Kaneria puts Sri Lanka in a spin

The unofficial Test series between Sri Lanka and Pakistan was delicately poised tonight after a frantic second day of the final four-day game at Galle today. Fortunes fluctuated throughout the day and both sides still harbour realistic hopes of victory, even if Pakistan hold the upper hand after a five wicket haul by Danish Kaneria.

Bizarrely, on such a fine batting pitch, twenty-six wickets have now fallen in the first two days and, barring bad weather, a conclusion within three-days now appears a certainty. Sri Lanka now have a lead of 108 with just four second-innings wickets remaining.

Sri Lanka's bowlers, led by Thilan Samaraweera, fought their side back into match in the morning as they took six wickets for 47 runs. Hasan Raza responded by compiling a 52-run partnership for the last wicket and completed his second hundred of the series in the process. The crucial partnership, quite possibly a match winning one, left Pakistan with a valuable 38 run lead.

Avishka Gunawardene then shrugged off the early dismissal of Shantha Kalavitigoda in the Sri Lankan second innings with another powerful display of batting. He wiped out the deficit in a flash, as he as he carved the faster bowlers, particularly Najaf Shah, who was disdainfully pummeled for 14 in his second over, around the ground in a 56-ball half century.

Raza was quick to introduce Danish Kaneria, Pakistan's promising leg spinner, and though the brawny left-hander played more studiously, the leg spinner eventually had him caught at cover in near identical fashion to his first innings dismissal. It ended a 73 run partnership for the second wicket that was swinging the match towards Sri Lanka.

Kaneria then ran through the brittle middle order. Chamara Silva (4) was trapped leg-before wicket in Kaneria's next over, Michael Vandort (35) was snapped up at short leg, Malintha Warnapura (1) was caught behind as he tried to sweep, and Jevantha Kulatunga (7) top edged a sweep as he tried to break the shackles. Sri Lanka had lost five wickets for 27 runs and slipped from 94 for one to 121 for six.

An undefeated seventh wicket partnership of 25 between Thilan Samaraweera and Prasanna Jayawardene halted the slide and gives Sri Lanka hope tomorrow.

When Pakistan arrived this morning they were confident of compiling a series-winning first innings lead on a fine batting pitch, but came unstuck after the introduction of Samaraweera. The off spinner, a revelation in the this series with 20 wickets so far, swept through the middle order after Ruchira Perera had trapped Misbah ul-Haq leg-before wicket in the third over of the day.

Yasir Arafat, Humayun Farhat, and Irfan Fazil were all snapped up by the bat-pad catchers; all defeated in the air as they groped forward to smother the spin. Pakistan went into lunch on 122 for seven.

Straight after the interval Dinusha Fernando picked up the wickets of Kashif Raza and Danish Kaneria with Pakistan still 14 runs adrift of Sri Lanka's first innings score.

Sri Lanka's recent cricket history, however, is littered with frustrating last wicket partnerships that have allowed their opponents to grab back the initiative. Hasan Raza, who was on 55 when the ninth wicket fell, exposed that weakness again, as he upped the tempo.

Given solid support by Najaf Shah, who scored just five of the 52 run partnership, Raza induced a sense of panic with a series of bold, sometimes innovative, strokes. Immediately after reaching his four-hour hundred, however, scored off 197 balls, Najaf Shah was trapped leg-before wicket to end the innings.