Cricket
Sangakkara ton lifts Sri Lanka
2013-03-08 14:08
Galle - Kumar Sangakkara smashed a superb
142 to put Sri Lanka on course for a big first-innings total in the
opening Test against Bangladesh in Galle on Friday.
The
left-hander hit three sixes and 16 fours in his 31st Test hundred as Sri
Lanka posted 361/3 at stumps on the opening day after winning the toss
on a good battig track.
Lahiru Thirimanne, who added 124 for the
third wicket with Sangakkara, was unbeaten on a solid 74 when play was
called off due to rain with 4.3 overs remaining. Skipper Angelo Mathews
was 25 not out.
Sangakkara also equalled Mahela Jayawardene's
record of most centuries by a Sri Lankan in Tests. Openers Tillakaratne
Dilshan (54) and Dimuth Karunaratne (41) were the other main scorers.
Former
skipper Sangakkara dominated the Bangladeshi attack with exciting
strokeplay, gathering runs comfortably against both pace and spin during
his 226-ball knock.
Sangakkara, dropped on 111 by Mohammad
Ashraful at mid-on off off-spinner Sohag Gazi, added 31 more runs before
being caught by Jahurul Islam in the covers off the same bowler.
Gazi was Bangladesh's only wicket-taker, finishing the day with 3-101 off 31 overs.
Sangakkara,
who returned to the team after missing the third and final Test in
Australia in January due to a finger injury, reached his hundred with
two runs to mid-wicket off left-arm spinner Elias Sunny.
Dilshan
played some attractive shots as he smashed four boundaries early in his
innings, two each off seamers Shahadat Hossain and Abul Hasan. He then
hit two successive fours off Gazi.
He completed his 22nd Test
half-century in style when he drove Sunny past mid-on for a four before
falling in the next over, caught by debutant Mominul Haque at mid-off
off Gazi.
Dilshan hit nine fours in his 63-ball knock.
Left-handed
Karunaratne, who retired hurt on 15 after being struck on the elbow
while trying to pull Hossain in the ninth over, returned after the
dismissal of Dilshan.
He top-edged a Hasan delivery over the
wicket-keeper's head for the first six of the match but fell in the next
over, trapped leg-before by Gazi after adding 67 for the second wicket
with Sangakkara.
Sri Lankan batsman Kithuruwan Vithanage, and
Bangladesh's Mominul Haque and Anamul Haque made their Test debuts.
Anamul replaced hard-hitting opener Tamim Iqbal, who was ruled out of
the match due to an injury.