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Goodness gracious me, Mr Dyso; how can you say such things. Sri Lanka produces werry fine athletes like Arjuna and Aravinda. They hear such things and they be spitting the chappattis.
Last edited by commonwombat on Thu Nov 27, 2003 9:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mark Butcher brought up his 150 by smacking a six over square-leg and out of the ground, as England declared on 314 for 9 on the final morning of their warm-up match in Colombo. Butcher, who had resumed on his overnight 105, immediately showed the touch and timing that he had worked towards on the second day, as England secured a first-innings lead of 133.
The morning did not go entirely England's way, however. The Sri Lankans took advantage of a bottom-heavy tail to chip away four wickets, and by lunch Michael Vandort and Dhammika Sudarshana had rattled along to 52 for 0 after 11 overs.
The real contest of the day, however, will be an internal one, as the spinners Ashley Giles, Gareth Batty and Robert Croft fight for the right to play in next week's first Test. Giles stole a march on his rivals with the bat at least, sweeping and driving his way to 30 from 35 balls, including five fours and a six, but the remaining batsmen contributed nine runs between them.
After an eyecatching display of wicketkeeping, Geraint Jones spoiled a good match with an ill-judged hoick through midwicket off Dilhara Fernando, which resulted in his leg-bail being sent pinging 30 yards behind the stumps (229 for 6). Butcher then survived his one chance of the day, a swirling clip, again off Fernando, that Bathiya Perera couldn't quite gather at backward square-leg.
It was the only other sniff that the Sri Lankans got in the first hour, as Giles responded to the threat posed by Robert Croft with a fine display of controlled aggression. He was eventually undone by Chamila Gamage, who bowled him off the inside edge as he pushed for the declaration, before Croft himself was unluckily adjudged lbw to Ranil Dhammika for a second-ball duck, despite appearing to get an inside edge.
Hoggard did not last long either, an angled four through third-man was followed by another lbw decision, this time to Gamage, who finished with 2 for 47 from 13 overs. But for the second time in his innings, Butcher brought up a milestone with a six, as England declared with an hour to go until lunch.