Skip to main content

Jayawardene ton frustrates England

  • Story Highlights
  • Mahela Jayawardene completes back-to-back hundreds for Sri Lanka in Galle
  • Jayawardene scores an unbeaten 149 in Sri Lanka's 384 for six on day two
  • The ton makes Jayawardene Sri Lanka's highest-ever Test centurion with 21

  • Next Article in World Sport »
Decrease font Decrease font
Enlarge font Enlarge font

GALLE, Sri Lanka -- Mahela Jayawardene completed back-to-back hundreds in Galle to frustrate England's bid to level the Test series against Sri Lanka.

art.jayawardene.gi.jpg

Jayawardene became his county's most prolific Test centurion with his 21st ton for Sri Lanka.

Captain Jayawardene, 30, became his country's most prolific Test centurion in the process as his opposite number Michael Vaughan's decision to put the hosts into bat was not backed up by the bowling and fielding.

Overnight rain reduced the second day's allotment of overs but Jayawardene still managed to bat for over five hours, patiently developing his unbeaten 51 into an unbeaten 149 out of Sri Lanka's 384 for six.

Jayawardene lost fifth-wicket partner Tillakaratne Dilshan, run out, in trying to reach three figures but was celebrating his 21st Test hundred in the following over, the first after tea when he rushed through for a single off Ryan Sidebottom.

His 195 in the drawn match in Colombo last week had hoisted him alongside Aravinda de Silva in his country's list.

England finally ended a frustrating wait for a wicket when in the 45th over of the day, after numerous near-misses, Alastair Cook secured a freeze-frame run-out of Dilshan for 84.

Attempting to steal the single which would have taken his captain to another career milestone, television replays showed the diving Dilshan was narrowly short of his ground as Cook pounced from gully to hit the stumps with an under-arm throw.

Cook's Essex colleague Ravi Bopara was celebrating a maiden Test victim three balls later when Prasanna Jayawardene edged behind.

Like the first of the day, however, England failed to take a wicket in the final session as Chaminda Vaas proved to be admirable support for his captain against a weary bowling unit.

Arguably the humidity took its toll and Vaughan was forced to rotate a seven-man attack to allow bodies to regenerate. England failed to make the most of the damp conditions in a pre-lunch session delayed by 90 minutes as captain Jayawardene and Dilshan led charmed lives.

It left England's frontline pace attack luckless and wicketless despite creating numerous chances either side of taking the new ball.

Vaughan's side did not help themselves with lapses of concentration and they were also left to rue another umpiring mistake by Australian Daryl Harper.

Wicketkeeper Matt Prior pouched a fine diving catch down the leg-side off a flick by Dilshan, off Matthew Hoggard, to spark jubilant appeals from the England fielders.

But Harper remained unmoved and Dilshan's reprieve on 64 followed other narrow escapes. Sidebottom had two lbw shouts turned down either side of Dilshan Chinese-cutting a seventh four, which brought up an 81-ball 50, in the first over of the new ball.

Then, in his next over, Sidebottom found the edge of Dilshan's bat only for Prior to fluff the chance, sprawling in front of first slip Ian Bell.

Needing to make early inroads to enhance their bid to square the series, England were initially hampered by overnight rain and then by a failure to break the fifth-wicket stand.

Only one opportunity came their way in the opening three quarters of an hour, following an 11am beginning -- when Cook got his hands on a wild slash to gully by Dilshan off left-armer Sidebottom.

Sidebottom's former Yorkshire colleague Matthew Hoggard would have counted himself most unfortunate after the morning drinks break, however, as twice Mahela Jayawardene survived after edging behind.

The first chance came in Hoggard's first over of the morning, immediately after drinks, saw Jayawardene, then on 58, deflect one tantalisingly short of Bell at first slip.

Then, shortly before lunch, Jayawardene, on 66, was drawn into another false stroke only for wicketkeeper Prior to withdraw his glove as the ball passed low to his right, on its way for four.

In between those two incidents, Dilshan drilled one low to short cover, which reached the diving Bopara on the half-volley.

It was Dilshan who scored the majority of the Sri Lankan runs in the shortened session, latching onto anything too full in length to drive powerfully through the off-side.

Time is not on England's side as they attempt to level the series at 1-1 and a week of downpours meant the playing area could not be prepared in time for the scheduled 10am start yesterday, while more wet weather led to further revision of play.

The first session of the second day began with some untidy work in the field by an team England which will slip to fifth in the official Test rankings unless they win here.

Steve Harmison's five-over morning spell cost 11 runs, and eight of those were unnecessary as a ballooning wide gave wicketkeeper Prior no chance and Vaughan inexplicably donated four overthrows with a grubber hurled from mid-on.

Despite the hours of rain which began within one four of yesterday's close, umpires Asad Rauf and Daryl Harper carried out a 9.45am inspection and decided to set an 83-over allocation for the day.

Only 55 overs were possible on day one, with Sri Lanka closing on 147 for four, after being inserted. E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend

  • E-mail
  • Save
  • Print