Cricket: Atapattu holds firm

Zimbabwe 286 Sri Lanka 232-4

MARVAN ATAPATTU'S unbeaten century helped put Sri Lanka in a strong position at the end of the second day of the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo yesterday. Atapattu struck 109 not out for his third Test century.

Zimbabwe started the day on 256 for 8 and added another 30, with Pramodya Wickramasinghe taking both remaining wickets to complete his Test-best figures of 6 for 60.

Sri Lanka's openers, Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya, put on 85 for the first wicket before their captain, Jayasuriya, was lbw to Andrew Whittall. Russel Arnold (7), Mahela Jayawardene (17) and Tuwan Dilshan (9) fell in quick succession and at 159 for 4, Zimbabwe were threatening to take control, but an unbroken partnership of 73 between Atapattu and Romesh Kaluwitharana steadied them.

Second day of five; Sri Lanka won toss

ZIMBABWE - First Innings

(overnight 256-8)

B Strang c Kaluwitharana

b Wickramasinghe 41

A Whittall c Kaluwitharana

b Wickramasinghe 8

H Olonga not out 1

Extras (5lb 23nb) 28

Total 286

Fall: 1-37, 2-38, 3-68, 4-167, 5-167, 6-212, 7-212, 8-250, 9-275.

Bowling: Vaas 28-3-88-1 (nb-10), Gallage 14-1-53-0 (nb-5), Wickramasinghe 21.2-6-60-6 (nb-3), Muralitharan 20-3-61-1 (nb-5), Arnold 6-3-8-0, Jayasuria 7-1-11-0.

SRI LANKA - First Innings

M S Atapattu not out 109

*S T Jayasuriya b A Whittall 49

R P Arnold c A Flower b Olonga 7

D P M Jayawardene lbw b Brent 17

T M Dilshan lbw b Olonga 9

R S Kaluwitharana not out 27

Extras (6b, 3lb, 1w, 4nb) 14

Total (for 4, 78 overs) 232

Fall: 1-85, 2-98, 3-141, 4-159.

Bowling: Olonga 17-4-66-2; Strang 10-3-32-0; Brent 19-10-28-1; A Whittall 23-3-74-1; G Whittall 5-1-20-0; G Flower 4-2-3-0.