Karunaratne, Madushka tons ease Sri Lanka into management
Sri Lanka gathered 276 brisk runs for the lack of simply the wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne, as they eased into management of the second Test, on a rain-curtailed day. Nishan Madushka‘s maiden Test century was a spotlight, as he added 108 to his in a single day rating. Karunaratne additionally hit his second hundred in as many innings, earlier than being dismissed for 115 shortly earlier than the scheduled lunch.
Ireland had one other torrid day within the discipline, with their spinners – apart from Andy McBrine – unable to maintain a lid on the scoring, not to mention put collectively critically menacing spells. The floor is not taking a whole lot of flip but, and as such, it doesn’t permit bowlers a whole lot of margin for error.
By stumps, Sri Lanka had scored at 4.63 runs an over, with Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis having been particularly busy on the crease. Bad mild pressured gamers off the sector shortly earlier than scheduled tea, after which rains arrived to scrub out the remainder of the day’s play. Madushka was not out on 149 off 234 balls; Mendis was on 83 off 96. After the openers had placed on 228 collectively, the partnership between these two was value 129. The rain allowed solely 59 overs within the day.
Having moved the group rating easily to 81 for no loss the earlier night, Sri Lanka’s openers did not take lengthy to seek out rhythm on day three. Karunaratne was particularly fluent within the early exchanges; he slashed Curtis Campher for 4 to begin the second over, and later flicked Graham Hume for 4 via midwicket to convey up the group 100.
Madushka had his exterior edge overwhelmed sometimes, and there have been a few half-hearted lbw shouts towards him as properly. But ultimately he too began appearing snug. Karunaratne, by this stage, was actually getting the drives buzzing – he hit Campher for 2 fours in a single over, one shot going previous mid-on, the opposite simply extensive of mid-off. Both batters accomplished their half-centuries within the first 40 minutes of play.
McBrine was actually the one spinner to place considerable stress on the batters – he stored his strains tight, and received the odd one to spin, to check the sting. But the batters took the opposite spinners aside. Debutant left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys’ eight overs went for 56 (three of those overs had been bowled on day two). Legspinner Ben White wasn’t fairly as costly however didn’t significantly impose himself both, going at 5.35 in his 17 overs.
Late within the first session, Karunaratne accomplished a sixteenth Test century, off the 116th ball he confronted. He had been so environment friendly at choosing up singles and twos into the outfield that the milestone nearly snuck up. He then coached Madushka to his personal century, which the latter reached with a six over deep midwicket, having come down the observe to show a Harry Tector supply right into a full toss.
Karunaratne could be out subsequent over, nevertheless. He top-edged a brief ball from Campher, sending it into the palms of Humphreys at wonderful leg. He’d made 115 from 133 balls.
Mendis was instantly assured on the crease, getting to fifteen off 20 balls, as he attacked even McBrine through the use of his toes. He received Sri Lanka to 300 with a giant slog sweep over deep sq. leg off White, earlier than sending McBrine scorching via cowl level to finish his fifty. Mendis’ actual big-hitting got here because the stormclouds started to collect – he struck Humphreys for 3 consecutive sixes within the 72nd over, depositing him over deep midwicket every time – the primary off a full toss, the second and third off lengthy hops.
As had been the case within the opening stand, Madushka was the quieter accomplice.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo’s Sri Lanka correspondent. @afidelf