Sa'adi Thawfeeq
LEICESTER, Friday - Chandika Hathurusingha justified the purpose for which he was picked for the England tour, when he ran through the Leicestershire top order batting to reduce them to 81 for five wickets at lunch on the opening day of Sri Lanka's 4-day match at Grace Road here today.
On a relaid pitch, Hathurusingha used the conditions well to swing the ball off a good length to have figures of three wickets for 10 runs off 11 overs in a productive morning spell.
The other two Leicestershire wickets were claimed by fast bowlers Pramodya Wickremasinghe and Suresh Perera, playing in his first match of the tour.
Leicestershire's decision to bat first after winning the toss seemed justified when openers Iain Sutcliffe and Darren Maddy put on 40 off 12 overs.
Perera made the initial breakthrough by having Maddy flashing at one delivery outside off-stump to give wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene a straight forward catch. Maddy made 26 which was to be the highest score in the Leicestershire innings at lunch.
Hathurusingha replacing Wickremasinghe then picked up the wickets of Darren Stevens and acting captain Benjamin Smith in his third over and later the in-form Aftab Habib for a duck.
Leicestershire also lost opener Sutcliffe for 17, when Wickremasinghe returning for his second spell had him caught by Hathurusingha at third slip as the ball ballooned off bat and pad.
Paul Nixon and Jon Daikin, a late replacement for the injured James Ormond took Leicestershire to lunch without further loss. Sri Lanka forced to play reserve wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene because of an injury in the web of his finger to Romesh Kaluwitharana. Sri Lanka also left out Ravindra Pushapakumara for the medium-pace of Chandika Hathurusingha.
With regular captain James Whitaker out for the season with a knee operation, and acting captain Chris Lewis and overseas player Phil Simmons resting, 26-year-old Ben Smith was given the opportunity to lead the county, perhaps for the first time in his career. But he made a disappointing start getting out for duck.
Day 2: Ranatunga century guides Sri Lanka past Leicestershire
Sa'adi Thawfeeq
LEICESTER, July 25 - With the two great crowd-pullers in the game Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva failing, Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga took the centre stage with a superb century to put his team in a commanding position against Leicestershire at Grace Road here today.
Ranatunga cracked a superb 110 off 148 balls with 19 fours to lift his side from a parlous 89 for 3 to 442 for seven wickets at close on the second day of their 4-day county game.
Hashan Tillekeratne (91 not out) Chandika Hathurusingha (60) also joined the run parade with contrasting half-centuries, which enabled Sri Lanka to finish the second day 197 runs ahead of Leicestershire on the first innings. Leicestershire made 245 in their first effort.
Ranatunga, cutting and driving with great power reached a run-a-ball fifty in 57 minutes with nine fours. He received solid support from young Mahela Jayawardene, who made a compact 48 in 148 minutes with eight fours, and helped his captain add 137 for the fourth wicket in 32 overs.
Jayawardene was on course for a big score after getting into double figures for the first time on the tour. But when a half-century was on the cards for him, Jayawardene played a nonchalant leg glance and was caught behind. He had batted exceptionally well until that point.
Ranatunga gave wicket-keeper Paul Nixon his fourth catch of the innings when he attempted to dab at a delivery from outside off stump from left-arm leg-spinner Matthew Brimson and got a faint edge.
His dismissal brought together Tillekeratne and Hathurusingha in a partnership that yielded 119 runs off 28 overs for the sixth wicket. The arrival of the second new ball at 333 for five after 80 overs was just right as Hathurusingha, a former opening bat and Tillekeratne, tackled it quite successfully. Although Hathurusingha eventually fell lbw for 60 giving Jonathan Dakin his fourth wicket, he may have reminded the tour selectors that he is a good bet for the number seven position in the Test team ahead of Kumara Dharmasena, considering he also got three top order wickets in the Leicestershire first innings. Hathurusingha batted 108 minutes and faced 96 balls hitting nine fours in his knock.
Reserve wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene also got some useful runs after collecting a 'pair of spectacles' at Cardiff, scoring 25 out of a 40-run partnership with Tillekeratne for the seventh wicket. Tillekeratne finished the day unbeaten on 91 having batted 227 minutes off 141 balls hitting 14 fours, to round off an excellent day for Sri Lanka after their disappointing batting display against Glamorgan at Cardiff last week.
