Cricket: Sri Lanka v Australia
Sri Lanka strengthened their hold on the Test series against Australia on a rain-hit third day in Galle.
The tourists resumed on 188 for five and were bowled out for 228 to give the hosts a 68-run lead.
Sanath Jayasuriya (19 not out) and Marvan Atapattu (21no) then steered Sri Lanka to 44 before the close of play, giving them a 112-run advantage with all second-innings wickets intact.
No play was possible until 4:30pm because of overnight and early morning rain - and only three hours could be squeezed in before dark.
However, Sri Lanka made the most of it.
Left-arm slow bowler Ranga Herath exploited the cracks in the pitch to finish off the Australians with figures
of four for 97 - his first Test
wickets.
Ricky Ponting (1) fell early on, edging Herath to Arjuna Ranatunga at slip, before Shane Warne (0) followed him to the pavilion two balls later, mis-hitting Herath to gully fielder Marvan Atapattu.
Damien Fleming (16) had looked in fine form but was bowled as he looked to force the ball on the on side.
Captain Jayasuriya and wicketkeeper Kaluwitharana combined to run out Colin Miller (6) before skipper Steve Waugh was last man out for 19 - caught behind by Kaluwitharana off Herath.
Australian pace bowler Damien Fleming has been spoken to by the match referee for an altercation with Sri Lanka's Chaminda Vaas in the second test, but it is unclear whether he has been fined.
The bowler appeared to drop his right shoulder into Vaas on Thursday after dismissing the batsman, who made 41 and
frustrated the visitors with a series of innovative strokes.
The bowler was approached by umpire Doug Cowie as the Australians gathered in a group to celebrate Vaas' dismissal and he was again talked to by
the umpire after the end of his over.
After the match, Fleming met with match referee Cammie Smith for about 30 minutes to discuss the incident.
Smith and Australian team management refused to disclose what action, if any, had been taken, saying that an International Cricket Council (ICC) regulation states that any comment must come from the controlling nation's cricket board.
A senior official of the Sri Lankan Board of Cricket Control said the Australian team had made a request for them not to release any details of the
disciplinary hearing.
Sri Lanka, who won the first Test of the three-Test series, were 44 for no loss in their second innings at close of play on the third day of the second test, a lead of 112.
Sri Lanka - First innings 296
Second innings
S Jayasuriya not out ................................. 19
M Atapattu not out .................................... 21
Extras 4. Total (for no wicket) ................... 44
Australia - First innings, o'night 188-5
M Slater st Kaluwitharana b Muralitharan 96
G Blewett b Muralitharan ......................... 62
J Langer c Ranatunga b Muralitharan ........ 7
M Waugh c Ranatunga b Muralitharan ..... 10
S Waugh c Kaluwitharana b Herath .......... 19
I Healy c Jayawardene b Muralitharan ....... 4
R Ponting c Ranatunga b Herath .................. 1
S Warne c Atapattu b Herath ..................... 0
D Fleming b Herath ................................. 16
C Miller run out .......................................... 6
G McGrath not out ..................................... 0
Extras 7. Total ......................................... 228
Fall of wickets: 1-138, 2-160, 3-179,
4-182, 5-188, 6-189, 7-189, 8-215, 9-228.
Bowling: Vaas 9-3-31-0, Zoysa 6-1-9-0, Herath 34.3-6-97-4 (1nb), Muralitharan 38-10-71-5 (1nb), Jayasuriya 9-1-15-0.
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