As it happened: Third Test Day Three

Adrian Crawford

Updated January 06, 2013 10:30:49

Sri Lanka leads by 87 with three wickets in hand going into the fourth day of the third Test at the SCG.

Look back with us at all the day three updates as well as the best in audio and video highlights, photos, your tweets and more from Sydney.

Today's highlights: (All times in AEDT)

6:50pm: And with that I'll sign off. We'll be back for more tomorrow as Australia looks to wrap up a 3-0 sweep to send retiring legend of the game Michael Hussey off victorious.

Until Sunday, I'm Adrian Crawford. Thanks for joining us once again for another huge day of cricket action.

6:42pm: With Drew on the boundary rope tonight, the responsibility falls to Jim Maxwell and Kerry O'Keeffe to wrap up the third day's action-packed day of cricket for you.

You can hear their summary below.

And after such a huge day of wickets, runs and cracking commentary, you'll want to check out our highlights package as well.

6:27pm: At 9:00am tomorrow morning, before play begins on day four, national selector John Inverarity will unveil the Australian squad for the first two one-day internationals against Sri Lanka.

6:20pm: Sri Lankan opener Dimuth Karunaratne also stopped by for a chat with Drew.

He said the tourists realise that they are in the hole and must be realistic with what score they can set for Australia tomorrow.

"150 would be great, we can't think [about] the bigger targets so we're thinking about 150-170."

But Karunaratne said the mood in the dressing room is still good, especially after his strong knock on Saturday.

"They're all happy because I couldn't score much in the Melbourne Test.

"So I just want to play my natural game and do something for the team, and everyone's happy."

Take a listen to the interview below.

6:13pm: Australian wicket-keeper and centurion Matthew Wade is down on the boundary rope with Drew Morphett.

He was understandably chuffed with his ton and said he wasn't worried about running out of partners.

"It was something pretty special; to get my first 100 at home was a great feeling.

"I didn't know what to do to be honest, I carried on a bit but it was good fun. I just want to win this one for Hussey to be honest.

I had a lot of confidence in Siddsy and Starc and Nathan Lyon and the plan with Bird was to come down the wicket and hit the spinner.

"I was full of confidence and you've just got to trust the bloke at the other end."

The crowd, and indeed the Twitterverse, want to see Mike Hussey open the batting when Australia begins its victory chase at some point tomorrow.

But Wade doesn't reckon Mr Cricket wants the limelight.

"Huss was a little bit embarrassed about it all ... but the crowd has embraced Huss as one of their own this week.

"If Huss gets his way I'm sure he'll want to stay where he is [in the batting order]."

And his assessment for tomorrow?

"We've got to get these three as quick as we can with the wicket deteriorating.

"We wouldn't want to be chasing more than 150-200 to be honest."

Listen to their chat below.

D. Chandimal 22*

R. Herath 7*

D. Karunaratne 85

M. Johnson 2/19 (9 overs)

P. Siddle 1/35 (14 overs)

M. Starc 1/48 (10 overs)

Australia 9 (dec)-432 (107 overs)

M. Wade 102*

J. Bird 6*

P. Hughes 87

R. Herath 4/95 (31 overs)

N. Pradeep 2/114 (24 overs)

T. Dilshan 1/58 (19 overs)

L. Thirimanne 91

M. Jayawardene 72

T. Dilshan 34

J. Bird 4/41 (19.4 overs)

M. Starc 3/71 (19 overs)

P. Siddle 2/46 (15 overs)

6:00pm: That's all the play we've got for day three and here's how it has panned out.

5:59pm: HUGE SHOUT FOR A STUMPING! The umpire has gone upstairs but it was obvious even without the replay that Herath's foot was buried behind the crease and Wade didn't have the ball when he crashed the bails off.

Herath takes a pair off the last ball and that's stumps.

5:55pm: In case you heard that roar from wherever you're reading, it's okay. The Mayans were still wrong. Michael Hussey has been thrown the ball for the last over of the day.

Chandimal doesn't care about the occasion - he's stroked Mr Cricket directly for four. Gotta thing Herath is excited to face him too.

5:53pm: BIG SHOUT FOR LBW! Herath was the victim of a Starc sandshoe crusher but it was sliding down leg. Next ball is a bumper that he just gets out of the way of.

Kerry and Jim mentioned reports on social media this morning that Herath had died overnight.

"And now he's batting!" says Kerry. "Very well done him."

"The resurrection shuffle that's called," Jim reckons.

5:50pm: Chandimal isn't going to die wondering. He's just played two delightful strokes through the off-side for consecutive boundaries off Jackson Bird to move to 18 with the lead at 78.

5:42pm: Skull reckons Chandimal needs a dominant century here. But it's worth mentioning, for amusement factor if nothing else, that Herath's best Test knock is 80 not out against India in the first Test at Galle in 2010.

He faced 93 balls and hit 10 fours and a six in the first innings of Sri Lanka's eventual 10-wicket win. So fair warning, Australia.

5:32pm: PRASAD IS OUT! He falls for 15, caught behind, as Mitchell Starc returns to the attack. And just at the right time too, because that's his first scalp for the innings.

He had a flashy little knock to make his runs off 17 balls to add a handy few to Sri Lanka's lead. But the tail is well and truly exposed now.

Sri Lanka is 7 for 202, a lead of 74, with Rangana Herath joining Chandimal (9) at the crease.

5:24pm: Michael Hussey, Mr Cricket himself, has been fielding down at long on and the crowd are absolutely in raptures every time the ball goes near him. They know what they're watching - what amounts to his last afternoon in the field for Australia.

5:20pm: SHOUT FOR A STUMPING! Prasad has stepped down chasing Nathan Lyon, missed the ball and Matthew Wade has whipped the bails off.

But the right-hander's foot was anchored and the third umpire confirms as such.

5:16pm: Our expect commentator Roshan Abeysinghe has all but thrown in the towel on his countrymen.

@RoshanCricket SL has caused its own downfall with very poor and unimaginative cricket.

Not impressed.

5:11pm: I really think Sri Lanka has a death wish. This pair of Chandimal and Prasad have taken on David Warner twice since they've been out there together - literally less than five minutes - and both times they've been close to being run out.

Is it so hot in Sydney they don't want to be in the middle any more?

5:05pm: JAYAWARDENE IS GONE! That's the final nail in the Sri Lankan coffin, according to Roshan Abeysinghe.

He's edged Peter Siddle to a diving Michael Clarke in the cordon to show the SCG crowd the back of the Sri Lankan batting order. Unless the tourists' bowlers can bat the way the Aussie ones did, the door is all but closed here.

Sri Lanka is 6 for 178, a lead of 40, with two days and about 50 minutes to play.

5:01pm: MATHEWS IS OUT! The captain-in-waiting is run out testing the arm of none other than David Warner. How has Sri Lanka not learnt not to do that yet?

Hesitation by the tourists and a sharp spot of fielding by the Australian opener combine to remove Mathews for 16, leaving his side at 5 for 178. Mahela Jayawardene isn't supposed to run out of partners batting at 3.

4:56pm: At the drinks break Sri Lanka is 4 for 177 with Angelo Mathews unbeaten on 16 and skipper Mahela Jayawardene on 59.

4:43pm: Well Mathews looks more settled than the last two did. He's popped three fours in four balls from one Lyon over to move to 16 off just 13 deliveries. Is he going to captain the T20 squad as well?

Sri Lanka is 4 for 176. Jayawardene is 58 not out.

4:26pm: SAMARAWEERA IS OUT! He's absolutely thrown away his wicket there. What a stupid shot.

Samaraweera departs for a duck on a brain explosion playing across the line, skying an edge off Nathan Lyon down the throat of Mike Hussey for a sensational catch at long off. Drew's gone nuts, Kerry's gone nuts, the crowd's gone nuts...what a piece of cricket.

Mahela Jayawardene is not a happy captain right now. Oh boy. Incoming skipper Angelo Mathews has come out to the middle. How about some leadership eh? The score is 4 for 158.

4:23pm: If the Jackson Bird Fan Club has one member, it's definitely Kerry O'Keeffe. Skull is chuffed with the way Bird has not only played in his first two Tests - especially his four-for on Thursday and his gallant supporting effort as Matthew Wade chased a century this morning - but he's playing to the appreciative fans too, signing autographs, interacting and waving to the crowd down at fine leg.

4:20pm: THIRIMANNE IS OUT! Australia didn't have to wait long to dismiss the first innings top-scorer. Mitchell Johnson has tempted the left-hander into a silly hook shot which flew to Jackson Bird at fine leg for 7.

My right-hand man James Maasdorp pointed out that even halfway through the stroke, you could almost see Thirimanne's look of exasperation as he spotted Bird in the deep.

Sri Lanka is 3 for 155, a lead of 17, and Thilan Samaraweera joins Jayawardene at the crease.

4:13pm: BIG SHOUT FOR LBW ON THIRIMANNE! The finger went straight up but without consulting his skipper at the other end, Thirimanne has asked for the review.

The right-hander was given out first ball in the first innings lbw but had the decision overturned, and it's going to happen again this time.

The point of impact was above the flap of the pad on his back leg - it may have clipped the top of middle stump but that's not enough. Lahiru loves the DRS, and the DRS loves him.

4:05pm: 50 FOR JAYAWARDENE! That's a pair of half-centuries in Mahela Jayawardene's last Test as Sri Lankan captain.

He spotted Jackson Bird's late swing and flicked it off his legs for a boundary through mid-wicket. Glorious stroke.

Sri Lanka moves to 2 for 147, a lead of nine runs, with Lahiru Thimiranne on 1.

4:00pm: In case you missed it earlier today, ABC Sport's Jen Browning caught up with former Australian paceman Glenn McGrath on arguably the biggest day of his year.

Have a listen to their chat below.

3:51pm: Jeez, what can't Jackson Bird do? That's a huge diving save at the boundary rope to stop a four from Jayawardene.

"Well saved by Bird! He swooped! Of course he swooped." Thanks Jim.

He can't stop the next one though (given it's through the covers, not at fine leg) that goes to the fence to draw Sri Lanka level with Australia.