Dakin, who does not command a regular place in the Leicestershire first team because of the presence of former England all-rounder Chris Lewis took three wickets for two runs off 16 balls to knock the Sri Lankan top order off in the morning session. Sri Lanka resuming at 51 for no loss were soon in trouble inside the first hour's play loosing the wickets of Russel Arnold (33), Sanath Jayasuriya (36) and Aravinda de Silva (1), to be 89 for 3.
The six foot, four inches tall Dakin bowling right-arm seam at a very brisk pace removed Arnold for 27, without adding to his overnight total, after having him dropped by wicket-keeper Paul Nixon in the second over of the morning.
Jayasuriya was out to a sharply lifting delivery which surprised him and he gloved it to the wicket-keeper. Jayasuriya made 36 off 61 balls with a six and six fours. De Silva lasted only nine minutes before another rising delivery from Nixon saw him attempt a hook shot, but only to edge the ball to Nixon.
The county began the day with the news that their new ball bowler David Millns was out of the attack, having twisted his ankle while fielding on the first day. However, Dakin who made a top score of 79 to rescue Leicestershire from a precarious 81 for 6 to 245 all out on the first day, threatened to run through the Sri Lankan batting until the arrival of Ranatunga.
Day 3: Hashan ton in Lanka's English highest score
LEICESTER, Sunday - Hashan Tillekeratne became the second Sri Lankan batsmen to complete a century in the innings as they hit up their highest total in England, piling up a massive 509 all out on the third day of their 4-day tour match against Leicestershire at Grace Road here today.
Tillekeratne made 120 to follow his captain Arjuna Ranatunga's knock of 110 on the second day to enable Sri Lanka take a first innings lead of 264 runs, a figure which may turn out to be a match-winning one with the pitch beginning to take spin.
Two overs from off-spinner Muthiah Muralitharan confirmed that, as the county went to lunch on the third day at 29 without loss, still trailing by 235 runs to make Sri Lanka bat again. Muralitharan had left-hander Iain Sutcliffe playing and missing several deliveries which spun viciously across him to cause enough discomfort to the batsmen and the rest of his team mates in the pavilion.
Tillekeratne started the day requiring nine for his first hundred on the tour, but at 94 he lost overnight partner Pramodya Wickremasinghe for six when he edged a delivery to wicket-keeper Paul Nixon in the third over of the morning. However, Suresh Perera promoted ahead of Muralitharan in the order provided Tillekeratne with the support he needed to reach his century.
The left-hander who has been in consistent form on the tour, completed three-figures in 269 minutes off 161 balls with 14 fours. He was ninth out at 501 when a ball from Dominic Williamson kept low and trapped him lbw. Overall, Tillekeratne batted 295 minutes for his 120 facing 183 balls and hitting 18 fours. Perera assisted him in a ninth wicket partnership of 54.
Perera went onto make a useful 26 during which period he saw Sri Lanka pass their previous highest total in a first-class match in England of 506 for 7 declared against Hampshire at Southampton in 1990.
With five sessions of play remaining Leicestershire who are currently second in the county table face an uphill battle to stave off defeat on a pitch starting to take spin.
Day 4: Sri Lanka made to work hard for victory
Sa'adi Thawfeeq
LEICESTER, Monday - Sri Lanka were made to work hard for their first victory on their tour of England when Leicestershire's late order batsmen defied the bowling to bat out the first session of the fourth and final day at Grace Road here today.
The county went to lunch at 311 for seven wickets, leading by 47 runs with two sessions of play remaining.
There is no doubt that Sri Lanka will win this contest, but the manner in which they have been struggling to dismiss the county side after taking a massive first innings lead of 246 underlines the limitations of their bowling.
The task was further compounded by the large number of extras conceded by Sri Lanka. It was 61 at lunch (including 32 no-balls) which equalled the most by a touring team in England. The previous highest of 61 was by Australia against England at Trent Bridge in 1989. The world record for extras - 86 by Somerset v Surrey at the Oval in 1997, is however some runs away.
Off-spinner Muthiah Muralitharan is Sri Lanka's only match-winning bowler, and he gave his side a whiff of victory when he took three wickets within the space of 26 balls for five runs to finish with 4 for 77 at the end of the third day.
