) DS Lehmann 12.1-1-37-3

[Rachael]

Tea - Day 3 Australia 401 Sri Lanka 385/8 (118.0 ov) Sri Lanka trail by 16 runs with 2 wickets remaining in the 1st innings

[Mike]

Thanks for the updates, Rachael. This has been a helluva series. This is a dead rubber but the interest is whether Warne can break Courtney Walsh's world record. Good to see SL playing so well again. Most teams will find it hard to beat them at home. AUS will get a lot of confidence from this series to take into the series against India later this year which will be a cracker. Can't wait for that one. Lot's of exciting cricket ahead, this year.

[Rachael]

From cricinfo:

120.2 Warne to Herath, OUT: gone! flighted delivery outside the off stump, Herath comes down the track and drives it straight to Martyn at cover, Warne gets another one, nine down

Sri Lanka 390/9, Partnership of 9
HMRKB Herath c Martyn b Warne 3 (26b 0x4 0x6)
HP Tillakaratne 65* (171b 9x4) SK Warne 32.2-5-107-2

Muttiah Muralitharan is the last man in, get ready for some mighty
swings! Field gets spread! three men in the deep on the leg side

[Rachael]

Match State: Innings Break

127.1 Kasprowicz to Muralitharan, OUT: all over! makes room and pulls, only manages to hit it straight to Warne at square leg, Kasprowicz gets another one

Sri Lanka 407/10, Partnership of 17
M Muralitharan c Warne b Kasprowicz 8 (11b 1x4 0x6)
HP Tillakaratne 74* (201b 10x4) MS Kasprowicz 22.1-5-58-2 (1w 1nb)

So... SL take a 6 run lead from the first innings... but if the Aussies have 3-4 good sessions now... they are going to be realy up against it on a deteriorating track on day 4.

[Rachael]

Oh.. Warne ends with just 2 wickets from the first innings: takes him to 513. Murali is on 510. Walsh's record of 519 might still survive the series...

[Mike]

Even if Warne gets it, he isn't going to hold it very long. Pity he was suspended otherwise he would have it by now and could have basked in the glory for a few months, at least, instead of days or weeks.

[Rachael]

If anyone has to break Walsh's record then I guess Warne should be the guy... not sure we'll ever see a fast bowler break that mark though.