Date-stamped : 06 Dec95 - 18:29 Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka, Test 3 Harare, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31 October 1994 ====> Prematch, 25 Oct 94 Brain returns for third test Left-arm seamer David Brain, injured in the opening test, returns to bolster the Zimbabwe attack for the third and final test against Sri Lanka which begins on Wednesday. Brain bowled only five overs in the first test before straining a chest muscle and the injury also kept him out of the second test which ended on MondayThe first two tests in this inaugural series between the two countries were drawn. The return of Brain is the only likely change in the Zimbabwe line-up. "Brain will come straight back into the side and that will strengthen our seam attack considerably. But the rest of the team is not likely to change," Zimbabwe coach John Hampshire said. Sri Lanka were also expected to make one change, with 19-year-old seamer Ravindra Pushpakumara being brought in to exploit what is expected to be a more helpful pitch for the bowlers. Following their scare in the second test, when they were forced to follow on, Sri Lanka might also opt to leave out wicketkeeper Pubudu Dassanayake and bring in Sanath Jayasuriya to strengthen their batting. Hashan Tillekeratne would then take over behind the stumps. Winning the toss could be decisive with more grass being left on the pitch and likely to aid the seamers early on. Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga was critical of Zimbabwe's de- fensive bowling in the first two tests. "They pack one side of the wicket and then bowl about one and a half feet out side the off-stump. We can leave almost all the balls alone but if we hope to win, we have to get some runs quickly," he said. Teams: Zimbabwe (from): Grant Flower, Mark Dekker, Alistair Campbell, Dave Houghton, Andy Flower (captain), Wayne James, Guy Whittal, Heath Streak, David Brain, Paul Strang, John Rennie, Stephen Peall, Malcolm Jarvis. Sri Lanka (from): Roshan Mahanama, Asanka Gurusinha, Sanath Jayasuriya, Sanjeewa Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva, Arjuna Rana- tunga (captain), Hashan Tillekeratne, Pubudu Dassanayake, Kumar Dassanayake, Muttiah Muralitheran, Pramodya Wickremasinghe, Ra- vindra Pushpakumara, Chaminda Vaas. Thanks :: Reuter Contributed by vicky (vigneswa@risky.ecs.umass.edu) ====> more Hampshire acts to end stalemate - Geoffrey Dean There is no respite for Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, who begin the third and deciding Test in Harare today only two days after com- pleting the second in Bulawayo. The Zimbabwe Cricket Union have resisted calls to delay the official start by 24 hours and to scrap the rest day which, somewhat bewilderingly, is on Saturday. Zimbabwe, who spent the last three days of the second Test in the field, face the unwelcome prospect of four days in five on their feet if they bowl first today. They can, however, expect a much more sporting pitch than the ones seen in the first two Tests. Coach John Hampshire has asked the Harare Sports Club groundsmen to leave a good deal more grass on the wicket, which has also been given persistent heavy rolling for the past 10 days. "The problem," said Hampshire, "was that I arrived out here from Eng- land too late for first Test to have any influence on pitch preparation. Hopefully, we'll get what we want this time." Anoth- er flat pitch would almost certainly mean an unsatisfactory 0-0 series draw, for both sides' seamers need help from the wicket to bowl the opposition out twice. Zimbabwe's chances of a maiden Test victory have been boosted by the return of the fit again left-arm swing bowler, David Brain, who broke down after just five overs in the first Test. The ZCU, meanwhile, have controver- sially voted not to allow David Houghton, who scored 266 against Sri Lanka in the second Test, to go on the forthcoming tour of Australia unless he stays for all of it. Houghton, who has been appointed coach at Worcestershire, wants to do five out of eight weeks only, for family reasons, and will not tour unless the ZCU reverse their chief executive committee's decision. The Australi- an Cricket Board will pay for only 14 players' return flights, and it is thought the ZCU are not prepared to pay for a replace- ment to fly out. Thanks :: Daily Telegraph Contributed by vicky (vigneswa@risky.ecs.umass.edu) ====> Day 1, 26 Oct 94 Sri Lanka, inspired