Sri Lanka v Australia: second men’s cricket Test, day three – live
We’ll be back on Day 4, of course, to bring you whatever may come.Match report on its way too.Or if you want to read Barney hopping into England’s national vibe, here’s that.Until tomorrow.So an interesting day.
Sri Lanka did start reasonably well, bowling Australia out without a vast amount more damage done.Jayasuriya completed an expensive five-for.But Smith and Carey had done most of the damage the day before, and conceding a deficit of 200 on the first innings is rarely overcome.Sri Lankan wickets fell regularly enough, until Mathews and Kusal looked like they might drive Sri Lanka to a lead that had a chance of being defended.But the late Mathews wicket opened the door to several more, and on day four it would need a desperate last stand from Kusal Mendis with the tail to get the lead beyond 100 and anywhere near credible.
It takes Kuhnemann one ball.Brought back to bowl the final over, as a left-arm spinner who can turn the ball away from a right-handed tailender, and he does just that.Perfect length, turns away, high on the bat and a straightforward height on catch #199 for Steven Smith.62nd over: Sri Lanka 211-7 (Kusal 48, Jayasuriya 6) Kusal takes one first ball from Lyon, happy to give Jayasuriya strike.Perhaps not so happy after his No9 tries a reverse sweep in the second-last over and misses.
But gets off strike next ball with an off-side push.Kusal takes another run, Jayasuriya does the same to keep the strike for the final over.That kind of makes sense, if a wicket falls here it will be the end of the day, so it shields the more important batter in Kusal.Unless they keep taking ones.61st over: Sri Lanka 207-7 (Kusal 46, Jayasuriya 4) Three runs for Jayasuriya! He has gone 0, 1, 0 before this in the series, but he’s all the way up to 4 now, driving past Webster and the bowler has to chase it back himself.
60th over: Sri Lanka 202-7 (Kusal 44, Jayasuriya 1) The tightest of calls for Lyon, who finally agrees to a review after hitting Kusal Mendis on the pad.Very close to the inside edge, which might have been in the umpire’s thinking.But there’s no contact.Very close to impact in line with the off stump, but it’s umpire’s call on impact.Would have been smashing leg stump, too.
That Law has to go, for me.Impact outside the line.Nonsense stuff left over from the 1800s.Residual redundancy.Like the human appendix.
Well past time to remove it,Jayasuriya pushes a run to cover,“Is that your first run of the series?” someone asks him,Didn’t catch the voice clearly enough,59th over: Sri Lanka 199-7 (Kusal 42, Jayasuriya 0) Webster was nearly on a hat-trick! And it would have been a golden pair for Prabath Jayasuirya too, who pushes hard at the ball and too early, hits it in the air back near the bowler, and Webster dives across to his left but can’t get it, ending up sprawled on the grass.
Actually got fully in the air there, and nearly touched it.Too easy for Australia.Beau Webster comes on to bowl his very occasional off-spin, the stuff he used to bowl before a switch to seam-up got him into the Australian side.And in his very first over, he strikes.He’s tall, get the ball to drop and bounce, and Ramesh Mendis can’t provide resistance too innings running, reaching well in front of his pad and turning the ball into Head’s hands at short leg.
Head mimes an off-spinning action as he celebrates, add that one to his portfolio,58th over: Sri Lanka 198-6 (Kusal 41, Ramesh 0) So it’s double Mendis time, Kusal and Ramesh,These two did a job together in the first innings,Ramesh nearly gives up a catch to leg slip first ball, but gets away with it,Oh no.
That’s the game.What has Angelo Mathews done? And why would he do it? Fewer than six overs to stumps, a lead building towards 50, a partnership of 65, and he decides that this is the time for an up-and-under sweep shot, aerial to deep backward square, where a fielder is waiting.Webster already has a reputation for catching everything, and he does the same there.Pointless shot after such an excellent innings.He must be exhausted from a long day in the heat, but surely so close to safety you just get through.
57th over: Sri Lanka 198-5 (Mathews 76, Kusal 41) Kusal Mendis isn’t going into his shell late.Sees a ball just short enough from Kuhnemann and smokes his pull shot for four.A few singles as well mean seven from the over.56th over: Sri Lanka 191-5 (Mathews 74, Kusal 36) The Starc trial lasts for two overs, he’s not comfortable clearly.Lyon gets the ball back.
Mathews has been very capable against him, pushes yet another single, this time through point.Kusal goes after a slog sweep, hard along the ground this time, finds the sweeper for one.Carey trying to gee up his team in this last few overs.Lyon gets one to jump at the glove, Mathews punches it down.Pulls out the reverse sweep for another single.
55th over: Sri Lanka 188-5 (Mathews 72, Kusal 35) Kuhnemann toiling away, into his 19th over today.Mathews jabs out the first five, then keeps strike down the ground.Eight overs to come.54th over: Sri Lanka 187-5 (Mathews 71, Kusal 35) Starc continues.Width, square drive cracked, but to the fielder.
