Aussies inflict innings defeat on the Lankans
Elmo Rodrigopulle Reporting
The formidable Australians slapped an embarrassing innings and 40
runs defeat on the Sri Lankans in the fourth over after lunch on the
final day of the First Test at the Gabba, here today.
When play began on the final day, Sri Lanka were 218 for 5, needing
another 122 runs to make the Aussies bat again. But that target did not
materialise and Sri Lanka lost their remaining five batsmen for the
addition of only 82 runs and thus gifted the Test that promised much
more before the first ball was bowled to the baggy green caps.
The weather again turned fickle and there were two stoppages for rain
and at times it looked as though the rains might come to the rescue of
the Lankans.
But the weather gods deemed that the Aussies played the better
cricket and relented to allow the Aussies to wrap up the first Test in
their favour.
Resuming and to recap the Lankans had lost their best batting five at
the close on the fourth day, and it was only a matter of time, before
the rampaging Aussie bowlers cut into the remaining five. With 18 runs
added Prasanna Jayawardena was first out caught plumb in front by a
straight one from Stuart Clarke. Jayawardena who batted well in the
first innings could only make a single 236 for 6.
The first rain stoppage was for 15 minutes and then there was another
stoppage for nearly 45 minutes.
Farveez Maharoof who has a knack of getting into double figures and
then throwing away his wicket, failed to spot a steaming yorker from
Brett Lee and had his sticks disturbed.
He made 18-259 for 7. In the meantime Chamara Silva who was given a
life when 11 when Jacques dropped a sitter at short square leg, made use
of the reprieve to go to 43, when trying to take a ball to leg, got the
outside edge for Hussey to wrap his hands round the ball, where he did
in similar fashion in the first innings.
Brett Lee who bowled a devastating spell and who was adjudged the man
of the match for his haul of 8 wickets, then knocked back Dilhara
Fernando's stumps and it was all over when Stuart Clarke disturbed
Muralitharan's stumps at 300 for the Aussies to celebrate and the
Lankans to rue, yet accept gracefully an unpalatable and humiliating
innings defeat.
For the Aussies it was the victory that they were looking for sans
life without Glen McGrath, Shane Warne and Justin Langer to get them off
the launching pad for a strenuous and more important season ahead. Vaas
was unbeaten on 11.
Had the Lankans batted with more purpose in the first innings and
avoided the follow on and got closer to the massive Aussie total of 551
for 5 dec. then the story could well have been different. The Lankans
will now be looking to lick their wounds and come back with a telling
performance in the Second Test beginning in Hobart on Friday.
SCOREBOARD
AUSTRALIA 1ST INNINGS (4 wickets dec; 151 overs; 650 mins) 551
Sri Lanka 1st innings Total (all out; 81.5 overs; 350 mins) 211
Sri Lanka 2nd innings
MS Atapattu c Gilchrist b Symonds 16
ST Jayasuriya c Ponting b Lee 39
MG Vandort b MacGill 82
M Jayawardene c Gilchrist b Johnson 49
TT Samaraweera c Hussey b Johnson 20
LPC Silva c Hussey b Lee 43
HAPW Jayawardene lbw b Clark 01
MF Maharoof b Lee 18
WPUJC Vaas not out 11
CRD Fernando b Lee 04
M Muralitharan b Clark 04
EXTRAS (b 4, lb 3, nb 6) 13
TOTAL (all out; 99.2 overs) 300
Fall of wickets: 1-53 (Atapattu), 2-65 (Jayasuriya),
3-167 (DPMD Jayawardene), 4-213 (Vandort), 5-215 (Samaraweera),
6-226 (HAPW Jayawardene), 7-259 (Maharoof), 8-281 (Silva), 9-290 (Fernando)
BOWLING: B Lee 27-7-86-4, MG Johnson 19-5-47-2, SR Clark 22.2-3-75-2,(2nb)
A Symonds 6-1-21-1, SCG MacGill 25-3-64-1
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