Record-breaker Jayawardena puts team in command

Sri Lanka is comfortably sitting at 384-6 against the visitors at the end of day 2 of the third and final Test at Galle. The hosts’ captain Mahela Jayawardena continued his sublime form and remained unbeaten on 149 during the close of play. With 21 Test centuries, he has surpassed the legendary Aravinda de Silva as the highest century-getter in Test cricket for Sri Lanka.

He was ably supported by Chaminda Vaas who is batting positively on 46 runs. The duo added 97 runs in the final session before bad light brought an end to proceedings. England’s hopes of wrapping up the Islanders under 300 were dashed by a defiant Jayawardena.

Overnight rain and wet ground conditions delayed the start of day 2 which curtailed the first session by 30 minutes. The hosts began the day at 147/4. The overnight pair of Jayawardena and Dilshan (84) started cautiously in the morning session.

The Lankan skipper was patient in his approach while Dilshan looked to take the attack back to the English bowlers by playing some hasty strokes. The duo added 64 runs to the overnight total and saw Sri Lanka through to the Lunch break without losing any wickets.

The post-Lunch session witnessed the same story, with the duo continuing to dominate the English attack. Dilshan took the charge by scoring freely in the second session. They shared an excellent partnership of 149 runs for the 5th wicket which virtually gave the knockout blow to the England.

England was finally successful in getting the breakthrough during the final over of the second session. The hosts lost two wickets in the space of 4 balls just on the stroke of the tea interval.

Dilshan was run out brilliantly by Cook when he tried to scamper a quick single to help his skipper get to his ton. Dilshan's comeback innings of 84 runs saw 12 strikes to the boundary.

Prasanna Jayawardene who has been a constant thorn in the visitors side departed for a duck when he knicked an easy catch to wicket-keeper Matt Prior off Ravi Bopara. This was Bopara's first scalp in Test cricket. Sri Lanka were placed at 287-6 when they headed into the last session with their skipper one short of his 21st Test ton.

Sloppy fielding

The visitors dropped as many as 4 catches today. Dilshan was fortunate during his innings as he was dropped 3 times by the Englishmen. He was first dropped at gully by Cook in the 2nd over of the day, and then at covers by Bopara and by keeper Prior. Sidebottom was the unfortunate bowler on all the three occasions.

Prior did not have the best of the days in the field as he also dropped Mahela Jayawardena off Hoggard. The dropped chances made the Poms pay as both the fortunate batsmen shared a valuable partnership between them.

Galle has been a happy-scoring ground for the hosts’ skipper as he has piled on 1176 runs in 11 Tests at this venue. Today he played the second-fiddle to Dilshan in the first two sessions, but picked up the scoring rate during the fag end of the day. His unbeaten innings consists of 16 boundaries. He also overtook Lankan great Arvinda de Silva in the list for the most century makers for the islanders.

England seamers toiled hard in hot and humid conditions today but failed to get wickets at regular intervals. Dismal fielding from the visitors did not help their bowlers. Sidebottom with figures of 1/75 from 30 overs and Harmison going wicketless throughout the day clearly reflected Sri Lanka's domination of day 2.