by Hashan Tillekeratne, battled to take the upper hand here at Harare on Wednesday at the final cricket Test against Zimbabwe. They reached 248-4 by the close, with Tillek- eratne unbeaten on 63 and captain Arjuna Ranatunga on 25. The pair, who came together after the tea interval, put on 56 for the fifth wicket. The best stand of the day belonged to openers Roshan Mahanama and Asanka Gurusinha, who put on 64. Both fell to rash strokes, Maha- nama not getting over the ball and skying a catch to cover for 24 and Gurusinha slashing widely at Dave Brain and edging to second slip. Sanjeeva Ranatunga, century maker in the opening two Tests of the series, also fell to an injudicous stroke, hitting a full toss straight to Guy Whittal at short square leg for 43. Sanjeeva Ranatunga became leg spinner Paul Strang`s first Test wicket on his debut. Aravinda de Silva threatened by hitting Whittal for four fours but on 25 he fell to Heath Streak, caught at first slip by Mark Dekker having survived a difficult chance off the previous delivery to the same fielder. The first two Tests were drawn. Contributed by vasa (Vasanthan.Dasan@Central.Sun.COM) ====> Day 2, 27 Oct 94, lunch Tillekeratne in sight of maiden test century Middle-order batsman Hashan Tillekeratne was in sight of his maiden test century as Sri Lanka continued to build a solid total against Zimbabwe on Thursday. Sri Lanka were 317 for six at lunch on the second day of the third and final test, with Til- lekeratne on 90. He has struck 13 fours, faced 225 deliveries and been at the crease for five and three-quarter hours. Paceman Heath Streak picked up two key wickets during the morning session after Sri Lanka resumed at 248 for four. Captain Arjuna Ranatunga was first to go, in the sixth over of the day. Having made a fluent 39 laced with square cuts, he sliced a full length delivery from Streak towards the third man boundary where Mark Dekker took a good running catch. Ranatunga had shared with Tillekeratne in a fifth-wicket partnership of 75 in 30 overs. Streak struck again four overs later when Sanath Jayasuriya, on 10, leg-glanced and was caught behind by Wayne James. Streak has taken four for 85 from 29 overs, bringing his tally to 12 wickets in the series. Thanks Reuter. Contributed by Vicky (vigneswa@risky.ecs.umass.edu) ====> Day 2, end of play Sri Lanka`s Hashan Tillekeratne overcame the nervous nineties to score his maiden Test ton in the third and final cricket Test against Zimbabwe in Harare on Thursday. The 27-year-old middle order batsman, who has been stranded in the nineties on three oc- casions in Tests without reaching the important milestone, final- ly broke the jinx with a leg-glanced single. They were finally bowled out in late afternoon and then captured the wicket of opener Grant Flower for five in the 55 minutes until the close with the score on 10. The 24-year-old Zimbabwean right-handed batsman was beaten by a superb lifter from Ravindra Pushpakumara and was caught behind off the last ball of the day. Apart from Tillekeratne, no other batsman Thursday got a big score when Sri Lanka resumed on 248-4. Arjuna Ranatunga threatened to get going but after completing a 75-run stand for the fifth wicket, the best of the innings, he slashed at Heath Streak and was caught at third man for 39. The pick of the Zimbabwean bowlers was pace bowler Streak with 4-97 while Test debutant Paul Strang, a leg spinner, finished with 3- 65. Contributed by vasa (Vasanthan.Dasan@Central.Sun.COM) ====> Day 3, 28 Oct 94 Houghton hits another century as Zimbabwe reach 276-4 Dave Houghton followed his second test double century with an un- beaten 125 on Friday as Zimbabwe almost certainly ensured the third and final test against Sri Lanka would mirror the previous two and end in a draw. The former Zimbabwe captain combined with Alistair Campbell in a record Zimbabwe partnership for any wicket of 194 as the home side reached 276 for four by the end of the third day in response to Sri Lanka`s 402. By that stage any hope of a result in the deadlocked series looked to have disappeared. Only a considerable increase in Zimbabwe`s run rate on the fourth day looks to provide them with any hope of a declaration to give them time to bowl out Sri Lanka and record their first test win. Their scoring rate on Friday gave little indication that was up- permost in their minds as they added just 266 runs during the day for the loss of three