Cricket: De Silva puts Sri Lanka in control

Sri Lanka 331 & 386-4 dec Pakistan 292 & 28

Aravinda de Silva became the first batsman in Test history to score two unbeaten centuries in a match to put Sri Lanka in a winning position against Pakistan in the second and final Test yesterday.

De Silva followed his 138 not out with an unbeaten 103 to allow Sri Lanka to set Pakistan 426 to win the match and the series.

Chaminda Vaas then dispatched openers Ramiz Raja for nought and Salim Elahi for 14 to leave Pakistan in trouble.

De Silva's batting has dominated the short series in which he has made three consecutive hundreds. He hit 168 in the second innings of the drawn first Test, also in Colombo.

He became the third Sri Lankan to score a century in each innings of a Test after Duleep Mendis against India in 1982-83, and Asanka Gurusinha against New Zealand in 1990-91.

Leon Garrick has been called up by West Indies in his first season in first-class cricket. The 20-year-old opener is in West Indies' squad of 13 for today's third one-day international against India in Kingstown, St Vincent.