Sri Lanka's two successes of the fourth morning were however not due to Muralitharan's magic, but came through their two fast bowlers Suresh Perera and Pramodya Wickremasinghe armed with the second new ball. Perera who bowled fast and straight was rewarded with the wicket of Paul Nixon whose off stump he knocked back at 38, to give Sri Lanka the breakthrough they were looking for in the morning when Leicestershire resumed at 234 for five. The wicket ended a stubborn stand of 64 between Nixon and Jonathan Dakin.
Wickremasinghe captured Dakin's wicket for 42, when he spooned the ball to Hashan Tillekeratne at mid-off mistiming a drive. Dakin who made a top score in the first innings with 79, batted 135 minutes and hit five fours in his second knock.
Dominic Williamson and David Millns took Leicestershire past the 300-run mark and were unbeaten on 13 apiece at lunch. Muralitharan, who took ten wickets for 94 in the previous game against Glamorgan at Cardiff, and a further three in the first innings here, once again and as always, obliged his captain Arjuna Ranatunga by capturing four of the five wickets to fall in the Leicestershire second innings on the third day.
Following an opening partnership of 53, Muralitharan reduced the county to 64 for 3 by capturing the wickets of Sutcliffe, Stevens and Maddy within the space of 26 balls for five runs, before acting captain Benjamin Smith got stuck in with a gritty innings of 75.
Dismissed for a duck in the first innings, Smith made amends by defying the Sri Lankan bowling for 143 minutes during which period he faced 134 balls and hit 12 fours. He was severe on fast bowler Pramodya Wickremasinghe, whom he hit for three fours in one over to reach his fifty. Smith's dismissal was brought about by part-time off-spinner Aravinda de Silva. He pushed an innocuous delivery straight into Russel Arnold's hands at forward short leg to make the county 203 for five. While he was there, Smith shared two good stands of 84 for the fourth wicket with Aftab Habib who made 23 before being dismissed lbw to the second ball after tea, and 55 for the fifth wicket with Paul Rixon.
Sri Lanka in nine-wicket win over Leicestershire
By Sa'adi Thawfeeq
LEICESTER, Monday - Sri Lanka completed a comfortable nine-wicket win over Leicestershire to record their first win on the tour of England, but with only one match-winning bowler in off-spinner Muthiah Muralitharan, they were made to work hard for their success in what would have been a routine victory for any other Test side, barring Zimbabwe, at Grace Road here today.
Muralitharan finished with his third five-wicket haul in four innings on the tour taking 5 for 108 as Leicestershire were finally bowled out for 362 runs, 35 minutes before tea on the fourth and final day. Sri Lanka left with an easy target of 99 off 50 overs to win, eventually got there using up only 24.4 overs, but they lost the important wicket of Sanath Jayasuriya, who once again failed to get a big score.
The quick-scoring left-hander, who made 36 in the first innings was out for 30 scored off 37 balls with one six and four fours before attempting to go over the top and being caught at extra cover. Jayasuriya and Russel Arnold put on 53 for the first wicket. Arnold finished unbeaten on 44 with Mahela Jayawardene on 21 when victory was sealed.
Having begun the tour with a draw against Somerset, followed by a two-day loss to Glamorgan, where they recorded their lowest total in England (54), Sri Lanka have come a full cycle to record their highest total in England here (509) and win against county championship chasers Leicestershire, currently second in the table.
Muralitharan took only one wicket today, but it was enough to carry his total on the tour to 18 wickets at a cost of only 13.50 per wicket to head the first-class bowling averages for the current English season.
Fast-medium bowlers Pramodya Wickremasinghe and Suresh Perera took two wickets apiece, but overall, Sri Lanka's bowling line-up was very much short of international class, with so much resting on the hands of Muralitharan, who once again bore the brunt, sending down 55 overs.
The county batted a further three and a half hours adding 128 runs off 54 overs for the last five wickets after resuming at 234 for five. Sri Lanka made their task much harder of dismissing the county early by giving away a record 65 extras, which was the highest conceded by a team touring England. Australia conceded 61 extras against England at Trent Bridge in 1989.
Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga was named the Vodafone 500 pounds sterling Man-of-the-Match for his knock of 110 in the first innings.