3:44pm: KARUNARATNE IS OUT! You could say Siddle softened him up for Jackson Bird to finally take the wicket Australia was after.

The left-handed opener threw the bat at it hard and caught an edge to Matthew Wade behind the pegs for 85. Nothing on Hot Spot on the replay but there was a big noise there.

Sri Lanka is 2 for 132, six runs behind Australia, as Lahiru Thirimanne comes to the middle. Wonder if he's still limping from yesterday's battering in the field.

@RusselArnold69 Brilliant knock from Dimuth.... Took an eternity to walk off in disappointment. Another partnership needed here to keep Oz at bay

3:40pm: At the other end Peter Siddle is also looking for Sri Lankan scalps but to no avail just yet.

3:34pm: Meanwhile Jackson Bird has taken the ball for the first over after tea. Australia desperately needs a breakthrough here or Sri Lanka's innings could quickly get out of hand.

3:31pm: If you missed Drew Morphett's chat with Prime Minister Julia Gillard over the tea break, we've got you covered.

The two talked about the Government's $18.5 million funding boost for breast cancer nurses, their pet dogs and more.

Have a listen below.

D. Karunaratne 83*

M. Jayawardene 38*

T. Dilshan 5

M. Johnson 1/14 (5 overs)

J. Bird 0/26 (8 overs)

M. Starc 0/42 (7 overs)

Australia 9 (dec)-432 (107 overs)

M. Wade 102*

J. Bird 6*

P. Hughes 87

R. Herath 4/95 (31 overs)

N. Pradeep 2/114 (24 overs)

T. Dilshan 1/58 (19 overs)

L. Thirimanne 91

M. Jayawardene 72

T. Dilshan 34

J. Bird 4/41 (19.4 overs)

M. Starc 3/71 (19 overs)

P. Siddle 2/46 (15 overs)

3:14pm: The bails are off, tea has been called and Dimuth Karunaratne has shaken hands with his skipper Mahela Jayawardene before departing the middle. With good reason too.

Sri Lanka is 1 for 130 at tea, eight runs short of Australia's total and with nine wickets in hand. That's a very tasty position to be in at this juncture.

Karunaratne goes to the break at 83 while Jayawardene has made 38. Apart from the early dismissal of Tillakaratne Dilshan (5) the Australian bowlers haven't shown anything in the way of dominance since lunch.

If Sri Lanka can bat for another three or four sessions, we're in for an absolute belter as the tourists battle for their maiden Test win Down Under.

3:09pm: I can never get the "last over before tea" prediction right. Siddle is the man with the ball and he's rapped Karunaratne on the pad first ball! A huge confident appeal denied by Aleem Dar, but Michael Clarke has referred it to the DRS.

Replay indicates it's pitching and hitting in line, but the height was the deciding factor so Siddle misses out. And Prime Minister Julia Gillard has joined Drew Morphett and Russel Arnold in the commentary box.

3:05pm: This is likely to be the last over before tea and Sri Lanka only trails by a dozen. The break will give Australia an opportunity to regroup and strategise, because nothing is really going right for the hosts this afternoon so far.

2:58pm: Starc isn't the answer either. Karunaratne has taken 10 off this over alone and is now 79 not out from 93 balls.

2:52pm: Another change of bowling and Peter Siddle has the ball. Can he be the man to break this partnership, which is now at 88?

2:48pm: Australia doesn't seem to have the answer for separating this pair right now, based on the beautiful cover drive Karunaratne just played to the boundary off Mitchell Starc. Stunning. He moves to 67* with skipper Mahela Jayawardene on 34*.

2:43pm: By the end of Lyon's fifth over, the 24th of the innings, Sri Lanka had reached 1 for 100. Only 38 to go until the tourists draw level with Australia, and they've got nine wickets in the sheds for now.

2:40pm: As can sometimes happen, the middle session and some batting momentum can cause the conversation in the commentary box to take some...wild tangents.

That was the case a few moments ago when, thanks in part to Nathan Lyon's contributions with the ball in the middle, Jim Maxwell and Kerry O'Keeffe began to mull over who might be included in a Jungle XI comprising players with animal-related names.

Have a listen below.

2:26pm: 50 FOR KARUNARATNE! In the battle of the body language, Dimuth Karunaratne is winning and Nathan Lyon is on the other end of the scale.

The Sri Lankan opener has spanked the Aussie tweaker for a huge six a few rows back. That's his second Test match half-century and what a way to bring it up.

2:18pm: Karunaratne's first single off Lyon's next over takes their partnership to 50 and they're looking confident out there.

Meanwhile Starc is spelled and Jackson Bird is back in. First delivery is a front-foot no-ball.

2:12pm: Lyon shouldn't feel too badly though, because Starc has gone for nine in his last over as well. Mahela Jayawardene punctuated the over with a beautiful four off his legs to the square boundary.

The captain moves to 21 not out with Dimuth Karunaratne on 44 in very quick time as the tourists hit 1 for 73 at drinks, more than halfway to parity an hour into the second session.

2:04pm: These two are ticking the scoreboard over steadily and Sri Lanka has reached 1 for 55. Nathan Lyon has the rock now looking for some turn on this baked day three pitch.

He goes for nine in his first over, all to Karunaratne who's moved to 39 from 51 balls.

1:42pm: Short, wide, four runs off the back foot. Brilliant shot by Karunaratne off Johnson - that's how you punish bad balls. He's 24 not out and Sri Lanka is 1 for 34.

1:36pm: We've got Peter Siddle into the attack at the other end so Bird can have a spell.

1:22pm: DILSHAN IS OUT! Johnson has made the breakthrough, eking an edge to Phil Hughes from Tillakaratne Dilshan who wasn't entirely convinced. The batsman walked initially but Aleem Dar asked him to wait a second.

The concerned seemed to be whether Hughes got under the catch, which came through extremely low, but the replays show it was a clean grab. Dilshan is done for 5.

So Sri Lanka is 1 for 24 with Dimuth Karunaratne on 18.

1:16pm: Jackson Bird is pulling the strings at the other end and Dilshan has his first run, as Sri Lanka moves to 20 without loss after six overs.

1:11pm: We're back underway at the SCG with Mitchell Johnson starting proceedings after lunch. Dilshan is yet to get off the mark and Karunaratne is 17.

The batsmen may want to watch their fingers...

D. Karunaratne 17*

T. Dilshan 0*

J. Bird 0/9 (2 overs)

M. Starc 0/9 (2 overs)

Australia 9 (dec)-432 (107 overs)

M. Wade 102*

J. Bird 6*

P. Hughes 87

R. Herath 4/95 (31 overs)

N. Pradeep 2/114 (24 overs)

T. Dilshan 1/58 (19 overs)

L. Thirimanne 91

M. Jayawardene 72

T. Dilshan 34

J. Bird 4/41 (19.4 overs)

M. Starc 3/71 (19 overs)

P. Siddle 2/46 (15 overs)

12:30pm: Lunch has arrived and Sri Lanka has reached 18 without loss, and Dimuth Karunaratne has 17 of them. Tillakaratne Dilshan is yet to get off the mark, but that's an encouraging start for the tourists.

The deficit is just 120 on a batsman's paradise under cloudless blue skies in Sydney. If this pair can stick around and build a strong first-wicket partnership, we've got a very engaging Test match here.

Kerry believes they need to be close to parity by tea and have some sort of lead by stumps this afternoon.

12:22pm: Meanwhile, no one who's watched the stingy Jackson Bird bowl over the last Test and a half will be surprised to hear his first over conceded a solitary run, a no-ball. Sri Lanka is 0 for 9 after two.

12:19pm: Here's an interesting bit of insight on Twitter from former South Australian gloveman Graham Manou, who played a Test and a handful of ODIs for Australia in 2009.

@GrahamManou Like Eng do with Prior, an investment for someone to work with Wade full time as a keeper, he could become one of the all time greats

12:17pm: Well maybe it won't be such a dangerous period? Dimuth Karunaratne has punched Mitchell Starc for two boundaries in the opening over. The deficit is down to 130.

12:08pm: This'll be a dangerous period for Sri Lanka's openers with 20 or so minutes to bat before lunch.

If Australia can shake them up and take a wicket before the interval then the pressure is on.

@RoshanCricket Tough session for SL to negotiate before lunch. 20 mts and may be 5 overs. These sessions always hard with nothing to gain but a lot to lose

Kerry O'Keeffe reckons Tillakaratne Dilshan is going to shine out there with the pitch and the weather the way they are, but he absolutely has to be there at lunch.

12:01pm: WADE IS DROPPED! You're kidding. He's hooked a short one down to fine leg but the fielder has spilled him.

But it doesn't matter because Michael Clarke has called them in. Australia declares its first innings closed at 9 for 432, a lead of 138.

Jackson Bird goes to the sheds unbeaten on 6 while Wade finished on 102 not out.

It's tough to believe Wade resumed this morning on 47 not out, piling on 55 in just under an hour and a half. Have a listen to his morning's efforts below.

Sri Lanka's efforts were led by Rangana Herath, who showed why he was 2012's leading Test wicket-taker with 4 for 95 from 31 overs.

11:57am: CENTURY FOR WADE! He just clipped Lakmal to the deep for a frustratingly close-to-a-six boundary to reach 95, and takes another two, then finds the cover boundary, in consecutive balls, for his second Test ton.

He's piled on 30 runs since Bird arrived at the crease, and his second 50 has come up off 45 balls. That's exactly what the home side needed. Brilliant stuff.

And the Twitterverse is not short of tributes, especially from the Apple Isle:

@PeterNewlinds Love the fluency and power through the off side, gritty too. Made in Tasmania. Matthew Wade. #SCG #Cricket

11:55am: The SCG crowd is practically in raptures every time Bird a) scores a run or b) survives a delivery with his wicket. This is proving to be a fun morning session of Test cricket.

Australia is 9 for 421, a lead of 127. Wade is 91, Bird 6.

11:53am: Couple of quick runs there for Wade - he's determined to reach triple figures and he's determined to keep Bird off the strike.

11:49am: Geoff Lawson isn't impressed with Mahela Jayawardene's field placements, as Wade is allowed to take a single on the fifth ball of the over to all but guarantee himself the strike next over.

A corker of a Pradeep delivery could easily send Bird packing...but the new kid on the block has scored the first four of his career! Well that's tidy. Bird is 6, Wade is 88 and has the strike.

11:47am: It's now or never for Matt Wade. He moves to 83 with a thumping shot to deep extra cover for four off Pradeep. Then two more off the next delivery after miscuing another big flash of the bat that ran down to long off.

11:45am: And there they are - Jackson Bird's first Test runs - via a push through cover for two to end (and survive) the Herath over. What can Wade do with it now?

And as expected, we've got some clever wordplay from Peter Walsh in the studio.

@PeterAWalsh This Big Bird has Sesame Street potential..don't you just love the crowd noise when he got off the mark !

11:42am: Four more for Wade as Australia brings up the 400 with nine wickets down. Wade probably would've preferred a single to maintain the strike, but who really complains about a boundary?

11:40am: The SCG crowd has gone up in support as it looked like Bird had scored his first run in Test cricket...but it was a leg bye. Either way it gives the strike back to Wade, who absolutely buries a hard-hit drive to the cover boundary for four. He moves to 75*.

11:39am: Wade has taken a quick single off Pradeep to bring up the 100-run lead. Is that enough? It might have to be, unless Bird can hang in there.

11:35am: LYON IS OUT! Well one ball after he didn't get to the pitch of a slower one and chipped it loftily (and nervously) to mid-on, Rangana Herath has his man and his fourth wicket for the Test.

Lyon departs for 4 and Australia is just about done at 9 for 393 with Jackson Bird coming to the crease. The lead is 99...and Geoff and Kerry's magic number was 100-plus.

But remember - Jackson's mum told Kerry on day one that he's a "better batsman" than his duck in Melbourne indicates.

11:30am: It's drinks already - where has the first hour gone? Australia has reached 8 for 392, adding 50 so far in the morning session for the loss of two wickets to lead by 98 runs.

Matthew Wade is unbeaten on 69 while Nathan Lyon has 4 to his name after a tidy cover drive off the half-volley to the boundary.

11:23am: STARC IS GIVEN! Herath has rapped the Aussie paceman on the back knee-roll right in front of the stumps and there's almost no question. That was plumb.

Starc asked for the replay but it was almost redundant. He's on his way back to the pavilion for 2 and Australia is 8 for 387, a lead of 97. Nathan Lyon joins Matthew Wade (68*) in the middle.

11:18am: SIDDLE IS OUT! It was a matter of time; Siddle has looked good in patches this morning but there were some nervy moments there too. This time Pradeep has his man with a nick through to Chandimal for a simple catch behind.

He's gone for 38, ending a very tidy partnership of 77 for the seventh wicket. Australia is 7 for 384.

11:13am: Edge! But Siddle is lucky to have nicked Herath JUST to the left of Jayawardene at first slip, and the Aussies take three runs.

It's 6 for 384 with Siddle on 38* and Wade 67*.

11:04am: HUGE SHOUT from Rangana against Wade for lbw, but Aleem Dar says it hit him outside the line.

11:01am: Sri Lanka has gone for the referral on a caught-behind shout on Siddle! Nuwan Pradeep didn't seem fazed but Dinesh Chandimal was very confident about the leg-side take.

But that's a wasted review because Hot Spot shows absolutely zilch on the bat. That was the tourists' last referral as well.

10:55am: Skull has it on "good" authority that after copping a barrage of body blows at forward short leg yesterday afternoon, Lahiru Thirimanne agreed to return to that position this morning but only if he could "field in the PopeMobile".

10:47am: Photo finish in ANOTHER run-out chance for Sri Lanka but it looks like Siddle has just made it over the line. It's not even the first frantic incident of running between wickets this morning.

Kerry's got it right: "Have these two met?"

You're not wrong Skull. Australia is 6 for 364.

10:42am: Nice little bonus for Siddle - he's avoided being run out after the throw that would have caught him short of his ground runs away for four overthrows. Siddle has almost doubled his overnight score already.

And the half-century partnership has come up - that's 53 from 57 balls. Nice little stand for Australia there.

10:39am: 50 FOR WADE! Jeez that's a hairy way to bring up a half-century. The wicket-keeper has gone the slog sweep to Herath and it's fallen JUST in front of the fielder at deep mid-wicket that was there for the express purpose of catching that one.

The two were all he needed to reach his third Test fifty.

10:32am: Play is underway and in style, with Peter Siddle moving to 20 on the second Suranga Lakmal ball of the day with a tidy straight drive to the boundary.

10:22am: Shannon also caught up with Sri Lankan bowling coach Champaka Rananayake, who said Warner made it tough for his charges early on Friday but he was happy with the way they hit back after lunch.

He said he would probably have brought Rangana Herath - 2012's leading Test wicket-taker - on a little earlier.

"He's our main bowler, there are plenty of left-hander in the team so maybe that's the reason the captain wanted to bring him.

"But he bowled really well, even [though] I thought that he would've bowled a bit earlier yesterday."

And as for Lahiru Thirimanne, who took a pounding fielding at forward short leg yesterday afternoon?

"He's okay, he's alright. There was no major issues with him. He took two big shots and he saved fours!"

10:15am: Earlier this morning Shannon Byrne caught up with opener David Warner, who's had a little dig at Ed Cowan for his run-out yesterday morning.

"I just think it's a misjudgement, I think sometimes off the bat you can call one or two straight away. I think the one between me and Ed, he called two off the bat straight away and he was a bit hesitant at the other end.

"Obviously having your gloves in your other hand and carrying your bat can be a bit of a fuss.

"I do that as well but you've got be conscious about that as well and you've got to make the effort to turn the right way as well."

Have a listen.

10:10am: Jim is in the middle announcing the winner of the McGilvray Medal, Australian skipper Michael Clarke.

Ross McGilvray, presenting the father in the absence of his late father Alan, said he's run out of superlatives to describe Michael's 2012.

Clarkey was typically humble and deflected the praise.

"It's obviously an honour to win such a prestigious medal, but without my team-mates I wouldn't have been able to do it.

"2012 has been a big year; we've had some ups and downs, we've had some debutants and some retirements. But 2013 is going to be even better."

Have a listen to the medal presentation below.

10:05am: Kerry O'Keeffe expects intense concentration from both sides today. Australia will be concentrating on putting itself in a position to sweep the three-Test series while Sri Lanka's focus will obviously be on avoiding that sweep, starting with restricting the hosts to a lead of under 100. Anything more than 150 is going to be advantageous for the home side, Skull reckons.

9:45am: Coming up in around 20 minutes' time, coinciding with the start of our broadcast from the SCG, we'll have the McGilvray Medal presentation for ABC Test Cricketer of the Year.

No guesses as to who will take it out for 2012, but in case you're not sure Jim Maxwell has revealed all on Twitter.

@jimmaxcricket McGilvray Medal presentation at 1005 this morning. Many thanks to Michael Clarke for changing the time to give better profile/awareness@jimmaxcricket McGilvray Medal is for ABC's Test Cricketer of the year. With 1595 runs for 2012 Michael Clarke won a few votes; as in voting not required

9:40am: This year marks five years since the passing of Glenn McGrath's wife Jane, who founded the charity in 2003, and the fifth year that Sydney's home of cricket turns pink in support of the foundation.

But it's not just the attendees in Sydney that are garbed in pink for the cause. Our man in Adelaide Peter Walsh loves a bright outfit and tweeted this photo earlier this morning.

9:35am: Jim Maxwell, Drew Morphett, Roshan Abeysinghe, Russel Arnold and Kerry O'Keeffe will lead off our commentary team at the SCG. They'll hit the airwaves at 10:05am and you can contact them via email (cricket@abc.net.au), SMS (0467 920 222) or on Twitter (@abcgrandstand, using the hashtag #abccricket).

9:30am: Good morning cricket fans and thanks for joining Grandstand Online for the third day of the final Test of the summer. I'm Adrian Crawford and I'll be updating you throughout Ladies' Day at the SCG, where you can be sure the pink clothing will be out in force.

Matthew Wade (47*) and Peter Siddle (16*) will resume service in the middle with Australia 48 runs ahead of Sri Lanka's first innings of 294.

The pitch showed a decent amount of turn yesterday and Rangana Herath and Tillakaratne Dilshan both had some success with the ball. The surface is only going to be drier and rougher today so expect to see this pair feature early in the hopes of skittling Australia for not many more.

Grandstand's Geoff Lawson said yesterday afternoon that if the Sri Lankans can bowl Australia out for a lead of less than 100, it's anyone's game. Let's see what happens this morning.

Tags: cricket, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia, sri-lanka

First posted January 05, 2013 09:43:16

View the original article here

As it happened: Second Test Day Three

Adrian Crawford

Updated December 28, 2012 16:14:19

Australia clinched the three-match series 2-0 with an innings and 201-run victory over Sri Lanka after lunch on day three at the MCG.

Look back on a thrilling day of cricket with our updates, scores, interviews, video highlights and images from Melbourne on day three.

Today's highlights:

Australia won by an innings and 201 runs

A. Mathews 35

K Sangakkara 27

D. Prasad 17

M. Johnson 2-16 (8 overs)

J. Bird 2-29 (10 overs)

M. Johnson 92*

M. Clarke 106

S. Watson 83

D. Prasad 3/106 (26 overs)

S. Eranga 3/109 (27 overs)

A. Mathews 2/60 (16 overs)

K. Sangakkara 58

P. Jayawardene 24

A. Mathews 15

M. Johnson 4/63 (14 overs)

N. Lyon 2/23 (5.4 overs)

J. Bird 2/32 (13 overs)

P. Siddle 2/30 (8 overs)

3:52pm: STOP THE PRESS. Skipper Michael Clarke has made some changes to the squad that will front up at the SCG next week for the third and final Test.

The 13-man squad is: Michael Clarke (c), Jackson Bird, Ed Cowan, Phil Hughes, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Peter Siddle, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell.

That means Shane Watson has been ruled out with spinning all-rounder Maxwell a chance to make his Test debut in the vice-captain's stead. Khawaja is again brought in on standby. Selectors will have to narrow down the bowling attack from a veritable smorgasbord of options.

Read the story: Maxwell a chance for SCG Test debut

3:45pm: I can safely say it - that's a wrap. My early prediction that this would be the final day of the Boxing Day Test came true, which was great news for the Australians but a painful finish both physically and mentally for Sri Lanka.

It's been a wild ride since Wednesday with batting milestones for Kumar Sangakkara and Michael Clarke, a maiden Test wicket for Jackson Bird, some superb guest commentary from Bryce McGain and Andrew "Ronnie" McDonald, and my unsuccessful attempt to re-popularise "Notch" as the go-to nickname for man-of-the-match Mitchell Johnson.

Right-hand man James Maasdorp and I hope you've enjoyed Grandstand Online's live blog coverage of the Boxing Day Test. We'll be back for more in the New Year with the SCG Test on January 3. This is Adrian Crawford signing off.

3:32pm: Despite his tireless work on the boundary rope collecting interviews with Aussie and Sri Lankan stars alike, Dan Lonergan still found time to knock us up a yarn about where John Inverarity and his merry band of selectors might take the line-up for the SCG Test on January 3.

Read the story here: Selectors have work cut out ahead of Sydney

3:12pm: In case, for some reason, you've just clicked onto the blog and discovered it's all over before tea, don't worry.

The ever-gracious Jim Maxwell and Kerry O'Keeffe have wrapped up the final day's play nicely for you in their daily summary below.

Or if that's not full of enough excited shouting for you, take a listen to our commentary highlights package from the early-ending day three.

2:30pm: Australian skipper Michael Clarke said he feels for Sri Lanka, having lost three key players to injury in a disastrous second Test for the tourists.

He's hoping for a competitive showing in Sydney in the New Year.

"The last thing you want is for players to get, injured especially someone of [Sangakkara's] calibre.

"He's a great player and the game needs him playing.

"So fingers crossed, hopefully all the Sri Lankan guys that have injuries can get well soon and can be on the park for the Sydney Test."

But the courageous captain was elated with how far his team has come since the grinding series against South Africa.

"It's a great day for us that's for sure. The way Mitchell Johnson came out and played for us again, unfortunately he missed out on his second Test hundred.

"The way we bowled was outstanding, really good execution and it's a really good step for us as a team knowing we let a few really good opportunities slide against South Africa when we were on top.

"But throughout this Test we've capitalised on the momentum we've had."

He denied that Australia's "killer instinct" is a brand-new trait.

"I don't think you develop it overnight, I think like I say we've learnt from what happened against South Africa.

"We've still got a lot of improvement to do as a team but it's a really positive step for this team to see that we are improving."

Have a listen to the interview below.

2:23pm: Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene just told Dan that Kumar Sangakkara is out for between six and eight weeks with a compound fracture in his finger.

That's a crushing blow for Sri Lanka's hopes in both the third dead rubber Test and the ODI series that's coming up in the New Year.

But Jayawardene said his side cannot lean on injuries as the reason for the biggest defeat in the history of Tests between these two teams.

"These are things that we can't control, [but] they are not excuses. Still with those guys playing we probably would have gotten beaten.

"So we just need to refocus our thoughts and come back strongly.

"We started the tour off pretty well in Hobart with the Test match but here we seemed to never get anything going for us. We just gave up."

He said things didn't go right for the tourists from day one in Melbourne.

"We never got into this Test match and we're very disappointed, the whole group.

"It was a good toss to win to try and put runs on the board but we never batted really well. The Aussies were on top of us, we had few opportunities late on the first day when we had them for 130 and we dropped a few chances off two important batsman.

"Every since then we never made it back. Today to cap it off was probably the most disappointing day on this tour so far."

Have a listen to the rest of the interview below:

2:19pm: Dan also caught up with local legend Peter Siddle, who said it was awesome to play in front of his home crowd in a winning team at the MCG.

2:16pm: Down on the boundary Nathan Lyon has been pretty humble in his assessment of the game with Dan Lonergan.

"It worked out pretty well for us."

It sure did. Have a listen to their chat below.

2:11pm: WICKET! Shaminda Eranga has prodded at a rising one and popped a dolly of a catch straight to Cowan at bat-pad for a duck.

That's all she wrote ladies and gentlemen. Sri Lanka has been bowled out for 103 with three injured batsmen not fit to carry on the fruitless chase.

The Australians are ecstatic - they've retained the Warne/Murali trophy with a 2-0 series win thanks to victory by an innings and 201 runs at the MCG.

And they're thanking the MCG crowd! We should be thanking them for that devastating performance.

Man of the match Mitchell Johnson was phenomenal in his return to the side after missing out in Hobart with match figures of 6 for 79 off 22 overs, as well as a brilliant unbeaten 92.

On top of that we've had a superb debut from Jackson Bird, who finished 4 for 61 off 22 overs with six maidens in there.

Hometown hero Peter Siddle bagged 3 for 62 off 13.2 overs, and Nathan Lyon had 3 for 39 off 7.4.

On top of that we saw batting milestones from Kumar Sangakkara, who joined the 10,000-run club on day one, and Aussie skipper Michael Clarke, who became the most prolific Australian batsman ever in a calendar year with 1,592 runs.

Clarkey also finishes 2012 with a stunning batting average of 106.33.

2:06pm: WICKET! Well, that was the desired result for Lyon anyway. He took a couple of sixes on the chin but getting Dhammika Prasad to hit in the air paid off.

Prasad has been caught by Hughes for 17 and Sri Lanka is on its last legs at 6 for 102, with three batsmen - Sangakkara, P.Jayawardene, Welegedara - unable to come to the middle.

2:05pm: Now Prasad is in on the Twenty20 act, lofting Lyon to the straight boundary for a brilliant flighty six. Nope, two in a row! The 10-Test paceman now has the third-highest score of the Sri Lankan second dig.

2:02pm: It's the charmed life for Rangana Herath! He's got under a Siddle short one and sent a top edge over Wade's head to the boundary. At 10 not out, Herath is now the third top scorer of the innings.

2:00pm: At the other end Peter Siddle has been thrown the rock looking for his first wicket of the innings. He's been expensive today with 0 for 25 off four overs. Maybe he can change that now.

1:57pm: Now they're just tempting Herath to hit. Nathan Lyon is into the attack looking to mop up the Sri Lankan tail for good and clinch the series 2-0.

1:54pm: Well, Herath knows he has nothing to lose really. He's taken a couple of big swats at Mitchell Johnson this over. Might as well go down swinging eh?

1:51pm: The mood isn't great in the commentary box for our expert commentator Roshan Abeysinghe.

"I think I've had enough of the Sri Lankan batting, I don't want to describe anymore. I'll let Drew come in and mop up the rest."

Sorry Roshan. That's cricket after all, mate.

1:43pm: WICKET! Notch has struck again for his second of the innings, with Angelo Mathews playing what my right-hand man James Maasdorp correctly identified as an "agricultural shot".

The aggression just didn't pay off in that instance as he dragged the ball back onto his stumps and departs for 35.

Sri Lanka is on its knees with Rangana Herath at the crease. The scorecard reads 5 for 74 but it's pretty much 8-for.

And Sangakkara has gone for scans on his injured finger, Roshan Abeysinghe reports.

1:41pm: Okay, he's stayed in the middle. That's a good sign for Prasad's health at the very least.

And none of our readers or Twitter followers should be surprised that the unstoppable Ric Finlay even has a statistic up his sleeve for retired-hurts.

@RicFinlay SL getting like Ind v WI 1975-76 Jamaica, when 5 batsmen "absent hurt" in 2nd inns, 5-97 was 97 all out, and WI won by 10 wickets

1:38pm: You've got to be kidding. Now Dhammika Prasad has copped one on the digits from Johnson! As soon as he got through his quick single he's yanked the glove off and called the trainers.

Is anyone in Bay 13 of Sri Lankan descent fit to bat? Anyone? Bueller?

1:35pm: Some sympathy has come down through Twitter for the tourists courtesy of former Test player (and Grandstand Big Bash expert commentator) Russel Arnold.

@RusselArnold69 dear oh dear.... When things go wrong they really do go wrong....spare a thought for the boys

I reckon he wins Understatement of the Series award for that one.

1:29pm: Does anyone know who Sri Lanka's third-string wicket-keeper is? Because if Prasanna Jayawardene and Sangakkara can't get the gloves on, let alone stand behind the stumps, the next man up better start packing his bags now.

Dhammika Prasad is the next man at the crease with Angelo Mathews on 30.

1:26pm: Uh oh. Kumar Sangakkara has copped a Mitchell Johnson delivery on the fingers and has called for the trainer. TV footage looks extremely painful - that's one swollen knuckle already.

Sangakkara has gone off the field, retiring hurt for 27. The tourists are effectively 5 for 62. They just can't catch a break.

1:23pm: On Twitter Jim Maxwell put it to his followers - if you could ask chief selector John Inverarity and Cricket Australia GM Pat Howard a question, what would you ask?

You responded in very timely fashion. Here are some of the best responses.

@edmund59 should we just pick best 4 bowlers regardless of scg spin as Lyon cannot get wickets

@aegnor79 At what point does call need to be made re Watson as a part of future Test plans given his frequent injuries?

@AllSportsCam if they are pro athletes why do they need a rest? E.g If people work a long hard day do they get a day off...?

@beauy84 how can they openly admit not exposing Hughes 2south Africa yet ruin the chances on quiney. Absolute joke.

@TheRiffMarn who is the next big thing for aust cricket with the bat ?

@coldogs when it comes to bowlers, why are we breeding sprinters & not stayers? The training program is wrong.

@coolingandy why did you pick both John Hastings and Josh Hazlewood ahead of Jackson Bird in Perth?

1:19pm: Sangakkara goes slashing in uppish fashion to edge Johnson over the slips to the third-man boundary to bring up the 50 for Sri Lanka. He's 26, Mathews is 20.

