Resolute batting by Sri Lanka and bad weather frustrated Australia’s bid for a series-clinching win as the second Test ended in a draw in Pallekele yesterday.
Just 35.3 overs were bowled on the final day, in which Sri Lanka moved from their overnight score of 223-2 to 317-6 in the second innings, an overall lead of 80 with four wickets in hand.
Three half-centuries led a determined batting display by the hosts, who had faced defeat after being shot out for 174 in their first knock.
Photo: Reuters
Seamer Ryan Harris finished with 3-54 as the tourists chipped away at the Sri Lanka middle order, but rain did not leave enough time for Michael Clarke’s men to force the result that would have given them the series.
Angelo Mathews was unbeaten on 11 and Suraj Randiv was on 4 when play was halted midway through the post-lunch session. The match was finally called off two hours before the scheduled close.
Australia lead the three-match series 1-0 after their 125-run win in the first Test in Galle, with the final Test starting at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Friday.
Sri Lanka, who trailed by 14 runs at the start of the day, lost both their overnight batsmen — Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene — within the first hour.
Australia removed the two star batsmen with the second new ball, which was taken as soon as it was avaialble after one over from Trent Copeland with the old ball.
Sangakkara failed to add to his overnight score of 69 when he was squared up by a lifting delivery from Harris and edged a waist-high catch to Clarke at second slip.
The dismissal broke a threatening 101-run stand for the third wicket between Sri Lanka’s main batting hopes.
Clarke then dived to his left to snap a stunning low catch in the slips and send back Jayawardene for 51 off the bowling of Copeland.
Jayawardene stood his ground as the umpires debated whether the ball had touched the ground before landing in Clarke’s hand, but replays confirmed it was a clean catch.
Sri Lanka were 288-4, a lead of 51 runs, when a sharp shower drove the players back to the pavilion and the umpires ordered lunch 30 minutes early.
When play resumed, Australia grabbed two wickets in the space of six runs to reduce Sri Lanka to 307-6.
Harris picked up his third wicket of the innings when he forced Prasanna Jayawardene (21) to edge a catch to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.
Thilan Samaraweera made a dogged 43 when he was dismissed in similar fashion by Shane Watson in the post-lunch session.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB