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Thursday, 18 March 2004 |
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Martyn continues run revival - Cricket - www.smh.com.au
Damien Martyn scored an unbeaten century on the third day of the second cricket Test against Sri Lanka at Kandy with Australia 5-320 - a lead of 229 runs - as rain brought an early end to the third afternoon of play. Players were forced from the field an hour before tea. Umpires later abandoned play for the day. Martyn is not out 104 and Andrew Symonds on 6 in Australia's second innings total of 5-320 - a handy lead of 229. The batsmen out today were Adam Gilchrist for 144, Darren Lehmann for 21 and captain Ricky Ponting for 27. Earlier, Australia went to lunch on 4-299 on the third day of the second cricket Test against Sri Lanka. At the break, Martyn was not out on 90 and Ponting was on 27. Martyn has been lucky, dropped on 0 and 65, both times by Mahela Jayawardene at second slip off the bowling of Nuwan Zoysa. His early life today, when he had added just one run to his overnight score, reinforced the need for patience and he crawled through the rest of the session, scoring just 26 runs in two hours. After taking more than more five hours to make his drought-breaking century in the first Test in Galle, Martyn was set for an even longer ton here, having batted more than five and a half hours already as Australia tries to build a big lead as well as use up time.
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Ponting injured but Gilly leads fightback - Cricket - www.smh.com.au
Adam Gilchrist proved a worthy deputy in more ways than one as captain Ricky Ponting sat out the start of Australia's second innings with a back injury in the second cricket Test against Sri Lanka at Asgiriya Stadium here today. Batting at No.3 in place of the injured Ponting, the Australian vice-captain scored his 10th Test century to lead the Australian rescue program on the second day. While Ponting got continuous treatment for his damaged back, Gilchrist rediscovered the form that had abandoned him in the latter part of the summer. His last century was in the first Test against Zimbabwe back in October and this ton ends a string of single digit scores for the wicketkeeper. At stumps, with bad light stopping play, Australia was 2-221, with Gilchrist on 140 and Damien Martyn on 64. Australia leads by 130 runs with eight wickets in hand.
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