1:17pm: Johnson has the rock at the other end and he's bowling tight lines. Just beat Sangakkara's bat in fine form.

1:12pm: A DROP! Oh no. Shane Watson dived back and to his right and got a paw on a swipe from Mathews, but unlike Herath's screamer yesterday it didn't stick.

Tough way to start the session, but it was a difficult chance. Can't be too tough on Watto for that.

1:10pm: We're back in the middle and Jackson Bird will bowl the first over of the session. Australia only needs six wickets - this could by done by the end of the over? Wishful thinking.

1:01pm: During the lunch break I might sneak in a little plug for Grandstand's newest feature - our Podcasts page.

It's a one-stop shop for all of Grandstand's shows, from Grandstand at Stumps to The Sunday Inquisition (in season of course) and everything in between.

You can now also queue 'em up on iTunes via the individual program pages so you never miss an episode.

Check it out today!

K. Sangakkara 22*

A. Mathews 17*

T. Samaraweera 1

J. Bird 2-10 (10 overs)

M. Johnson 1-7 (4 overs)

M. Johnson 92*

M. Clarke 106

S. Watson 83

D. Prasad 3/106 (26 overs)

S. Eranga 3/109 (27 overs)

A. Mathews 2/60 (16 overs)

K. Sangakkara 58

P. Jayawardene 24

A. Mathews 15

M. Johnson 4/63 (14 overs)

N. Lyon 2/23 (5.4 overs)

J. Bird 2/32 (13 overs)

P. Siddle 2/30 (8 overs)

12:32pm: The bails are off and so are the players as the Sri Lankans miraculously make it to lunch at 4 for 43. At one stage it looked like Australia would have to wait in the sheds until midday ticked over so they could open the bubbly.

The tourists have the toughest of tasks ahead of them but realistically there's no winning from here. Sri Lanka still needs 261 to draw level with the Aussies and even that would be a tall order.

12:29pm: Bit of a scoreboard pressure release there as Mathews hits a pair of boundaries in succession...then takes on David Warner's arm for a quick single and succeeds. Brave stuff.

He moves to 17, with Sangakkara on 22 not out, and Sri Lanka is 4 for 43.

12:23pm: The skipper has pulled Jackson Bird out of the attack with figures of 2 for 10 in five overs, with a maiden in there. Mitchell Johnson is back in to Sangakkara.

12:21pm: Out there in the middle Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews are on a mission. Their partnership is now 19 with the score at 4 for 32 and Sangakkara is running furiously between the wickets as if to win the game by sheer grit alone.

Sangakkara is 21, Mathews is unbeaten on 7.

12:18pm: One of our Twitter followers has made an excellent point which appeals to my love of basketball:

@bm_cooper abcgrandstand The reason why our bowling attack is so good, we have "magic" Johnson & "Larry" Bird guest starring

Well said, sir.

12:12pm: It bears repeating again that the Sri Lankans are down at least one batsman (or, one person to hold a bat) to injury in Chanaka Welegedara (hamstring), while first-choice wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene may be less than effective with a fractured thumb.

12:00pm: Phew. Peter Siddle is into the attack. At this rate he could have missed out on being able to bowl at all. The MCG crowd loves this.

The ones that haven't got down there aren't so impressed though - including Australian Opals star Rachel Jarry:

@rmjarry Hmm not sure I'll get much use out of my day 4 tix! #AusvSL

I think you're right Rachel.

11:54am: WICKET! Birdy hell, this is ridiculous. Jackson Bird has rapped Thilan Samaraweera on the pads right in front and umpire Nigel Llong has given him for 1 almost without hesitation.

The batsmen have called for the DRS to have another look but all looks kosher from the replays. Front foot is fine, there's no bat on it, it's right in front and below the knee roll.

Bird has his second wicket of the morning and fourth of his debut Test. Wow. It's 4 for 13.

11:48am: Back to the cricket in any case. Kumar Sangakkara again appears to be the rock of the Sri Lankan innings, working his way to 7 in the tourists' total of 3 for 11 so far.

He was far and away the best of the batsmen in Sri Lanka's disappointing first knock of 156, making an individual 58.

11:44am: To address the concerns of some of my colleagues, who've questioned references to man-of-the-match-to-be Mitchell Johnson as "Notch", I promise it's not a nickname I'm making up.

ESPN CricInfo's profile confirms the monikers of choice for our veteran left-armer are "Notch" and "Midge". So that settles that.

11:37am: WICKET! THE BIRDMAN STRIKES. Jackson Bird has taken the crucial wicket of Mahela Jayawardene, bowling the skipper for a duck, and Sri Lanka is in all sorts at 3 for 3.

An uncharacteristically scrappy shot from the veteran Sri Lankan captain had bat all over it as the inside edge sent the rock crashing into Jayawardene's pegs.

Bryce McGain calls it dire straits, but that's putting it lightly. Boy oh boy, we can barely keep up over here.

11:29am: WICKET! Tillakaratne Dilshan has bought a short one and it's popped up for Cowan at short leg to swallow a simple running catch.

Hi, my name is Adrian Crawford and I habitually speak too soon. Of course Johnson takes a wicket on the very next ball. Sri Lanka is 2 for 1. You read that correctly.

11:26am: WICKET! Dimuth Karunaratne has been run out, by who else but Notch Johnson! Give this guy the man of the match award now. What else can he do?!

The Sri Lankan openers took on David Warner for a quick single...not a clever idea. The guy is a gun fielder. Johnson did very well to accept the throw and smash the bails off. Karunaratne was a mile out.

11:22am: And there's no rest for the unbeaten Mitchell Johnson - he'll bowl the first over of the innings.

You'd figure he's frustrated to run out of partners in the 90s for the second time in his Test career, so the Sri Lankan openers might want to practise their ducking.

11:20am: Well, that didn't take long did it? Sri Lanka has a mountain to climb to get out of this one, and if the outfield is a bit more wet than it has been the last two days then that'll be one more hurdle.

Remember, they haven't got a fully fit batting order either, with Prasanna Jayawardene carrying a fractured thumb that's kept him from standing behind the stumps and tail-ender Chanaka Welegedara out with a hamstring strain.

And if the voice of Sri Lankan cricket isn't hopeful, that's not a good sign for the tourists:

@RoshanCricket Australia a lead of 304 in the 1st Innings. Sri Lanka reduced to just 9 fit men in d 2nd innings is bound to struggle to save the game.

K. Sangakkara 58

P. Jayawardene 24

A. Mathews 15

M. Johnson 4/63 (14 overs)

N. Lyon 2/23 (5.4 overs)

J. Bird 2/32 (13 overs)

P. Siddle 2/30 (8 overs)

M. Johnson 92*

M. Clarke 106

S. Watson 83

D. Prasad 3/106 (26 overs)

S. Eranga 3/109 (27 overs)

A. Mathews 2/60 (16 overs)

11:11am: WICKET! Jackson Bird has been cleaned up for an 11-ball duck in his Test debut, but these things happen. Mitchell Johnson is stranded on 92 not out as Australia is all out for 460, a lead of 304.

11:09am: Bit of a hairy moment there as Herath threw down the stumps from long off to have Jackson Bird in enough doubt for the umpires to go upstairs. He was a long way home though. Johnson moves to 92.

11:06am: How about this handsome group of blokes!

11:03am: Australia breathes a collective sigh of relief as Johnson receives the strike back...and brings up the 300 lead with a beautiful straight boundary off Mathews! Thank you very much. He's on 88.

11:00am: There's no denying Sri Lanka sees Bird as the weak link. That's two short ones he's ducked in three balls by my count.

He's got a first-class average of 8.22, but so far he doesn't look uncomfortable out there despite the barrage of short balls.

10:55am: WICKET! Nathan Lyon is done for 1. He's pulled Mathews to short mid-wicket and that was a bit of a brain explosion of a stroke. Quick runs might be the order of the day but Mitch could be left stranded out there. In any case, it's a team game.

Australia is 9 for 451 with Johnson on 83. Jackson Bird to the crease to face his first ball of Test cricket.

10:54am: I wish I could hit a cover drive with as much conviction and timing as Mitchell Johnson. What a delightful stroke off Mathews, he was unlucky to be stopped before the boundary to only get one for it. He's 80.

10:50am: Hey Mitch, you're not the only tail-ender with some nice strokeplay. Nathan Lyon is off the mark with a stylish little flick off his legs to send Prasad to square leg for a single. Tasty.

10:48am: Handy first over for both Notch (I'm bringing that nickname back, by the way) and Australia. Five from it, so Johnson retains the strike and moves to 78 not out.

10:45am: And here we go. Mitchell Johnson is facing Angelo Mathews in the first over of the day. Opening delivery is wide outside the lefty's off-stump.

10:31am: Out in the middle, Dan Lonergan informs us that play will get underway at 10:45am (AEDT). Good news!

While you're waiting for the delayed start of play, why not take a listen to Sri Lankan paceman Dhammika Prasad, who spared some time to catch up with Dan earlier today.

10:16pm: Word from the 'G is that the rain is coming across and the covers are still on the centre wicket. Drew is predicting a delayed start although the Bureau of Meteorology's radar doesn't look terribly ugly.

10:13am: On the boundary rope Dan Lonergan has been chatting to opening bat Ed Cowan, who's got plenty of praise for the efforts of Mitchell Johnson.

"He's a bit more comfortable [with the bat], there's no doubt about that. As soon as he plays one sublime cover drive everyone yells out 'number seven' in the press box.

"There's no reason he can't add that depth without wanting to bat up the order.

"If he's bowling well that's a huge key for this team and if he's also contributing runs that's a bonus

"Hopefully he'll push on this morning and then we can put them under pressure with the ball."

Cowan's skipper couldn't escape the adulation either:

"He's making the rest of us look like idiots ... to go out with that clarity to perform consistently and stick to your guns the way he has, it's absolutely mind-blowing."

Showers are forecast for Melbourne on Friday, but Ed's not worried.

"I think as a team we're sitting pretty comfortably well ahead of the game after two days.

"So even if there is a bit of rain there's plenty of time left in this Test match to secure a result."

