Australia tightened their hold on the Sydney Test on the third day and
stand an excellent chance of sealing a clean sweep against Sri Lanka.
Matthew Wade scored his second Test century in front of a raucous crowd
engulfing the venue in a sea of pink on Jane McGrath day, and stretched
his team's lead to 138 before Michael Clarke declared. Half-centuries
from Dimuth Karunaratne and Mahela Jayawardene gave Sri Lanka hope, not
just of recovery but even putting Australia under pressure in the fourth
innings, but much of it was crushed by a middle-order implosion in good
conditions for batting.
The opener Karunaratne and captain Jayawardene had taken Sri Lanka to
within six runs of erasing the deficit, after the early loss of
Tillakaratne Dilshan, but Australia wrested the control they had
achieved at the end of their innings. Karunaratne, let off on 54 but
solid for the bulk, drove at a fullish, reverse-swinging, delivery from
Jackson Bird in the final session to feather one to the keeper. Hot Spot
didn't capture any heat signature - Karunaratne did not call for a
review after being given out - but Snicko later indicated there may have
been a nick. Sri Lanka still had the batting to guide them to a
competitive lead but much of the damage they suffered from then on was
self-inflicted.
Lahiru Thirimanne impressed with 91 in the first innings but failed
while trying to hook a quick, short ball from Mitchell Johnson,
top-edging it to fine leg. Thilan Samaraweera, inexplicably and totally
out of character, charged out to Nathan Lyon third ball, only to miscue
it to Michael Hussey, who took a well-judged catch running back from
mid-off. Angelo Mathews called and ran after playing one to midwicket
but met an unresponsive Jayawardene, who stayed his ground as David
Warner dived, collected and returned an accurate throw to Wade to catch
the batsman short. When Jayawardene nicked a wide one from Peter Siddle
to first slip, Sri Lanka had lost five for 46, leaving Dinesh Chandimal
and the tail too much to achieve to test the hosts.
Australia were largely disciplined when they bowled but that didn't
prevent Karunaratne and Jayawardene from scoring fluently, both
displaying ease and confidence in their century stand. The only threat
of discomfort on the pitch for the batsmen was some uneven bounce, but
Karunaratne set the tone for the stand as early as the first over.
Karunaratne has a tall frame, doesn't have too much flourish in his
shot-making, but showed he is especially strong on the off side while
being an excellent timer of the ball. He dispatched Mitchell Starc for
two boundaries in the first over, chopping him past point then driving a
half-volley past mid-off.
The seamers tried to bowl tight lines but occasionally provided width,
allowing Karunaratne to be expansive. He scored freely through cover and
point, and drove well on the up against Starc, whom he took for four
boundaries. He even stepped out to Nathan Lyon, launching him for a six
and four past long-on. Jayawardene looked assured, worked the ball
around for singles and twos despite the field being brought in and
collected boundaries with ease. He scored off Starc on either side
behind the wicket, and pulled well, cracking Starc and Bird for fours
through square leg. But his own anxiety and frustration grew as he saw
two of his partners throw their wickets away, and it wasn't long before
he, too, made his way back.
The role played by Wade, who found able partners in Siddle and Bird, in
extending the lead to 138 acquired greater significance once Sri Lanka's
batting began to unravel after tea. The hundred was still a distant
landmark for Wade when the day began, as the priority appeared to be
improving Australia's position from one of a slight advantage to greater
control. Wade was busy, running hard and occasionally attempting the
aggressive shot, but also timed the ball superbly, his first four being
just a punch past point off Suranga Lakmal. Siddle fell when he edged
Nuwan Pradeep to the keeper - ending a 77-run stand for the seventh
wicket - and Rangana Herath hit back with two wickets in quick
succession.
Three men in the deep on the off side were not enough to prevent Wade
from slicing Pradeep over point as he stepped up his attacking game
further with just one wicket in hand; as he watched the field move back
in, he picked up a boundary past gully by opening the face. He smashed
Pradeep over extra cover, then neatly clipped him past midwicket for two
more fours. Bird, at the other end, not only survived but scored during
his short stay, long enough for Wade to reach his landmark. In what was
to be the last over of the innings, Wade pierced a packed off-side
field in the deep to cream Lakmal for two fours, the second of which
brought up his century and sparked wild celebrations with an expectant
SCG joining in.
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