Rain and Sri Lanka stand in Australia's way
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Australia got rid of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene on the fifth morning in Pallekele, but their chances of pushing for a series-winning victory were starting to look slim after yet another lengthy rain interruption. At lunch, Thilan Samaraweera was on 37 and Prasanna Jayawardene had 13, and Sri Lanka had taken a lead of 51 runs with six wickets in hand.
That meant Australia needed not only to run through the Sri Lankan middle and lower order quickly, but they would also have chase on their hands. The main problem, apart from getting the remaining wickets, was the wet weather; only 17.2 overs were bowled in the first session, as rain forced the players off the field an hour before the scheduled lunch break.
The Australians took the new ball in the second over of the day, and it didn't take long before Ryan Harris made use of it, squaring Sangakkara up with a delivery that straightened in the air and moved away a touch off the seam. The thick edge was snapped up Michael Clarke at second slip and with Sangakkara gone for 69, Australia's hopes brightened.
Things could have been even better for the visitors later in the same over, when Samaraweera edged to slip before he had scored, but Clarke grassed a chance he would usually have taken. Clarke was in the thick of the action again when Jayawardene, who had made a composed half-century, fell for the second time in the game to a stunning one-handed take in the cordon.
On 51, Jayawardene edged Trent Copeland to second slip and Clarke hurled himself to his left to snare the ball just above the turf. However, despite Clarke telling Jayawardene he was "100% certain" he had taken the catch cleanly, the batsman stood his ground until replays confirmed the ball had clearly not touched the ground.
Within four overs, the players were off for the rain, and although the weather cleared up enough for a brief resumption, the umpires called for the covers again after only one ball. The only thing gloomier than the Pallekele sky was the mood in the Australian camp, as their fine work over the past few days looked set to go unrewarded.
Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: Brydon Coverdale © ESPN EMEA Ltd.
hmmmmmmm gud......
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