da bwin： There was no case of second-time-unlucky for Tillakaratne Dilshan, and ablazing century pushed a tummy-bug-hit New Zealand to the brink as theGalle Test entered its climactic phase
The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran21-Aug-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outIt was butchery from Tillakaratne Dilshan yet again, only this time he ensured he crossed three figures•AFP
There was no case of second-time-unlucky for Tillakaratne Dilshan, and ablazing century pushed a tummy-bug-hit New Zealand to the brink as theGalle Test entered its climactic phase. Having taken a 153-run lead, withMuttiah Muralitharan taking his 100th wicket in Galle, Sri Lanka piled onthe misery either side of lunch, with stroke-filled cameos from KumarSangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera buttressingDilshan’s stunning effort. By tea, when the declaration came, the lead was412 and with several batsmen ill, New Zealand’s chances of survival werevery much dependent on the weather.But though it rained for nearly an hour after tea, their task was madeharder as soon as play resumed, with Daniel Flynn – promoted to open asTim McIntosh was indisposed – brilliantly caught an inch off the ground byMahela. Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor, batting at No.3 forthe first time, defended stoutly to prevent further damage, before badlight took the players off for the final time.Sri Lanka had amassed 183 in the second session, and the tone was set inthe very first over after the interval, as Sangakkara took three fours offJacob Oram. At the other end, Dilshan eased to 50 from just 35 balls and greetedJeetan Patel with a paddle sweep for four. To worsen Patel’s mood, ReeceYoung, the substitute wicketkeeper, couldn’t hold on when Dilshan openedthe face and tried to run one down to third man. He was on 62 at the time,and New Zealand had plenty of time to reflect on the lapse.With Sangakkara timing the ball so beautifully, the century partnershiptook just 113 balls, and it required a massive stroke of luck for NewZealand to break through. Dilshan drove one hard and low, and it justbrushed Daniel Vettori’s fingers before crashing into the stumps with Sangakkaraa few inches short of his ground.It was merely temporary respite though. Mahela announced himself witha meaty mow over square leg, and as the batsmen continued to pick the gapswith effortless ease, Vettori was forced into adopting a defensive linefor both himself and Patel – spearing the ball into the leg-stump rough.Mahela continued to sweep, but Dilshan’s scoring did stall as he didlittle more than pad the ball away.Once Dilshan dusted off the sweep and started to attack, New Zealand ranout of options. Patel did finally get a wicket, as Mahela popped up areturn catch, but Samaraweera buried any thoughts of celebrationwith two mighty leg-side swipes for six. He fell trying to repeat the featagainst Vettori, and the stage was then set for Dilshan to get the hundredwhich eluded him in the first innings.A single to mid-off got him there, and a fusillade of strokes followed.Prasanna Jayawardene chipped in with cuts behind point, heaves over coverand the odd edge, but it was Dilshan who ran the show, peppering theboundaries as the 50 partnership came up in just 41 balls. By then, mostof the New Zealanders were looking as sick as Brendon McCullum and JesseRyder, both of whom had been taken ill.It hadn’t taken Sri Lanka’s bowlers long to wrap up New Zealand’s firstinnings. Murali had Iain O’Brien caught behind before Thilan Thushara cameback to take his fourth wicket of the innings, bowling Vettori off theinside edge. Vettori’s had been a desperate shot, but with the haplessChris Martin at the other end, he really had no option but to go for thesingle off the last ball of the over.It was desperation of another kind when Dilshan, who had clattered 92 from72 balls in the first innings, arrived at the crease. Once again, NewZealand had no answer to his aggression, and O’Brien appeared stunned whenhe was hooked for six and then flayed for four through cover at the startof the innings.Tharanga Paranavitana went, edging to slip, but with Sangakkara caressing gorgeousstrokes through the covers, Dilshan was once again given the license to flirtwith the boundaries of Test-match batting. Both O’Brien and Martinsuffered as the ball was cut, square-driven and pulled ruthlessly eachtime it was even fractionally off length. The deluge that came after teawas nothing compared to what had gone before.