By Srian Obeyesekere
Australia was poised for victory after the third day’s play with Sri Lanka almost done up wobbling on 211 for 8 wickets for a slender 54-run lead after Australia had totalled 411 in their first iñnings in reply to the hosts first iñnings 257 with two more days play remaining at the Galle International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers did well to run through the Australian first iñnings claiming the last seven wickets for the addition of 84 runs as the tourists overnight century strong power keg of skipper Steve Smith and Alex Carey added just 11 and 17 respectively falling to the spin of Prabath Jayasuriya who’s got a feel of the wearing Galle track removing both troubleshooters late as it was starting by having the Aussie captain edging to wicket keeper Kusal Mendis with the score 350 and two balls later going on to clean bowl first test debut century maker Jos Ingles for a duck on identical score of 350 and 23 runs later knocking the stumps of Carey as Australia dipped to 373 for 6. Jayasuriya accounted for four of the seven wickets finishing with a 5 for 151 haul while Ramesh Mendis took 2 and Nishan Peiris the 1.
Sri Lanka’s second innings was disastrous losing the first three wickets for 39 in 13.4 overs that of Pathum Nissanka 8 bowled by Matthew Kuhnemann, Dimuth Karunaratne 14 another Kuhnemann victim edging to wicket keeper Carey and Dinesh Chandimal 12 taken out by Nathan Lyon induced to holing to Beau Webster.
The Lankan innings was revived by a back to the wall 76 by Angelo Mathews inclusive of 4 boundaries and a six in taking the score to 81 together with Kamindu Mendis 14 when the latter had Mendis caught by Khawaja as the hosts tripped to 128 for 5 with skipper Dhananjaya de Silva falling to Kuhnemann for 23 snapped up by his counterpart Smith.
Mathews was sixth out sized by indiscretion in going for his weak point sweep to mistimed Lyon to Webster – Sri Lanka 198 for 6 after 57.1 overs, as Kuhnemann accounted for Jayasuriya for 6 and Webster sent back Ramesh Mendis for a duck with Kusal Mendis, as in the first iñnings, staying put on 48 off 50 having hit 5 boundaries and a six, but again Sri Lanka’s last bastion in a spent out scenario with the end imminent.
Chief Scores
Sri Lanka 257 & 211/8 (62.1 Overs)
(Angelo Mathews 76, Kusal Mendis n.o. 48, Dhananjaya de Silva 23, Dimuth Karunaratne 14, Dinesh Chandimal 12, Kamindu Mendis 14, Matthew Kuhnemann 4/52, Nathan Lyon 3/80, Beau Webster 1/6)
Australia 414 (106.4 Overs)
(Alex Carey 156, Steve Smith 131, Prabath Jayasuriya 5/151, Nishan Peiris 3/94, Ramesh Mendis 2/81)
