Rangana Herath lead way as Sri Lanka beat Australia in Pallekele
Sunday 31 July 2016 11:22, UK
Sri Lanka finally ended a record ninth-wicket partnership to defeat Australia by 106 runs in the first Test in Pallekele.
A routine win looked on the cards for the hosts when Australia slumped to 157-8 but Peter Nevill and Steve O'Keefe then put together an epic stand.
The duo added just four runs while batting for 29.4 overs, setting records in the process for the slowest-scoring Test partnership in history and the most consecutive maidens faced (22).
However, with wet weather apparently on the horizon, Nevill (9 off 115 balls) was eventually caught behind off Dhananjaya de Silva (1-12), who was armed with the second new ball, and Rangana Herath (5-54) bowled O'Keefe (4 off 98) to wrap up a famous 106-run win.
Despite having led by 86 on first innings, Australia were chasing 268 to win after man of the match Kusal Mendis' superlative innings of 176.
The tourists began the final day on 83-3 and lost Adam Voges (12) in the eighth over of the day when he offered a return catch to Herath.
Captain Steven Smith (55) and Mitchell Marsh (25) gave Australia some hope with a stand of 43, only to fall lbw to Herath in consecutive overs.
That made it 140-6 and Lakshan Sandakan (3-49) then caught and bowled Mitchell Starc (0) and trapped Nathan Lyon (8) lbw.
The match looked as good as over, only for Nevill and O'Keefe, who was batting with a leg injury, to shut up shop.
With an array of fielders camped out around the bat, the duo failed to score a run for 178 balls between overs 63 and 86.
O'Keefe was handed a life when the umpire failed to see an inside edge off De Silva which was held at short-leg and then used a review to overturn an lbw decision that went against him despite his having hit the ball.
But the rain failed to arrive and the Australia resistance was finally broken when Nevill slashed at a wide one from De Silva and was caught by Dinesh Chandimal.
And a fantastic Test then came to end as Herath beat O'Keefe with a delivery that skidded on, giving the spinner match figures of 9-103.
It was just Sri Lanka's second Test win over Australia, who were beaten for the first time since Smith took over as Test captain.
The Aussies will get a chance to bounce back when the second Test starts in Galle on Thursday.