Have a listen to the interview below:

10:12am: Today it's Drew Morphett's turn to update the nation on the state of play on ABC News Breakfast. Take a look below.

10:05am: Things aren't looking good for Sri Lanka on the injury front though, with paceman Chanaka Welegedara to play no further part in the second Test due to a hamstring strain he suffered on Thursday.

On top of that Nuwan Kulasekara, who copped a rib injury on the last day of the first Test in Hobart and isn't playing here, has undergone scans and it turns out he's got a hairline fracture.

He and Prasanna Jayawardene (thumb fracture) will be reassessed before the third Test.

10:00am: Jim Maxwell, Drew Morphett, Roshan Abeysinghe and Kerry O'Keeffe make up our commentary team at the MCG, with expert comments from Victorian pair Bryce McGain and Andrew McDonald, who've received a lot of love from our listeners via Twitter for their insights over the last few days.

They'll be back on your wireless at 10:05am and you can contact them via email (cricket@abc.net.au), SMS (0467 920 222) or on Twitter (@abcgrandstand, using the hashtag #abccricket).

9:55am: Happy Friday cricket fans. I'm Adrian Crawford and I hope you're ready for what could potentially be the last day of this Test match. That's slightly optimistic thinking but Australia comes into Day Three in a commanding position.

Thanks to the heroics of Michael Clarke, Shane Watson and more unexpectedly Mitchell Johnson on Thursday afternoon, the home side leads by 284 with two wickets in hand.

"Notch" Johnson resumes on 73 not out, chasing his second Test century (drawing him level on tons with Watson ... just saying), while Nathan Lyon joins him in the middle yet to get off the mark.

If we see an aggressive declaration from Clarke - not out of the realm of possibility given his tactics this summer - and some equally aggressive Aussie bowling, the bubbly might flow in the home change-rooms before the weekend is upon us.

Tags: cricket, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted December 28, 2012 10:04:22

View the original article here

Hughes has heart set on number three

By James Maasdorp

Updated January 04, 2013 23:41:12

Phil Hughes is determined to make Australia's number three spot his own after an elegant showing with the bat against Sri Lanka at the SCG.

Australia leads the tourists by 48 runs after making 6 for 342 on day two of the third and final Test in Sydney.

As it happened: Third Test, Day Two

The Aussies were left frustrated by a number of batsmen failing to convert half-centuries into hundreds, with Hughes top-scoring with 87, ahead of David Warner (85) and Michael Clarke (50).

Wicket-keeper Matthew Wade is still at the crease with an unbeaten 47, though it will be a tough ask for him to make a ton with only Peter Siddle (13 not out) and the tail left on a deteriorating wicket.

Hughes says he wants to focus on making number three his own and is happy with the improvements in his technique.

"Today wasn't so good. I would have liked 13 more and a few more [on top of that], but I felt quite comfortable in the middle today and David and I put on a pretty good partnership," he told Grandstand.

"I love number three and I'd love to stay here for a period of time.

"I've been in and out of the team a few times over a number of years now, I really want to cement my position at three, so I suppose I'm really looking forward to the next little period.

"I feel like my leg side play has improved over the last 12 months, I think my defence has really come along.

"It's something I had to work on. Facing bowlers around the world, they can find you out. If you've got a good defensive game I think that's key going forward."

Hughes praised the efforts of Rangana Herath, whose 2 for 69 helped Sri Lanka claw their way back into the game.

Herath dismissed Hughes after the batsman tried to cut the tweaker late to third man, but instead chopped it straight into the keeper's gloves.

Hughes says the pitch has slowed down remarkably for a second day wicket and tipped Australia's Nathan Lyon to be a big factor at the business end of the Test.

"It started to turn a bit today so it's going to be interesting as the game goes on," Hughes said.

"[Herath] bowled very well, he mixed his pace up beautifully so he can be tough at times.

"[The pitch] is quite slow, so it's difficult to drive, especially on the up so you've really got to play it as late as possible. It's taking turn and it's only day two.

"It's going to be interesting over the course of the game, it's going to take a fair bit of turn over the next few days.

"Lyon will come into the game, especially in the second innings. Day three and four, we'll wait and see, but I'm sure it's going to take some big turn."

Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford said the thinking behind Herath's late introduction into the attack was to give the visitors' quicks more time with the ball.

He says 2012's leading wicket-taker will be crucial in trying to get Australia out as early as possible on day three.

"I think Mahela [Jayawardene] felt quite strongly the off-spinners against the left-handers, there was something there," Ford told Grandstand.

"It's pretty straightforward, we've got to strike early, and hopefully get batting early on.

"Everyone's noticed there is deterioration ... we've got to get whatever we can and make a nasty little chase for Australia.

"At this stage we'll take it session by session. We've got to get wickets first thing tomorrow ... we'll start thinking about totals and targets a bit later on."

Ford says nerves played a part in Sri Lanka's skittish start to day two, as Warner and Hughes put together 130 runs in less than 30 overs.

"We didn't start as well as we would have liked to this morning. It took some time for nerves to settle this morning," he said.

"I was impressed with the energy and the fight amongst the fielders - perhaps there were one or two catches that went astray.

"It was a long day for those lads (pacemen), perhaps they didn't have enough gas in the tank to really capitalise with the new ball."

Tags: cricket, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia, sri-lanka

First posted January 04, 2013 19:12:19

View the original article here

As it happened: First Test Day Three

Joel Zander

Updated December 16, 2012 19:23:35

Australia built on a Peter Siddle five-wicket haul to lead Sri Lanka by 141 runs at stumps on day three of the first Test in Hobart.

The home side was 0 for 27 in its second innings, with Ed Cowan (16) and David Warner (8) surviving 14 tricky overs.

Siddle earlier took 5 for 54, stepping up in the absence of the injured Ben Hilfenhaus (side strain) as the Sri Lankans were bowled out for 336.

Look back on how we covered another action-packed day (all times AEDT).

Australia leads by 141 with 10 wickets in hand

T. Dilshan 0-2 (2 overs)

S. Eranga 0-4 (1 over)

T. Dilshan 147

A. Mathews 75

P. Jayawardene 40

P. Siddle 5-54 (25.3 overs)

N. Lyon 2-76 (25 overs)

B. Hilfenhaus 1-30 (12.2 overs)

Australia 5-450 dec. (131 overs)

M. Hussey 115*

P. Hughes 86

M. Clarke 74

C. Welegedara 3-130 (26 overs)

S. Eranga 1-90 (25 overs)

T. Dilshan 0-30 (7 overs)

7:00pm: That's it from day three at Bellerive. Australia is in a dominant position after more heroics from Peter Siddle delivered a handy lead heading into the second innings. Be sure to join us for our live coverage on day four - play will once again begin 30 minutes early at 10:00am. Bye for now.

6:42pm: Peter is now speaking with Sri Lankan run machine Tillakaratne Dilshan, who top-scored with 147:

Very satisfied, especially on Australian soil, it's the first hundred for me. It's a really good wicket, only thing is it's still a little bit up and down, otherwise it's a really good wicket.

6:36pm: Peter Newlinds is speaking with Peter Siddle, who admitted he's enjoyed the cooler conditions in Hobart after toiling away in the heat in Adelaide. He said he had to work hard for his 5 for 54:

When we're batting it showed there's a little bit of variable bounce, it showed we had to bowl in the right areas. I'd be thinking that (I'll be bowling tomorrow afternoon), to get a good result and give ourselves enough time to get them out, I think so.

Siddle also said the way he bowled today backed up the decision to rest him for Australia's third Test defeat to South Africa in Perth.

6:29pm: Stumps. Australia reaches 0 for 27 to lead by 141. Cowan 16 and Warner 8.

6:26pm: Tillakaratne Dilshan continues. Minutes away from stumps. Warner plays a forward defensive and gets off strike with no-one in close.

6:25pm: Four to Cowan. Nudged it over the cordon and down to the boundary. Not entirely in control but got a big enough piece of it. Moves to 16 and Australia's 0 for 26.

6:18pm: That concludes another maiden and Nuwan Kulasekara has conceded just 10 runs from six overs. Australia hanging tough here at 0 for 21 with Cowan on 11 and Warner 7.

6:06pm: Warner gets a thick edge and it rockets over a flying Mahela Jayawardene at second slip and runs away for four. 0 for 19 after eight and both batsmen have been far from convincing to this point.

@mitchjones1981 Cowan on shaky ground. Needs to make a ton otherwise Hughes will be walking out at Trent Bridge in July with Warner

5:53pm: It appears Sri Lanka still doesn't know how or when to use the DRS. Kulasekara produced a pretty healthy appeal for lbw there on Cowan but the umpire wasn't interested. Looked close on initial viewing. Replays show it's hitting middle and leg halfway up and no Hot Spot. Baffling.

5:47pm: Lbw shout in that over on Cowan but he got a thick inside edge. Australia 0 for 6 after three overs to lead by 120.

5:42pm: Play resumes and Warner gets off the mark immediately with a single. Cowan repeats Warner's shot and Australia is 0-2 after two overs.

5:37pm: The covers are back off so hopefully we're not too far away from a resumption. Still 14.2 overs remaining with 6:30pm being the latest that play can finish.

5:30pm: Out come the covers again. The sun is shining brightly but it's raining pretty heavily to be honest. Australia still hasn't scored after 10 pretty hairy deliveries which saw an lbw appeal on David Warner and a couple of tight leaves from Cowan.

5:23pm: The covers are off after a short shower and it's Nuwan Kulasekara bowling to Ed Cowan to kick off the second innings. Australia's lead is 114.

5:18pm:

@RicFinlay In its 11th Test in Australia, SL hasn't been able to add to its solitary Test (Gabba, 1989) where it took a first innings lead.

