Sri Lanka v Australia - Warne-Muralitharan Trophy - 1st Test – 4th Day’s Summary
Australia 273 & 210 v Sri Lanka 105 & 253 - Australia won by 125 runs
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 by 125 runs at Galle International Stadium on the fourth day of the game.
Australia after giving a target of 379 runs to the hosts exhibited phenomenal bowling, restricting the Lankans to 120 runs for the loss of five wickets on the third day, leaving the Sri Lankans to chase 259 runs for victory on the fourth day.
However, with the presence of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/DPMD-Jayawardene-c1397 on the crease who ended the third day after playing an unbeaten innings of 57 runs off 139 deliveries there was every chance for the home side to go one-up in the three-match Test series.
Starting the day’s proceedings, Jayawardene and his batting partner http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AD-Mathews-c913 took the bowlers to task as both batsmen looked well composed, eyeing a win against the Aussies. At the time when these two were on the crease, the Australian skipper Michael
Clarke was in a spot of bother as he knew that for Australia to win the game they would have to break the partnership that was becoming increasingly dangerous for the tourists.
However, in the 87th over Australia finally managed to grab the prized wicket of Jayawardene, who after playing a stupendous innings of 105 runs off 231 deliveries edged a delivery bowled by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/RJ-Harris-c2330 straight into his stumps. At the time of
his departure, the hosts had posted 210 runs on the board for the loss of six wickets.
The wicket of Jayawardene proved to be Sri Lanka’s Achilles' heel as the Australian saw an opportunity to climb back in the game as they took another wicket in the 90th over when Suraj Randiv was caught at second slip by the Aussie skipper Michael
Clarke off the bowling of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MG-Johnson-c1945. The batsman found his way back to the pavilion without scoring a run.
In the 93rd over, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Harris-c61739. At this point in time, the Lankans were on 242 runs for the loss of eight wickets.
The situation clearly looked bleak for the hosts as the Australians by this time had a firm grip on the game and from the way things were going it was only a matter of time before Australia would leave the ground victorious.
It was up to Mathews to get the home side across the finish line as he was the only batsman left equipped enough to grab a victory from the clutches of defeat. However, Sri Lanka’s last ray of hope also vanished when in the 95th over, Mathews
after playing a superb knock of 95 runs lost his stumps on a delivery bowled by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SR-Watson-c2558.
At the time of his departure, the hosts had managed to post 249 runs on the board for the loss of nine wickets and by this time it was obvious that Sri Lanka’s crusade had come to an end as the whole team was bowled out after putting 253 runs on the board.
Australia’s http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MEK-Hussey-c1942 was named as the Man of the Match for playing a handy knock with the bat in the first innings where he scored 95 runs.
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