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Paceman Ryan Harris captured five wickets as Australia made full use of the second new ball to break a stubborn sixth-wicket partnership and mop up the tail on the way to a 125-run victory over Sri Lanka on the fourth day of the first Test yesterday.
Harris took three wickets in the afternoon session to finish with figures of 5-62, with the removal of Mahela Jayawardene for a brilliant 105 proving to be the catalyst for the victory charge after the hosts had frustrated Australia in the morning.
Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews had batted superbly to rescue Sri Lanka from 68-5, the pair adding 142 runs before the former edged a Harris delivery onto his stumps six overs after Australia had taken the new ball as soon as it became available.
The remaining four wickets fell cheaply and Mathews was dismissed an agonising five runs short of a maiden Test century after he opted to attack the bowlers when he was running out of partners.
Meanwhile, Ricky Ponting became the first cricketer to play in 100 Test wins after Australia defeated Sri Lanka.The former skipper, 36, was already Test cricket’s most successful captain with 48 wins when he stepped down in April to make way for Michael Clarke. Ponting, who made his Test debut in 1995, has so far played 153 matches and his 12,411 runs make him the world’s third highest run-getter behind the Indian duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.
“His longevity in the game is amazing,” said Clarke after yesterday’s match. “For about eight or nine of our squad it was the first Test win, and here was Punter (Ponting) with his 100th.
“He has played a hell of a lot of games, captained a hell of a lot of games and won a hell of a lot of games. Just an amazing cricketer.”
But Ponting will miss the second Test in Pallekele from September 8 to go home for the birth of his second child.