Cricket
Sangakkara anchors Sri Lanka
2011-11-04 10:34
Sharjah - Kumar Sangakkara's unbeaten ton
anchored Sri Lanka's innings as they moved to 300-4 at lunch on the
second day of the third and final Test against Pakistan on Friday.
Sri
Lanka lost all-rounder Angelo Mathews in the last over before lunch,
caught behind off left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman for 17, but the
34-year-old Sangakkara was unbeaten on 140 to ensure Sri Lanka did not
lose track.
The stylish left-hander has hit 12 fours and two sixes
during his stay at the crease, which began in the first over of the
match on Thursday.
Sangakkara put on 84 for the third wicket with
Mahela Jayawardene (39) and another 39 with Mathews for the fourth as
Sri Lanka aim to build a big total on a batting-friendly Sharjah stadium
pitch.
Resuming on 245-2, Sri Lanka batted watchfully as they
tried to avoid a repeat of the middle-order collapses they suffered in
the drawn first Test in Abu Dhabi and the nine-wicket defeat in the
second Test at Dubai.
Jayawardene managed to add just seven to his
overnight score of 32 before being given leg-before off paceman Junaid
Khan. Jayawardene hit two boundaries during his highest score of the
series.
Sangakkara and Mathews negotiated Pakistan's pace-spin
attack with confidence, taking Sri Lanka past the 300-mark in the
penultimate over before lunch.
But Pakistan struck in the last
over before lunch as they got the second wicket in the session, with Sri
Lanka managing 55 runs in two hours.