THURSDAY, 5.30PM:
ZIMBABWE face a formidable challenge as Sri Lanka opener Marvan Atapattu scored a career-best 223 that helped the home side to declare at a comfortable 469 for nine on the second day on Thursday.
Problems for the Zimbabweans were compounded when Sri Lankan spin duo Jayantha Silva and Muttiah Muralitharan plucked a wicket each with their vicious bowling to restrict the tourists to 46 for two at close of play.
Muralitharan first got rid of opener Grant Flower who played a ball onto his stumps at just four runs, after which number three bat Murray Goodwin was trapped leg-before on the backfoot by Silva for two.
However, Andrew Flower staved off any further trouble as he joined Gavin Rennie, who remained unbeaten on 23. Andy Flower was not out on eight.
Off spinner Andrew Whittal was the pick of the Zimbabwe bowlers, taking three for 78. He claimed Hashan Tillakaratne (44) and Romesh Kaluvitharana (29) with easy return catches off his own bowling and bowled skipper Arjuna Ranatunga for 27 on the first day.
THURSDAY, 2.30PM:
SRI Lankan opener Marvan Atapattu took his tally up to a superb maiden double century in the Test against Zimbabwe at Asgiriya on Thursday afternoon to take the home side’s total to a near unreachable 442/7 at the tea break.
Atapattu made 223, including 29 fours and one six, on the second day of the first Test in a 597-minute stay at the crease. He was eventually caught in the slips by Alistair Campbell off the bowling of Paul Strang.
THURSDAY, 1.00PM:
SRI Lanka capitalised on Wednesday’s overnight score of 265/4 in their test against Zimbabwe by scoring 327/5 by the lunch break on the second day on Thursday.
Marvan Atapattu, continuing from his overnight 129, remains unbeaten at 155. Hashan Tillekaratne lost his wicket 10 minutes before lunch with the score on 321.
Tillekaratne made 44 runs before driving a ball to off-spinner Andrew Whittall for a soft caught-and-bowled dismissal. Atapattu reached 150 from two successive fours off leg-spinner Paul Strang.
Sri Lanka went to lunch with the last recognised pair of Romesh Kalawithurana and Atapattu at the crease.
Scoreboard at the close of play on the second day of the first test against Zimbabwe at the Asgiriya Stadium here on Thursday:
Sri Lanka (overnight 265 for four)
S Jayasuriya lbw Streak 6
M Atapattu c Campbell b P Strang 223
R Mahanama c Campbell b Streak 7
A de Silva c Whittal b Huckle 75
A Ranatunga b A Whittal 27
H Tillekaratne c and b A Whittal 44
R Kaluwitharana c and b A Whittal 29
C Vaas c Rennie b P Strang 26
M Muralitharan c B Strang b P Strang 17
R Pushpakumara not out 2
Did not bat: J. Silva
Extras (b2, lb2, nb9) 13
Total (for 9 wickets declared) 469
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-33, 3-173, 4-226, 5-321, 6-383, 7-440, 8-461, 9-469.
Bowling: H Streak 34-11-96-2, B Strang 30-7-78-0 (nb6), P Strang 35.3-10-123-3, A Whittal 30-4-73-3, A Huckle 21-3-88-1 (nb3), M Goodwin 4-2-7-0.
Zimbabwe 1st innings:
G Rennie not out 23
G Flower b Muralitharan 4
M Goodwin lbw b J Silva 2
A Flower not out 8
Extras (b4, lb2, nb3) 9
Total: (for 2 wkts) 46
Fall of wickets 1-29, 2-36.
Bowling: C Vaas 7-1-15-0 (nb1), R Pushpakumara 4-0-12-0 (nb 2), M Muralitharan 7-4-6-1, J Silva 4-3-3-1, A de Silva 1-0-4-0.