1st Test: Siddle’s five-for gives Australia edge

Bowler mops up Sri Lankan tail after Dilshan’s defiant 147.

HOBART:

Peter Siddle grabbed five wickets to help Australia to a 141-run lead at the end of the third day of the first test yesterday but only after a brilliant 147 from Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan had stalled the hosts for much of the day.

Openers Ed Cowan (16) and David Warner (eight) added 27 without loss to Australia’s first innings tally of 450 for five declared before the close of play, despite a rain disruption and some tight bowling from the Sri Lankan bowlers.

Dilshan earlier put on 161 in a record partnership with all rounder Angelo Mathews (75) to drive the tourists to 336 all out after they had resumed in a big hole at 87 for four in the morning.

Siddle finally separated them when he trapped Mathews lbw before tea after two sessions of frustration for Australia, which were compounded by an injury to seamer Ben Hilfenhaus.

Opener Dilshan followed soon afterwards – the victim of a superb yorker from left-armer Mitchell Starc – and Siddle then skittled the tail to finish with figures of five for 54.

“After lunch, we came out and attacked and bowled our partnerships, bowled the way we wanted to, built the pressure and got the rewards that were warranted,” said Siddle.



“It’s just about pressing forward tomorrow morning. Obviously it’s going to be hard for the batters, but I am sure they’ll dig in. We’ve just got to go from there, see how many runs we get to. It’s going to be a tight finish, that’s for sure.”

I’m very satisfied: Dilshan

Dilshan, resuming on 50, had to temper his aggressive instincts but moved steadily towards his 15th test century, spending a nervous half an hour in the nineties before finally reaching the hundred with his 16th four.

The 36-year-old’s delight at completing his first century in Australia was made clear to everyone in the ground by the huge yelp he emitted as he skipped down the wicket in celebration.

“I am very satisfied with this innings, especially with the quality of the bowlers and especially with the extra bounce in the wicket in Australia,” said Dilshan.

His hundred came off 148 balls and the scoring rate slowed even further after lunch as Australia’s bowlers took the new ball and made the batsmen work for every run.

Siddle finally made the breakthrough when he sent down a delivery that caught Mathews on the back leg with the TV umpire confirming upon appeal that the ball would have clipped the top of the middle stump.

Dilshan’s departure on the 273rd ball he faced precipitated something of a collapse for the tourists with the last four wickets tumbling for the addition of just 47 runs.

Dilshan said he thought the rest of Sri Lanka’s much vaunted top order would do better in the second innings after their failure in the first.

“Our batsmen know how to adjust quickly and can chase down any target they set. First, tomorrow, we need to take a couple of early wickets and put some pressure back on them.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 17^th, 2012.