T. Dilshan 147

A. Mathews 75

P. Jayawardene 40

P. Siddle 5-54 (25.3 overs)

N. Lyon 2-76 (25 overs)

B. Hilfenhaus 1-30 (12.2 overs)

Australia 5-450 dec. (131 overs)

M. Hussey 115*

P. Hughes 86

M. Clarke 74

C. Welegedara 3-130 (26 overs)

S. Eranga 1-90 (25 overs)

T. Dilshan 0-30 (7 overs)

5:07pm: Out! Siddle gets his Michelle Pfeiffer as Chanaka Welegedara gets a healthy edge to Hussey in the gully and Sri Lanka is all out for 336. Siddle finishes with 5 for 54 from 25.3 overs - outstanding bowling, particularly given the absence of the injured Ben Hilfenhaus.

5:04pm: Not out. Nothing doing on Hot Spot.

5:03pm: Out?! Wade claims caught behind on Shaminda Eranga and there's no interest down the other end. The Aussies figure they may as well take a look so upstairs they go.

5:01pm: Out! One too many slogs from Kulasekara and it's the subsitute Jordan Silk taking the catch in the outfield. Straight down his throat the moment it left the blade. Lyon snares his second wicket. 9 for 336.

5:00pm: Six! Kulasekara slops Lyon over mid wicket for another maximum. Can hit the ball.

4:53pm: Out! Siddle gets his fourth and he has 3 for 3 since tea! Rangana Herath departs for a duck and replays show he's been harshly dealt with - an enormous inside edge. The Sri Lankans have used both their appeals though so he has to go.

4:45pm: Out! Excellent referral from Michael Clarke. That went pad, bat, pad so very difficult for the ump. It was hitting middle and leg and Jayawardene trudges off. Peter Siddle bags his third wicket and they take drinks with the score on 7 for 316.

4:44pm: Siddle goes up for lbw on Jayawardene. No interest from the umpire but Clarke wants another look.

4:40pm: Six! Kulasekara goes after Lyon, depositing him straight down the ground. Salt into the wounds following Wade's missed stumping.

4:35pm: Peter Siddle replaces Mitchell Starc at the Church St End. Sri Lanka 6 for 310.

@Tull_G its official! wade simply cannot keep!.. he's cost Australia too many wickets this summer

@psephy Agree with @kokeeffe49 about a specialist wicketkeeper; must respect the position.

4:27pm: Missed stumping. That's poor from Matthew Wade. Nuwan Kulasekara dances down the wicket, misses it completely and Wade muffs it. Nathan Lyon should have had a second wicket. "In terms of wicket-keeping errors, this was a gross one because it was so simple," Kerry says.

4:25pm: A little earlier, Jim Maxwell and Brett Geeves were chatting about Hilfy's injury and who should replace him - the full audio is below. We also published a series of your tweets on the subject here.

4:22pm: The 300 is up for Sri Lanka, for the loss of six wickets. Jayawardene meanwhile is making plenty of runs - 37 off 41 now. Impressive considering he was scoreless in 20 minutes prior to tea.

4:19pm: The substitute fielder Jordan Silk has been more than handy in the outfield today - here he stops what would have been a certain boundary. Not for the first time either. #smoothas

4:10pm: Bowls him! Starc has yorked Dilshan and a superb innings comes to an end on 147. Must be my criticism of four minutes ago. Around the wicket did the trick. Kerry reckons he often bowls too flat from over the wicket. "I think he's a white-ball bowler - his long term future is with white ball rather than red, to be frank."

@RicFinlay No one had ever scored 147 for Sri Lanka. Until today. #AusvSL

4:06pm: Jayawardene had no control over that one from Starc - horrible shot really but gets four for it. They all count. Starc's struggled to find the right line and length today. A far cry from the first innings in Perth. Sri Lanka 5 for 284 with Dilshan 146 and Jayawardene 21.

4:03pm: Over in Nagpur, India has declared four runs behind England on 9 for 326. India made 29 runs in just under 13 overs in the first session. Strange captaincy from MS Dhoni.

3:53pm: That one kept low. This over has been a lot tighter from Watson, who's had plenty of work to do today.

@RicFinlay Watson has bowled more balls today, thanks to Hilfy's injury, than he has bowled in an innings since Colombo 2011

3:50pm: We've had 20 runs in two overs since tea. They've gone well past the follow-on mark now.

3:47pm: The official word from Cricket Australia is that Ben Hilfenhaus does have a side strain and will be monitored over the next 24 hours. More will be known once the scan results come back.

3:45pm: Bit of a sloppy start here from Shane Watson in the first over of this third session - Prasanna Jayawardene gets off the mark with a boundary through square leg, and then follows up with another. 10 off that over. It's looking good for this arvo, going by this pic tweeted by Peter Newlinds:

T. Dilshan 132*

A. Mathews 75

D. Karunaratne 14

P. Siddle 2-44 (22 overs)

B. Hilfenhaus 1-30 (12.2 overs)

N. Lyon 1-43 (17 overs)

Australia 5-450 dec. (131 overs)

M. Hussey 115*

P. Hughes 86

M. Clarke 74

C. Welegedara 3-130 (26 overs)

S. Eranga 1-90 (25 overs)

T. Dilshan 0-30 (7 overs)

3:21pm: Another maiden from Siddle and that's just one run since Mathews got out 20 minutes ago. The players will take tea with Sri Lanka on 5 for 249 with Dilshan 132 and Jayawardene yet to score.

3:16pm: Ouch. A mini break in play here while Jayawardene recovers from being hit in a sensitive region. No sympathy from Watto.

3:15pm: Now we get a run. Dilshan snares a single off Watson. Sri Lanka two runs away from avoiding the follow-on.

3:14pm: Prasanna Jayawardene yet to get off the mark here. Dilshan's still sitting pretty on 131 - not a run scored since Mathews's dismissal.

3:01pm: Gone! Peter Siddle finally makes something happen for Australia on this third day, four hours after we started proceedings. That one hit Mathews on the back thigh and was striking the top of middle. 161-run partnership over, a ground record for the fifth wicket from any visiting country. Sri Lanka has lost both of its reviews, too.

3:00pm: Out!? Siddle goes up for lbw on Angelo Mathews and it's given by umpire Tony Hill. Looked a bit high though - the batsman goes upstairs.

2:47pm: We're yet to find out what the definitive is on Ben Hilfenhaus, who has since returned to the ground after having scans on a side strain. Earlier we asked on Twitter who should replace him if he can't front up for Boxing Day - here's some of your responses:

@toddyor73 Cutting. Can bat and bowl #givebenabowl

@aussiegal19 johnson

@robmckay192 Mitchell Johnson.

@auscjh Give @johnhastings194 one more crack

@wildwestcoast mitchell johnson

@mjdrum Mitchell Johnson is the logical replacement isn't he? #stifftomissoutinhobart

@ddmartyn mitchell johnson!

@grazza88 Jackson Bird. You can't argue with his figures

@rossj80 Hastings

@AlexVidalis no doubt it should be Mitch

2:42pm:

@RicFinlay Dilshan and Mathews now have record 5th wkt p'ship in all Bellerive Tests - prev 129 Salman Butt & Shoaib Malik (Pak) 2009-10

2:39pm: The Siddler's got the rock now and beats the edge of Dilshan's bat. How did he not get an edge? Wait - he might have! Hot Spot is showing something high up on the edge of the bat but the Aussies didn't go up! Perplexing...

2:34pm: Pitched up and Mathews "zings it off his toes" (thanks Jim) for four. Mathews likes the new nut.

2:32pm: New ball. Mitchell Starc takes it at the River End. Let's see what he can do.

2:20pm: Mathews takes four off Lyon. It's been hard going for Sri Lanka since lunch, so the runs are very welcome. Still no wicket today for the Aussies, however.

2:10pm: Sri Lanka is 4 for 218 as the lads take a drink. 33 more runs needed to avoid the follow-on. Dilshan 121 and Mathews 56. Partnership currently 131.

@RoshanCricket A record for the 5th for SL against Australia. the previous record of 121 was held by the same pair in Colombo.

2:01pm: "It certainly feels like a wicket is brewing here. They've been excellent since lunch, the Australians," Brett Geeves says. They've certainly bowled with far more purpose, and the batsmen have done their best to get out one more than one occasion. Currently 4 for 217.

1:50pm: The Sri Lankans are tempting fate on the arm of David Warner here. Poor communication, Mathews turns back and he would be out by a mile. Not really sure what they're thinking.

1:45pm: During the lunch break Drew Morphett chatted with Matthew Wade's dad Scott, who used to play for Hawthorn in the VFL. Listen below:

1:38pm: Dilshan left the field for some reason. It's only temporary. Lyon to continue.

1:34pm: That would have been out. They set off for a risky single and David Warner only had the one stump to aim at. Dilshan would have been a fair way short. "This is not the time for a run-out. There is no need for that single," Geoff Lawson says. Meanwhile, Angelo Mathews' average in this fixture is Hussey-like:

@RoshanCricket Mathews 1st test innings in Australia gives him a valuable 50. His current average vs Australia is 107.66 in his 4th test.

1:31pm: 50 to Mathews. Gets the single and the partnership is now worth 117.

1:30pm: Four to Mathews. It's taken him 30 minutes since lunch to get off 45. "That was an ugly smear across the line, if Nathan Lyon had got that ball to do something it would have been the end for Angelo Mathews," Kerry says. 29 balls since the break to get a run. Good bowling.

1:28pm: Kerry reckons Starc's trajectory is too flat and it's what's preventing him from becoming an elite bowler. Says he struggles too much for consistency.

1:26pm: Starc's beaten the bat on more than one occasion since lunch but can't take a trick. "I reckon he's better off around the wicket to these right-handers, I reckon he should be looking to bowl both of them. He appears to be aiming for an edge," Kerry says.

@RoshanCricket Dilshan's looks so crisp with his drives on the off. The drive through extra cover and cover seem to be his signature shot.

1:22pm: Lyon continuing to bowl well here. Lbw shout on Mathews turned down. He still can't get him away. "He (Lyon) and Phil Hughes are the two most maligned cricketers in Australia. So chewie on your boot to the haters because they've both contributed in this match. This guy can bowl," Kerry remarks.

1:17pm: There it is - Dilshan's been waiting for one to sit up like that and he flays it through cover for four.

1:15pm: Another Lyon maiden to Mathews. When's the pressure valve finally going to be released?