And again, the drive to mid off this time.Mathews tips his head back in frustration.Has to settle for rushing a single to the leg side, that will test out the famous Mathews hamstrings.Sixth ball, Starc stops getting fortunate with the field placings, bowling down the leg side so that Kusal Mendis can glance four.53rd over: Sri Lanka 182-5 (Mathews 70, Kusal 31) Another big appeal that Lyon doesn’t follow with a review, this time for caught behind.
No nick from Big Ange.He does top edge a couple of sweep shots, one run apiece but dicey as they float away behind square leg.Has to get through to stumps.If these two get there, Sri Lanka are ever so slightly in the game.If even one falls, it’s pretty well done.
They’re 25 ahead.52nd over: Sri Lanka 178-5 (Mathews 68, Kusal 29) Haven’t seen Starc much today, just the couple of overs off the top, but he’s getting ready now.He has the groundsman’s hammer out, smashing away at the footholes in his delivery area to smooth out the edges.He doesn’t look happy bowling, putting a hand on his back and grimacing, but works his way into the over.By the sixth ball, Mathews is inside edging past his stumps for four.
51st over: Sri Lanka 173-5 (Mathews 64, Kusal 28) Now it’s Kusal’s turn.Slog sweep against Lyon, powers it through midwicket for four.Aims a similar shot at a wider ball but doesn’t get much on it, into the ground.Does get his third sweep, this time behind square along the ground to the deep sweeper.Sri Lanka up by 16.
50th over: Sri Lanka 168-5 (Mathews 64, Kusal 23) Drinks are done, but the boundaries keep coming! Mathews has not nailed the cut shot at all today, but finally gets every piece of one, giving himself room against Kuhnemann to smack four,49th over: Sri Lanka 164-5 (Mathews 60, Kusal 23) Fifteen overs left in the day,And Kusal Mendis goes past a hundred runs in the match with a six! Slog sweeps Lyon high over the leg side, not his cleanest hit as it goes up high and hangs, but it drops onto the hill at deep midwicket,Next ball, Kusal goes back and pulls hard, picking up two and sending Sri Lanka into the lead,That lead goes up to five, as a missed sweep eludes Carey and away to fine leg for four.
Given as runs? Tiny bottom edge on that? The ball missed off stump.A couple more singles, remarkably 14 from the over, and Sri Lanka to the good by seven runs.48th over: Sri Lanka 150-5 (Mathews 59, Kusal 10) This is odd.Second slip is fielding on all fours at the moment.What’s that position called? Bad dog? Pony ride? As Kuhnemann arrives to bowl, the slipper brings his hands up off the turf ready for a catch.
Bizarre, obviously trying to account for edges carrying very low,But it means there’s no mobility to go to either side,Singles keep coming, the deficit drops to seven,47th over: Sri Lanka 147-5 (Mathews 58, Kusal 8) No run from Lyon’s over, Mathews a rare set where he couldn’t find a run,Mad stat that I half heard on commentary and had to go and check for myself: this is Mathews’ 33rd Test at Galle out of 118 in his career.
He has over a quarter of his career runs at this ground.46th over: Sri Lanka 147-5 (Mathews 58, Kusal 8) Smith ringing the changes in the field as Kuhnemann waits to bowl.Not short but Kusal backs away looking to cut, finds cover.Does the same with a square punch next ball, finds point.Then gets four with the false shot, propped on the front shoe, defensive lunge, and the outside edge beats the second slip, Webster covering serious ground next to Smith but it even gets square of him.
Ten runs behind.45th over: Sri Lanka 143-5 (Mathews 58, Kusal 4) Lyon to continue, and the Sri Lankans do as Mathews has done all day: step to off, knock the off spinner to leg.Past the short leg catcher, singles where available.“Oh, Marnie!” yelps someone as a ball bounces by Labuschagne under the lid.But four singles from the over, it’s working for Sri Lanka right this minute.
They’re 14 down.44th over: Sri Lanka 139-5 (Mathews 56, Kusal 2) Solid connection on the sweep from Kusal, though he only gets one, and the Australian fielders liked him playing the shot.Hunting for an error.Mathews takes Kuhnemann off leg stump for one.They’re 18 short of parity.
43rd over: Sri Lanka 137-5 (Mathews 55, Kusal 1) Mathews stepping across to off, gets the ball on leg stump, misses his flick, cramped for room getting around the front pad.That is a brilliant call from Joel Wilson, not out with the ball pitching outside leg by about three millimetres, and very good from Lyon to defuse the chat of a review as well.Mathews keeps finding his singles to square leg, Kusal Mendis gets going with a run down the ground.42nd over: Sri Lanka 135-5 (Mathews 54, Kusal 0) Dragged short from Kuhnemann and Mathews fails to put it away, finding the point fielder set halfway back.41st over: Sri Lanka 134-5 (Mathews 53, Kusal 0) Five penalty runs! Handy for Sri Lanka
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