Sri Lanka v. Australia - 3rd Test

Donny · Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2004 9:02 pm

Katich has already established tenure in the team.

The Symonds experiment (yes, gamble) was completely justifiable at the time because they wanted to fit MacGill in (and Warne) which meant going with only two quicks. Remember, Symonds IS in the Test squad.

Katich is safe at #6 and will go up in time but not before either of Lehmann or Martyn move on.
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Langer gets his 150. Well played. 5/301. 203 run partnership. Katich is 68 n.o.
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Vaas finally gets Langer for 166. The partnership was 218 which put Australia back in the driver's seat.

It's 6/330. A lead of 324. Katich is 78 n.o.
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Katich falls for 86. L.b.w. to Murali. 7/341.
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Warney gets his 29th. Test duck. Herath has 3/73 and Murali, 3/83

The lead is 343.

Donny · Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2004 10:18 pm

Gilchrist puts one from Herath out of the park to bring up the 350 lead.

Mmmm. "That felt good", says Gilly, "I think I'll try another" Bang ! On to the roof of the stand.

8/365. There are 11 overs left. Will Ponting call them in shortly ?
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Kaspa (3) is run out as Gilly calls him to get on strike. Either way, we'll see Sri Lankan batsmen out there soon.
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9/374 with 8 overs to come today. Williams caught & bowled by Herath. He finished with 4/92. Gilchrist was 30 n.o. The lead is 369.

From 5/98, this was a typical (of this series) Aussie fightback.

There are 5 overs to be bowled at the Sri Lankans.

Donny · Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2004 11:06 pm

0/18 at stumps. A top day's cricket. Langer the star. Katich not far behind.

JLC · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 8:59 am

Katich HAD already justified his position in the team after the Indian series. However the selectors chose to drop him based on the one day form of Symonds which was a joke. If they were to include Symonds, Katich was the wrong player to be dropped as in the lead up game he had played well. Symonds has no proven track record bowling in the four day form of the game so why was he going to be able to take wickets in test matches??

jlc

Donny · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 12:31 pm

Warne was picked after 1 first class game.

Does that answer the question, mate?

Symonds wasn't plucked out of the one day squad over in Sri Lanka, he was chosen in the Test squad.

Donny · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 1:39 pm

Langer back from brink

By Robert Craddock - Fox

SRI LANKA is no longer the tropical teardrop for hobbling hero Justin Langer, who bailed himself out of trouble on and off the field yesterday.

Langer (166) scored his first Test century against the Sri Lankans and trebled his contribution in a personally poor series as he and patient Simon Katich (86) snuffed out Sri Lanka's umpteenth uprising of the series on day four of the third Test at the Singhalese Sports Club.

Sri Lanka (0-1 Cool

need a further 352 today to win the Test on the closing day of the series.

Australia was in desperate trouble at 5-98 after losing Damien Martyn (lbw for five) and Darren Lehmann (caught behind cutting for one) early in the first session before Langer and Katich added 218 for the sixth wicket.

Australia spread their wings in the final session to be bowled out for 375 and a lead of 369, which history insisted placed them on safe ground given only one side has successfully chased more than 200 to win in Colombo.

Australia will go at full tilt today in an attempt to become the first side to beat Sri Lanka 3-0 at home, with Shane Warne needing seven second-innings wickets to eclipse Courtney Walsh as the game's greatest wicket-taker and Jason Gillespie two to reach 200 in Tests.

Langer, battling cramp in his left hamstring and needing a runner after collapsing at the crease after lunch, had his sturdy temperament for comfort during a pressurised 24 hours when he was charged for bringing the game into disrepute for knocking a bail off as he walked past the wickets during the Sri Lankan innings.

It was revealed yesterday on-field umpires David Orchard and Steve Bucknor had accepted Langer's explanation that it was an accident but independently minded third umpire Peter Manuel, who recalled Andrew Symonds after a flawed lbw verdict in Dambulla, laid the charge.

Langer, who strongly defended himself, was found not guilty in a hearing after stumps the previous night (when he had been 29 not out). Yesterday he batted with the poise and fluency that had eluded him on his two tours here.

Katich, playing with old-fashioned defiance in his return match after being dropped for Symonds, took his time when it mattered before opening his shoulders to spank a series of cavalier pull shots after tea. He looks a fine slow-wicket player and will have a crucial role to play in India later this year.

He blasted Muttiah Muralitharan (3-93) for a straight six before becoming the bowler's 513th Test wicket.

That placed Muralitharan equal with Warne and six adrift of Walsh's world record in a series that netted him 28 wickets but not the bottom line he wanted.

Langer, who had made just 75 in his five previous Test innings on tour and averaged 12 when he toured here five years ago, continued to unfurl his sweep shot. His feet moved confidently forward and back against Sri Lanka's tiring fleet of spinners as he posted his 18th century in his 74-Test career.

Donny · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 3:50 pm

Batting averages for our top 6 batsmen in this series.

Darren Lehmann - 62.5
Damien Martyn - 55.5
Matt Hayden - 47.16
Justin Langer - 40.16
Adam Gilchrist - 40
Ricky Ponting - 33

Katich had 14 & 86 @ 50

Donny · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 4:14 pm

A steady start for Sri Lanka. 27 runs from the first 10 overs for no wicket.
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Kaspa repeats the dose with Atapattu. A big off cutter to bowl him for 14. 1/45.

Donny · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 5:25 pm

Boofa !!

How do you keep this man out of the game ?? His first ball gets the vital wicket of Jayasuriya (51). 2/92.

London Dave · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 6:36 pm

Donny · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 7:43 pm

There's that man again !! Boofa takes another top order batsman.

This time it was with one of the deliveries of the Test. Samarawerra (53) steps out and is comprehensively beaten and stumped. 3/156.
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"Oooooo, yes Darrell" says Gilly. Another wicket to the old bald fat bloke. Very Happy

4/181.

Donny · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 8:28 pm

Hey, JLC ? Can't life just turn around and bite you on the bum sometimes ?

You just get through telling me Warney is the best bowler in the world and at tea on the last day of this Test, he has match figures of 2/181.

Murali claimed 9/215 and ... hang on ... what's this ?? D Lehmann ??? 6/74 !! Must have been tailenders throwing the bat. Let's check that.

Mmm. Jayasuriya twice, Sangakkara, Jawardene, Samarweera and ... ah, here we are ... Zoysa. Yes, there was a tailender in there. Very Happy

commonwombat · commonwombat Joined: 12 Jul 2003 Location: sydney/s.africa

Ah but Boof DID play for Victoria at one stage so dear ol' JLC can still try to cling on to something, somehow, .....someway.

London Dave · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 8:39 pm

commonwombat · commonwombat Joined: 12 Jul 2003 Location: sydney/s.africa

How many vacancies were there at the time, Dave ??? Pretty few and far between and his supposed lack of fitness would have counted against him in those days.

Remember, those were the days when one had to bow down to they great stone idol of Australian cricket, Robert Baddeley Simpson and the non-conformist had a short lifespan then.