NST Online: Sports

Posted: 08 Sep 2011 05:48 PM PDT

PALLEKELE (Sri Lanka): Australia took early charge of the Second Test after bowling out Sri Lanka for a hugely disappointing 174 soon after tea on the opening day in Pallekele yesterday.

Fast bowler Ryan Harris led the way with three wickets and Trent Copeland, Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Lyon picked up two each in good batting conditions at the Pallekele International Stadium.

Australia, hoping to clinch the three-match series after winning the First Test in Galle by 125 runs, raced to 60 for no loss before bad light ended play 5.2 overs early.

Shane Watson returned unbeaten on 36 with six boundaries and Phillip Hughes was on a watchful 23 at stumps.

The hosts, electing to bat after winning the toss, never recovered after they lost half the side for 76 by lunch, the top three falling by the eighth over with the score at just 14.

Vice-captain Angelo Mathews cracked three sixes and six boundaries in an aggressive 58 to boost the total, but seven batsmen failed to reach double figures.

Former captain Kumar Sangakkara chipped in with 48, adding 43 for the fourth wicket with Thilan Samaraweera and 52 for the sixth with Mathews.

The elegant left-hander looked set for a major knock when he lost his wicket to part-time bowler Mike Hussey, whose slow-medium delivery was driven to Hughes at short-cover.

It was only the third wicket in 61 tests for Hussey and compounded Sri Lanka's woes on a wicket that had rolled out well in favour of the batsmen.

Harris struck the first blow in his second over when he forced Tharanga Paranavitana to edge a catch to wicket-keeper Brad Haddin.

It was the second successive duck for the left-handed opener, who had failed to score in the second innings at Galle.

Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan made four when he tried to leave a ball from Copeland which swung back sharply to clip his off-stump.

Copeland also removed Mahela Jayawardene in his next over as Hussey dived to his left at gully to pick up a stunning catch.

Jayawardene, whose classy century in Galle failed to save Sri Lanka, managed only four this time.

Sri Lanka would have lost Sangakkara cheaply, but Shane Watson spilled a catch at first slip off Johnson when the batsman was on 27.

Samaraweera was dismissed 20 minutes before lunch, caught behind off Harris for 18, while Prasanna Jayawardene threw away his wicket just before the break.

The Sri Lankan wicket-keeper smashed off-spinner Lyon for a six and four, but holed out in the deep off the last ball of the over.

Sangakkara's fall in the afternoon session hastened another collapse before Mathews lashed out in the company of the tailenders. -- AFP

Japan likely to be France's first victim

Posted: 08 Sep 2011 05:48 PM PDT

AUCKLAND: France's stocks have dived but coach Marc Lievremont remains resolute Les Bleus can break through for their first World Cup triumph starting with Asian champions Japan at North Harbour tomorrow.

Lievremont, who took over after the last World Cup, won the 2010 Six Nations but it's been grim in the last 12 months with a record 59-16 defeat at home to Australia in November and a first-ever loss to Italy in the Six Nations.

With Philippe Saint-Andre already announced as his successor after the World Cup, Lievremont said he will be disappointed if the French are not champions of the world come Oct 23.

Fourth-ranked France have been twice World Cup runners-up in 1987 and 1999 but they will have to topple the top-ranked All Blacks in Pool A if they are to avoid a likely quarter-final with England, winners of this year's Six Nations.

The French squad showed the benefits from over two months together by winning both of their warm-up matches against Ireland.

"This is a real chance for the French team. For the first time in my four years in charge we had the resources and the time to get to know each other and work on fitness and on our rugby," Lievremont said.

"I am happy with that but it is what follows that will determine whether it was all worth it. Now, it is all systems go."

Coach John Kirwan is realistic about Japan's Cup chances and has targeted the group matches against Tonga and Canada.

"For us it's about being competitive (against France and New Zealand) and Tonga and Canada are the games that are really important for us," Kirwan said this week.

"We've had a great lead-in and a great preparation, but it means nothing and we are judged by the World Cup."

The 13th-ranked Brave Blossoms have only one win in six World Cup campaigns -- a 52-8 success against lowly Zimbabwe in 1991 -- and have been well beaten in their only two encounters with Les Bleus.

"We would like to be competitive against France. We want to show the world how much our game has improved so for us it's about playing our style of game and doing all the things around rugby well," All Black wing great Kirwan said.

Team lineups -- Japan: Shaun Webb; Kosuke Endo, Koji Taira, Ryan Nicholas, Hirotoki Onozawa; James Arlidge, Fumiaki Tanaka; Ryukoliniasi Holani, Michael Leitch, Takashi Kikutani (capt), Toshizumi Kitagawa, Luke Thompson; Kensuke Hatakeyama, Shota Horie, Hisateru Hirashima.

Replacements: Yusuke Aoki, Nozomu Fujita, Hitoshi Ono, Itaru Taniguchi, Atsushi Hiwasa, Murray Williams, Alisi Tupuailai.

France: Cedric Heymans; Vincent Clerc, Aurelien Rougerie, Fabrice Estebanez, Maxime Medard; Francois Trinh-Duc, Dimitri Yachvili; Imanol Harinordoquy, Raphael Lakafia, Thierry Dusautoir (capt), Lionel Nallet, Julien Pierre; Nicolas Mas, William Servat, Fabien Barcella.

Replacements: Dimitri Szarzewski, Jean-Baptiste Poux, Pascal Pape, Julien Bonnaire, Morgan Parra, David Skrela, David Marty. -- AFP

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Khamis, 8 September 2011

NST Online: Sports

NST Online: Sports

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