wickets. Resuming at 10 for one, Zimbabwe lost left-handed opener Mark Dekker for 14 in the sixth over of the day but Houghton and Camp- bell ensured there were no further traumas. Neither took any risks as they reached 72 for two by lunch and added a further 76 runs in the afternoon session without be- ing parted. Campbell reached 99 but was denied a century an hour before the close when he drove loosely at Pushpakumara and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Hashan Tillekeratne. Four overs later Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower gloved a catch to Tillekeratne to be out for 10 but that was the final success of the day for Sri Lanka. Houghton, who hit a Zimbabwe record 266 in the second test, reached his third test century with a hooked four off Push- pakumara. He had been at the crease for just over five hours and faced 209 balls, hitting 11 fours and two sixes. Pushpakumara was easily the most successful of the Sri Lanka bowlers, finishing the day with three for 100 in 28 overs. Thanks Reuter. Contributed by azzie (alak@*.uchicago.edu) ====> Day 4, 30 Oct 94 A career-best seven for 116 from Sri Lanka pace bowler Ra- vindra Pushpakumara saw Zimbabwe lose their last six wickets for just 99 runs on the fourth day of the third and final test on Sunday. Zimbabwe were dismissed for 375 in their first innings to give Sri Lanka a lead of 27 in the third and final cricket test. With just under two hours' play lost to bad light either side of tea, Sri Lanka were 20 for one in their second innings at the close. The day belonged to 19-year-old Pushpakumara, who produced the second best bowling performance by a Sri Lanka player at test level after Ravi Ratnayeke's eight for 83 against Pakistan at Sialkot in 1985-86. He took 4-145 on his debut against Pakistan in Kandy earlier this year. "I felt really good as this wicket is a good batting wicket. I felt I bowled quickly and, especially, a good line and length. After lunch, I was getting a lot of seam movement and also a bit of outswing," Pushpakumara said. Earlier Zimbabwe, 276 for four overnight, lost the wickets of David Houghton (142) and Wayne James (2) before lunch. The only solid resistance after their dismissals came from 22-year- old Guy Whittall with a test-best score of 61 not out. Whittall's maiden test 50 included eight fours and he was at the crease for four hours. Dave Houghton took his tally of runs for the series to 466 before being dismissed for 142. Houghton, 125 overnight, departed in the 10th over of the day when he dragged a ball from left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas on to his stumps. His 268-ball innings included 17 fours and two sixes. Whittall shared a seventh-wicket stand of 58 in 28 overs with Heath Streak before Pushpakumara suddenly found himself on a hat- trick with the Zimbabwe score on 263. Streak was caught behind by wicketkeeper Hashan Tillekeratne for 20 off a leg-cutter then Brain was leg before wicket pushing half forward from the next ball before Paul Strang prevented Pushpakumara from achiev- ing his first hat-trick at first-class level. Thanks Reuter. Contributed by vicky (vigneswa@risky.ecs.umass.edu) ====> Day 5, 31 Oct 94 Heavy rain restricted play to just 14 overs on the final day of the drawn third Test between Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. With the series finishing 0-0, attention now shifts to the three-match one-day series, the start of which has been put back until Thurs- day because of the rain. Zimbabwe can claim that they won the Test series on points, for they were bowled out only once. The Sri Lankans were dismissed three times and also suffered the em- barrassment of following-on in the Bulawayo Test. Zimbabwe have not batted a second time in any of the matches, possibly the first time this has happened in any Test series. Not until this final Test, did the Sri Lankans gain a first-innings lead. They batted yesterday more positively than at any other time in the series, scoring at five an over. Aravinder de Silva pulled and drove his way to an unbeaten 41 off 32 balls. Arjuna Ranatunga, who helped him add an unbroken 53 in the nine overs, hit Malcolm Jarvis on the up for six into a sightscreen. The two wickets to fall yesterday were Asanka Gurusinha, caught at second slip and Sanjeewa Ranatunga, taken at backward short leg. Source: The Daily Telegraph. Contributed by John.McDonald (e_jmd@*.nerc-murchison.ac.uk)