Jayawardene strikes second consecutive century

LONDON, June 28 (Reuters) Mahela Jayawardene scored a second successive one-day hundred at Old Trafford today to help Sri Lanka post a formidable 318 for seven after opting to bat in the fourth match of the series against England.

The Sri Lanka captain, in spectacular form, made 100 and put on a lightning 137 for the second wicket with Upul Tharanga (60). The pair lay waste to the England pace attack, scoring at eight runs an over.

Jayawardene, averaging 108 in the series before today's game, reached three figures off just 82 balls. His side have already clinched the five-match series after winning the first three matches.

England seemed to have given themselves a chance after taking five middle-order wickets for 60 runs, pegging their opponents back to 220 for six, but Sri Lanka provided a spectacular finish as 50 came off the final four overs.

Farveez Maharoof hammered 58 off 50 balls while Malinga Bandara made 28 off 22. Kabir Ali, losing his length completely, was hit for 35 off his last two overs which included three sixes and three fours. He finished with none for 77 off his 10 overs.

Sri Lanka, having won the toss, continued with their successful tactic of putting England's young bowlers under immediate, intense pressure.

Ali's first two balls of the game flashed to the off-side boundary, courtesy of Sanath Jayasuriya's bat. When Liam Plunkett replaced him his first over went for 14. On came Tim Bresnan, another medium-fast seamer, and his first ball fizzed to the rope, with 21 runs coming off his first two overs.

England's fielders were not helping their bowlers. Jamie Dalrymple caught Jayasuriya on the boundary off a trademark slashed drive for 14 to make it 23 for one in the fifth over but that was a lone success.

Jayawardene was offered a clutch of early lives, dropped on seven and 27 and missed again one run later when a direct throw would have run him out.

The Sri Lanka skipper, however, was a joy to watch as he opened up, driving on the up and whipping to leg as he hurtled to his half-century in 32 balls. Tharanga, favouring the off side and his front foot, soon joined him on the mark, off 60 deliveries.

Dalrymple was the only bowler to exert any control with his off spin and he ended the partnership to make it 160 for two just before the mid-way point, Tharanga's drive caught above his head by Vikram Solanki at short extra.

That sparked a collapse. Kumar Sangakkara (7) shaped to dab a Harmison lifter to third man but edged behind while Tillakaratne Dilshan (7) returned from a short rain interruption to miss a straight one from Plunkett.

Russel Arnold (7) was another to fail to get to double figures, edging Ian Bell behind, and moments later Jayawardene, looking to chip Dalrymple to leg, only succeeded in looping the ball straight back to the bowler.

REUTERS DH RS2023