Lehmann steals the limelight

Australia 314-6 v Sri Lanka

Paul Short
Wednesday 24 March 2004 20:00 EST
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In a match billed as the battle of the spinners, Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, the Australian batsmen Ricky Ponting and Darren Lehmann stole the limelight on the first day of the third Test against Sri Lanka here yesterday.

In a match billed as the battle of the spinners, Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, the Australian batsmen Ricky Ponting and Darren Lehmann stole the limelight on the first day of the third Test against Sri Lanka here yesterday.

Murali took two wickets to move to within 12 of the former West Indian Courtney Walsh who holds the record for Test dismissals of 519. The Sri Lankan is also now four behind Warne but the day was dominated by the bat with Lehmann hitting a century and Ponting 92 as the tourists reached 314 for 6.

Lehmann was particularly impressive, making his fifth Test century, and was 104 not out at stumps. The Australia captain Ponting cracked 92 off 138 balls, including 11 fours and one six.

* India won the fifth and deciding one-day match against Pakistan by 40 runs after a dominant effort in Lahore yesterday. After setting a target of 293 for 7, the visitors reacted well to an excellent seventh-wicket partnership of 99 between Shoaib Malik and Moin Khan which briefly threatened a remarkable turnaround until Shoaib was dismissed in the 41st over.

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