Sri Lanka boost bid for series win
 |
Samaraweera hits out as Sri Lanka take control in final Test
Story Tools
|
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Thilan Samaraweera and Mahela Jayawardene both hit centuries as Sri Lanka took a commanding position in the third and final cricket Test against England.
Samaraweera (142) and Jayawardene (134) set a record third-wicket partnership of 262 as Sri Lanka reached 563 for five on the third day -- 298 runs ahead of England's first innings 265.
Their six-hour stand took the sting out of England's attack with a series win at stake after two draws.
They surpassed Sri Lanka's existing third-wicket record of 243, which Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva compiled against England at The Oval in 1998.
Benefiting from a dropped catch when he was on 74, Jayawardene lofted left-arm spinner Ashley Giles for a six over long-off and smashed 14 boundaries from 246 deliveries to post his 10th hundred in 54 tests.
Jayawardene was eventually dismissed by Flintoff (2 for 47) when he gave an easy catch to substitute fielder Paul Collingwood at deep square-leg.
Samaraweera continued to amass runs and reached his third hundred in 14 Tests after surviving some tense moments in the 90s against off-spinner Gareth Batty.
He beat his previous Test-best score of 123 not out -- against Zimbabwe at Colombo in 2001 -- by hitting 13 boundaries from 408 balls.
Samaraweera's patient knock of eight hours and 13 minutes ended when he was run out during a mix up with Tillekeratne Dilshan (72 not out), who later put on 107 runs for an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership with Upul Chandana (54 not out).
Dilshan crossed the half-century mark for the third successive innings since his return to the team after a near three-year absence last week.
He scored 63 and 100 in the second Test match at Kandy, his first appearance since the Colombo match against England in March 2001.
Skipper Hashan Tillekeratne (12 ) became Giles's only victim at a cost of 159 runs, but allowed Dilshan and Chandana to bat on and pile up the lead instead of declaring and making an early start at the English batsmen in the closing stages.
Dilshan's unbeaten 173-minute knock contained three boundaries from 118 deliveries, while Chandana struck a six and six fours off 79 balls.
