00:00Ranathunga one wonders with the exuberance of youths will help him to
00:08tide this rather difficult situation that Sri Lanka finds itself in at the
00:13moment still around 15 minutes left to close of play the Sun still shining
00:21brightly on this Ascaria International Stadium and here's Ranathunga walking up
00:29the bedding crease woolly giving the once-over
00:52Ranathunga the last of the specialist batsmen in the Sri Lanka side
00:59Yardley bowls to him this one edges it past gully going down to the third man
01:06boundary a long chase there picked up just inside the boundary and they're going
01:12for three and I think of a fourth but it could be dangerous so three runs to
01:17Ranathunga who is off the mark and the total moves on to 49 for four they
01:22can't afford to lose any more wickets tonight and here it is and
01:28Ranathunga attempting to drive beaten by the turn a dangerous shot but Ranathunga
01:37gets away with it Sri Lanka remains and 61 for four Ranathunga on four
01:49we hardly to Ranathunga and that one has dropped that one went off a thick edge
01:59Trapper moving to his right got his hand to it and dropped the catch so Ranathunga
02:05getting a little off there with Sri Lanka on 61 for four and that could have been
02:10certainly put Sri Lanka in a spot
02:16bowling now to do with Mendez when this is strictly away and walks away and that is
02:22the end of the second day's play with Australia having declared their innings
02:28closed at 514 for four at T with hooks not out on a magnificent 144 border not out on 47
02:37but that's
02:37one out today yellow for 98 and chapel for 66 Sri Lankan reply 65 for four with the
02:47money not dies for sister Fernando naught and mother galla nine the batsman the
02:52wicket Mendez 33 and do it Mendez patting on 33 Arjuna Ranathunga on 7 Sri Lankan pair
03:02overnight pair of Dilip Mendez in his blue cap and Arjuna Ranathunga in his white helmet
03:10the first target of course being to get 315 runs to both the follow-on ball turning sharply but slowly
03:21it's certainly Mendez particularly having a tremendous responsibility on his shoulders as
03:25captain faces up to Hogan gets the back foot and cuts in firmly between cover and mid off and get
03:33the first runs of the morning two runs to Mendez takes the total to 67 for four and Mendez moves
03:40on to 35 all from the southern end and he bowls now to Ranathunga the ball coming into the batsman
03:52and
03:53pick the spot a bit of callousness on the part of lily gets a single for it and the total
03:59goes on in
04:00this extremely lucky the oddly bowls to Ranathunga and he lifted it but it doesn't quite get hold of it
04:10ball drops very short of gallop who probably lost sight of it for a moment and the batsmen take two
04:18runs so
04:19So the total is going up to 74 of a bad shot from Ranathunga, Ranathunga moving on to 11.
04:25Yardley goes to Ranathunga and his slashes at that ball, lifting out the off-stamp, Ranathunga
04:34playing a couple of desperate strokes, obviously upset by being tied down by Yardley and Yardley
04:42playing on this impatience of Ranathunga, Ranathunga lucky now on two occasions, Lillie on his way
04:51again to bowl to Harajuna Ranathunga, Menderson 47 faces Hogg, another beautiful shot through
05:10the covers, Yardley running behind it but it's a 4 and a 50 to Mendez.
05:24It's Yardley from the southern inbosu Ranathunga, he's hit this in the air but safely over the
05:31head of Midoff vessels for four runs, so the total now moving on to 93, the 100 coming
05:46up in 140 minutes in 29 overs, so these batsmen adding 35 runs this morning, Hogg from the
05:57northern end, this one gets a thick outside edge, it goes down to the third man boundary
06:06for four runs, so four more to Ranathunga, gets him onto 21 and the total goes on to 104 for
06:13four, Yardley to Ranathunga and he hits this safely enough in the air, four runs, it's going
06:25to be four, yes, Yalap can't get to it, so four more to Ranathunga takes 126 and the total
06:34to 109. Yardley from the southern end to Ranathunga, faster delivery and Ranathunga on the back foot,
06:44slams him through the vacant Midoff extra cover region, the four runs, a lovely shot indeed by
06:53Ranathunga and he moves on to 30 and the total to 130.
06:57on 73, Mendes will get his 4000 runs in first class cricket, when he scores 70, he's already
07:07on 73, so it's 70, he needed to get on to 72, beautiful shot there by Arjuna Ranathunga.
07:18Hogan to Ranathunga and he's lofted him to mid-wicket, that certainly is a four, four to Ranathunga.
07:29It will be Yardley to Bull, Hogan again to Ranathunga and he's lofted that one and a hog doesn't take
07:40it, he got both hands to it and didn't take that catch, 142 for five.
07:53He's lofted that one, this time right above hogshead and that's a four, four to Ranathunga.
08:06very gutty bat.
08:13This could be it, it could be four, yes it's a four.
08:22So Ranathunga gets his 50.
08:28104 minutes for Ranathunga's 50.
08:34Hogan to Ranathunga, similar shot, similar shot.
08:41They've taken two runs.
08:51This is the 37th over, being bowled by Yardley this time, from the southern end.
09:00Yardley to Ranathunga and that's a four, through the covers.
09:10Gutty isn't it, should be the word to describe this teenager Ranathunga.
09:22Yardley bowling to Ranathunga, thick outside edge and that's hog again, having a bad morning.
09:41And four runs, very good running between the wickets, between DS De Silva and Arjuna Ranathunga.
09:56Another four.
10:00Four to Ranathunga.
10:05A bit of champagne cricket now from Ranathunga.
10:08Ranathunga.
10:15Three balls from Yardley.
10:18This over has already realized 12 runs.
10:24167 for five.
10:28Ranathunga on 66.
10:32As Hogan bowls now to Ranathunga.
10:34Ranathunga getting back and cutting this down to the vacant third band region.
10:42And he gets four runs for it.
10:43The total moving on to 172.
10:45The cloud delirious to joy here.
10:47As Ranathunga getting runs at will.
10:53Hogan to Ranathunga.
10:55A fast ball and he cuts this down to third band region.
10:57And it's going to be four runs.
10:59There's no one there.
11:01So four runs to Ranathunga.
11:02Takes him on to 76.
11:04And thus, he becomes the highest scorer for Sri Lanka.
11:07And the total, 178 for five.
11:11Incidentally, scored a 50.
11:12The first 50 scored in test cricket by any Sri Lankan batsman.
11:16He scored a 50 against England in the inaugural test.
11:19And here he's got another 50 against Australia in the inaugural test.
11:21And this ball keeps very low.
11:24And beats Ranathunga.
11:28Beats the wicket keeper.
11:29No ball signaled.
11:31Three byes.
11:33Of that no ball.
11:35188 now for five Sri Lanka.
11:40Hogg again turning around to start his run up.
11:44To bowl to Ranathunga.
11:49A reckless escape, that one.
11:52But he gets a four for it.
11:58Yardly to Ranathunga.
12:03He's cutting past Kawa.
12:04Hogan is trying to run after it.
12:06But there's no stopping that one too.
12:11It's transit now from the southern end.
12:14To bowl to Ranathunga.
12:16Ranathunga swings.
12:17He's going to be out.
12:18He's caught.
12:19He's going to be caught.
12:20Yes.
12:21And there.
12:22Ranathunga.
12:22A rush of blood to his head.
12:25And that's vessels.
12:27At mid-wickat.
12:28Ranathunga on 90.
12:30Swinging wildly at Yardly.
12:32With his head thrown there.
12:34And at the end of a fine knock.
12:37By this very talented young batsman.
Comments