COLOMBO, January 15: Leg-spinner Paul Strang captured four Sri Lanka wickets for 77 to give Zimbabwe the edge in the second Test today.Strang played the key role as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 225 in their first innings -- 26 behind -- on the second day at the Singhalese Sports Club Ground.
Zimbabwe, beaten by eight wickets in the first of the two Tests, were 24 for one in their second innings at the close, leading overall by 50.
They lost opener Gavin Rennie (12) to part-time off-spinner Aravinda de Silva, who opened the bowling with Ravindra Pushpakumara in the absence of fast bowler Chaminda Vaas.
Vaas has been ruled out of the remainder of the match after being taken ill with measles.
SCOREBOARD
Zimbabwe (1st innings) (overnight 251-9): G Rennie c Kaluwitharana b Muralitharan 50, G Flower b Pushpakumara 41, M Goodwin b Anurasiri 73, G Whittal run out 11, A Flower c&b Anurasiri 8, A Campbell c Kaluwitharana b Vaas 44, C Wishart lbw Muralitharan 2, P Strang c Pushpakumara b
Anurasiri 5, H Streak b Vaas 3, G Whittal not out 1, M Bhangwa lbw Pushpakumara 0; Extras: (lb3, w1, nb9) 13. Total (all out in 87.2 overs) 251
Fall of wickets: 1-70, 2-110, 3-144, 4-178, 5-201, 6-206, 7-223, 8-240, 9-249
Bowling: Vaas 12-1-35-2; Pushpakumara 12.2-2-43-2; De Silva 7-1-33-0; Muralitharan 32-10-72-2; Anurasiri 27-7-65-3
Sri Lanka (1st innings): S Jayasuriya c G Whittall b Streak 5, M Atapattu c A Flower b Strang 48, R Mahanama b Mbangwa 8, A de Silva c&b Streak 27, A Ranatunga c Streak b Strang 52, H Tillekeratne c Rennie b A Whittall 7, R Kaluwitharana c A Flower b Strang 51, D Anurasiri not out 3, M Muralitharan c A Flower b Mbangwa 11, KR Pushpakumara b Strang 1, C Vaas (absent ill). Extras (lb-11, w-1): 12. Total: (all out in 73.5 overs) 225
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-43, 3-91, 4-91, 5-130 6-198, 7-213, 8-224, 9-225.
Bowling: Streak 15-5-28-2, Mbangwa 16-4-61-2, G Whittall 3-0-18-0, Strang 19.5-2-77-4, A Whittall
20-6-30-1.
Zimbabwe (2nd innings): G Rennie c Kaluwitharana b de Silva 12, G Flower batting 10, A Whittal batting 0; Extras: (lb1, w1) 2. Total (for one wicket in 9 overs) 24
Fall of wickets: 1-22
Bowling: Pushpakumara 3-1-12-0, De Silva 3-1-10-1, Muralitharan 1-1-0-0, Anurasiri 2-1-1-0.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
