2nd Test: Clarke surpasses Ponting’s best with ton

Captain dazzles as Australia post big lead against SL.

MELBOURNE: Skipper Michael Clarke further embossed his passing of Ricky Ponting’s national calendar year scoring record with a ton against Sri Lanka in the second Melbourne Test yesterday.

Clarke hit a fine leg boundary off the last ball before mid-afternoon drinks to raise his 22nd Test century as Australia ended the day with 440 for eight in reply to Sri Lanka’s 156. He was out soon after for 106 when he was caught by rival skipper Mahela Jayawardene in the slips off Shaminda Eranga.

Clarke took his total runs for this year to 1,595 at 106.3 in Australia’s final Test match for 2012, eclipsing Ponting’s previous national record of 1,544 runs. In his 88th Test, he has scored 6,910 runs at 52.7.

“Numbers have never really bothered me too much in my career,” said Clarke. “It’s nice to be making runs and leading by example as one of the leaders in the team and the captain of the team. But to me it’s about winning games. If I am helping this team have success then I feel like that’s part of my job.

“As long as we keep winning that’s my priority. In my eyes, Ponting was certainly the greatest batsman I was lucky enough to play with so to beat any record that he holds is very special that’s for sure.”



The Australian skipper, who was a doubt ahead of the Boxing Day Test with a hamstring injury, had a let-off in Rangana Herath’s 17th over when Kumar Sangakkara missed a tough stumping chance when Clarke was on 54. He was also dropped by Tillakaratne Dilshan on five late on Wednesday’s opening day.

But while Clarke was savouring his 22nd Test century, vice-captain Shane Watson was reflecting on another missed opportunity to score his third century in his 38th Test match. Watson’s patient 265-minute vigil at number four ended when he pulled Dhammika Prasad straight to Thilan Samaraweera lying in wait at deep mid-wicket and he trudged head down from the ground. But Clarke was unconcerned by Watson’s dismissal and praised his subdued knock.

“I think it’s very exciting the way Watto (Watson) played,” said Clarke. “He showed a lot of discipline in his shot selection, even on the ball he got out. As his captain I’m not disappointed with his shot selection.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2012.