1:13pm: Briliant stop by Hughes at cover to prevent a certain four. Just two runs in these 13 minutes after lunch - some nice tight bowling and energetic fielding.

1:08pm: Two straight maidens from Lyon, both to Mathews. He's getting some turn too, pitching it into the rough. Much better bowling and the Sri Lankans showing it the respect it deserves.

1:05pm: Good delivery from Starc, who entices an edge from Dilshan. It drops just short of Watson at second slip.

1:03pm: Not good at all - Kerry reckons we've most likely seen the last of Ben Hilfenhaus in this Test. Which means the Australian attack is a bowler down, just like when James Pattinson broke down in Adelaide.

1:02pm: Lyon kicks off with a maiden. Much tigher than this morning, when he was quickly spanked out of the attack.

1:00pm: Nathan Lyon is back into the attack. Let's hope this pesky rain stays away as he bowls over the wicket to Angelo Mathews. "I think this is the best decision Michael Clarke's made, bringing Nathan Lyon back into the attack," Kerry O'Keeffe says.

T. Dilshan 103*

A. Mathews 45*

D. Karunaratne 14

N. Lyon 1-15 (5 overs)

B. Hilfenhaus 1-30 (12.2 overs)

S. Watson 1-37 (12.4 overs)

Australia 5-450 dec. (131 overs)

M. Hussey 115*

P. Hughes 86

M. Clarke 74

C. Welegedara 3-130 (26 overs)

S. Eranga 1-90 (25 overs)

T. Dilshan 0-30 (7 overs)

12:17pm: Peter Newlinds is speaking with umpire Simon Fry, who informs us lunch has been taken at Bellerive. We're due for a 1:00pm restart, barring any more rain (or hail - it was hailing before!) Fry says the middle session will run until 3:20pm with the final session 3:40pm-5:50pm. There's an extra half-hour available for any unbowled overs.

12:10pm: Hopefully this is just a passing shower. It was raining quite heavily when the players were forced from the ground. A good time perhaps for Australia to regroup and think about how they're going to break this stand. No Hilfenhaus doesn't help - shades of Adelaide when they lost James Pattinson.

@SKG_ Why would you play test matches in Hobart? There's 40 people at the ground and it rains half the time

@oz1873 Has there ever been a test in Hobart when it hasn't rained? Worse than England

11:58am: Uh oh. It's raining at Bellerive and the players are going off. Out comes the tractor with the covers. Excellent two hours for Sri Lanka though - they've added exactly 100 runs without loss. 4 for 187 after 56 overs. Dilshan 103 and Mathews 45.

11:56am: Century for Dilshan. Gets there with a boundary off the bowling of Siddle. Second ton against Australia and 15th overall. A fine innings, well played. Brought up the 100 partnership aswell.

@RoshanCricket 15th test 100 for Dilshan and 1st for him in Australia the 8th SL batsmen to score a 100 in Australia. Couldnt have cm at a better time.

11:50am: Matthew Wade is standing up over the stumps for Watson. "It's a gutsy move by Wade because he did drop one against South Africa when he stood up," Drew Morphett points out.

@henrylawson180 field setings not in keeping with up and down nature of the deck.. where is the short leg for the spitting cobra ?

11:43am: Dilshan takes a risky single to get to 98. His dive wouldn't have earned him too many points in the Olympic pool. The throw didn't go to his end but he would have been in trouble had it. He obviously hasn't seen MS Dhoni's run-out on 99 against England yesterday.

11:35am: Peter Siddle comes back into the attack, replacing Starc at the Church St End. Dilshan's four away from a 15th Test ton.

11:32am: It's not good news on Ben Hilfenhaus for the Aussies:

@CricketAus Injury update: Hilfenhaus has a left side injury, he has left the ground and has gone for scans. #AUSvSL

11:30am: "He may be in his 90s but Tillakaratne Dilshan will go hard at anything in his area," Roshan Abeysinghe says as he slices Starc over the gully for four to move to 96. "I don't often criticise Michael Clarke but I think he's got this wrong. I think he should have persevered with Nathan Lyon," Kerry O'Keeffe adds.

11:25am: Mathews thrashes two straight boundaries off the bowling of Clarke. Australia appears pretty clueless at this point - shades of Perth?

11:21am: Four more for Dilshan, who's 87 now. Strike rate almost 70. Kerry doesn't think taking Lyon out of the attack is the right move. "My research tells me that Dilshan and Angelo Mathews get out to off spin a fair bit," he points out.

11:19am: Mitchell Starc has been switched to the northern end. Australia looking to break this partnership, which is up to 70 now.

@RicFinlay Huge momentum swing this morning. Aus look flat and bereft of ideas. Dilshan and Mathews have talent to take their team to safety. #AusvSL

11:15am: "The Australians know that if Angelo Mathews gets in, he'll dig in. He batted six-and-a-half hours last time against them," Jim Maxwell points out. The visitors are 4 for 157 at drinks, with Dilshan on 83 and Mathews 35.

11:14am: Michael Clarke brings himself on to replace Lyon. "This is interesting, I think he's mindful of conceding too many runs because I think Dilshan was going to take Lyon on," Kerry O'Keeffe says.

11:12am: 4 for 156 at the end of that Watson over. So Sri Lanka doing well to fight back here this morning. The tourists trail by 294. They need another 95 to avoid the follow-on.

11:00am: Close call there for Dilshan. He blazes at a Watson delivery, gets a thick edge and it just gets over a flying Hussey in the gully to run away for four.

10:58am: Clear intent here from Sri Lanka as Mathews gives Lyon similar treatment. That brought up the 50-run stand with Dilshan.

10:57am: Nathan Lyon comes back on to bowl. Dilshan doesn't need much time to get his eye in, using his feet to thrash his first delivery straight down the ground for four. He's on 69 now and Sri Lanka is 4 for 134.

10:53am: Watson goes the bumper and Mathews plays it very adeptly, crunching the pull to the boundary. Moves to 26.

@GregBaum Two local subs fielding. There are more Tasmanians on the ground than in the crowd.

10:41am: Ben Hilfenhaus has a side strain. Let's hope it's nothing major.

10:40am: Mitchell Starc comes on to bowl. He gives Tillakaratne Dilshan some room outside the off stump and the Sri Lankan doesn't need much. It's spanked through extra cover for four and he moves to 60. Sri Lanka 4 for 118.

10:35am: Ben Hilfenhaus has a few words with Michael Clarke before leaving the ground. Will let you know what the problem is when we find out. Shane Watson to finish his over.

10:33am: Brett Geeves joins Roshan Abeysinghe in the commentary box. You can contact them via SMS (0467 920 222), email (cricket@abc.net.au) or Twitter (@abcgrandstand, using the hashtag #abccricket).

10:26am: Sri Lanka 4 for 112 after that Ben Hilfenhaus over, trailing by 338 runs. It's got to be said that this crowd appears a little underwhelming once again. That's putting it nicely apparently...

@plalor Another memo to Hobartians: They now play Test cricket on Sundays. No rest. Hurry up, you might be the 50th person through gates. Disgrace.

10:18am: Is this Sri Lanka's warm-up this morning, or are they trying to stop the Aussies from arriving?

@abcgrandstand The Sri Lankan team had some bus problems #goodteamwork instagr.am/p/TRmlCFEPqA/

10:14am: That one's dropped short by Siddle and Mathews creams it for four. Nice shot. 4 for 99 at the end of the over. Access our live commentary stream here.

10:10am: Before play today Grandstand's Peter Newlinds spoke with Australian wicketkeeper Matthew Wade and Sri Lankan opener Dimuth Karunaratne:

10:08am: Ben Hilfenhaus replaces Nathan Lyon from the northern end. Two runs from that Siddle over - Sri Lanka 4 for 92.

@RoshanCricket The 1st task for SL will be the 251 which will ensure that Australia bats again.

10:03am: It's Peter Siddle to take up the charge. An extra slip in place for the Victorian paceman, who snared the key scalp of Kumar Sangakkara for 4 yesterday.

10:00am: It's Nathan Lyon bowling to Angelo Mathews to kick off day three. Just the one slip in place. Three runs taken off the opening over.

9:57am: Our commentary box webcam is up and running (top right). We had technical difficulties the first two days - our apologies.

9:50am:

@henrylawson180 bring your windcheaters to Bellerive today antarctic breeze trundling in with movement through the air looking for a bit of reverse later on

9:46am: Yesterday, Grandstand's Peter Newlinds caught up with Aussie centurion Michael Hussey. Here's a few choice words the Huss had to say:

You need a bit of luck that's for sure, like what I showed when I was on 96 (dropped on the boundary). My age (37), you know it's not going to last forever so you just try and cherish every moment you get. I don't want to put an end point on it at the moment... it took a long time just to get one opportunity so I don't want to wish it away too quickly, that's for sure.

9:43am: Want to relive Mike Hussey's crucial ton? Looking for Shane Watson's early wicket tricks? Rest easy, the ABC News team has got you covered.

9:35am: Like Max said, we have an earlier start today after the rain gods had their way with day two, so we're all set to go for a 10:00am start. For those that need reminding, I'll set the scene: Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan is still at the crease on 50, but the Aussies nabbed the key wickets of Dimuth Karunaratne (14), Kumar Sangakkara (4) and Mahela Jayawardene (12). A job for Dilshan then, who will need to hold his wicket today if the tourists are to have any chance.

Read the story: 'Bouyant' Aussies dominant in Hobart

Listen to Jim Maxwell's recap of the second day.

9:30am: Good morning once again and welcome to our day three coverage this Sunday. Joel Zander here to guide you through a pivotal morning's cricket. First to the weather, and the Bureau's wizards reckon there's a 90 per cent chance of rain with some scattered showers expected. It is expected to clear as the day wears on, but fingers crossed there aren't too many interruptions like yesterday. Grandstand's Jim Maxwell has tested the wind himself:

@jimmaxcricket It's been raining this morning at boot park, but now the sun is peeping through and the rope is making it's circuit. Should start at 10Tags: cricket, sport, hobart-7000, tas, australia, sri-lanka

First posted December 16, 2012 09:33:14

View the original article here