da marjack bet： Despite the heroics of Brian Lara, who scored 221, his third double centuryand the highest ever Test score by a touring batsman in Sri Lanka, the homeside finished the day with a bounce in their step thanks mainly to a careerbest seven-wicket haul
Charlie Austin30-Nov-2001For the second time in the series Sri Lanka staged a Houdini-like recovery, as West Indies’s top-order watched in horror as the middle and lower order frittered away their hard-won advantage during a hapless morning session on the second day of this final Janashakthi National Test in ColomboDespite the heroics of Brian Lara, who scored 221, his third double centuryand the highest ever Test score by a touring batsman in Sri Lanka, the homeside finished the day with a bounce in their step thanks mainly to a careerbest seven-wicket haul from pace bowler Chaminda Vaas.West Indies started the day on 323 for three with Lara on 178 and captainCarl Hooper on 52. Both players had sagely warned last night that the jobwas far from over, but they could scarcely have imagined such a devastatingcollapse, in which their last seven wickets tumbled for 43 runs. Thetourists, looking for 500 plus according to Lara last night, were bowled outfor 390.Then, in front of a cheerfully vocal Poya Day crowd, the Sri Lankan batsmenresponded positively, with Kumar Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya scoringhalf-centuries, as the home team finished the day on 193 for three.It was carbon copy flop to Galle, where they had ended the opening day ofthe series on 316 for three, which they extended to 423 for four, beforelosing their last six wickets for 25 runs. The collapse paved the way for aSri Lankan victory and the home team realise they now have a similar opportunityhere.But the game is evenly balanced and the West Indies also know that early wicketstomorrow morning will secure them the initiative on a dry surface that looksset to deteriorate more markedly than a normal SSC pitch.Sri Lanka’s comeback was all the more remarkable for the fact that it wasnot instigated by Muttiah Muralitharan, who picked up one meager wicket inthe innings. Instead, it was his erstwhile support bowler and fast bowlingworkhorse, Chaminda Vaas, who cut through the West Indian batting.Bowling gun-barrel straight on a dry, flat pitch Vaas excelled with the newball, which was taken in the third over of the morning.Hooper was the first to go and probably the key dismissal, as he shuffledacross his stumps and was trapped lbw for 56 in the fifth over of theinnings. Marlon Samuels, who was lucky to survive his first over, fell in asimilar manner for four, though he clearly begged to disagree with SriLankan umpire Asoka de Silva.Lara had started a quiet morning with an efficient clip for four first ball,but then worked hard for his runs as the Sri Lankan new ball bowlers poundedthe ball in halfway down the wicket. But eventually he leg glanced NuwanZoysa off his hips to reached his third double century and his first sincethe 213 he scored against Australia in 1998/99 at Kingston.Lara’s problem, though, was at the other end. With the lower order exposedhe shifted gears, dancing down the track to loft Muralitharan for a raresix.But at 11.50am Ridley Jacobs was deceived by a slower ball from Nuwan Zoysaand bowled. Zoysa was replaced by Vaas minutes later and Mervyn Dillonbecame the fourth batsmen to be trapped lbw.At 12.20pm Lara’s seven-and-a-half hour vigil ended as a cleverly disguisedoff-cutter slipped through the Trinidadian’s defenses.Just before lunch Dinanath Ramnarine was caught at slip off Muralitharan andin the first over after lunch Vaas picked up his seventh wicket as PedroCollins offered a dolly catch to mid-off.Sri Lanka’s reply started badly as Marvan Atapattu pushed too eagerly atdelivery from Pedro Collins and was athletically caught by Chris Gayle atthird slip.Jayasuriya and Sangakkara and then buckled down to score 99 for the secondwicket. Sangakkara, who passed 1000 runs in Test cricket, was not whollyconvincing but he played some stylish shots and left the ball well outsidehis off-stump.He reached his sixth Test fifty with a flourishing square drive and followedit with a pull through mid-wicket, but then edged a good delivery fromDillon and was caught at first slip for 55.Jayasuriya played with unusually caution and eventually reached his 19thTest fifty, in nine minutes short of three hours. However, having reachedthe landmark and become the third Sri Lankan batsmen to pass 4000 Test runs,he shifted up the gears and looked set for a century before being deceivedby a slower delivery from Marlon Black.