Sri Lanka win first session, Aust the second, weather the third: T2D2

Australia 3/264 (91.3 ov, Marsh 87*, Hussey 76*) lead Sri Lanka 174 by 90 runs with 7 innings wkts in hand: T2D2 at Pallekele.
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When bad light stopped play just after tea Shaun Marsh and, once again, Mike Hussey had taken Australia from a sub-optimal 3/116 to a much healthier 3/264 in about one and a half sessions

Marsh on debut batted in doughty mode at first (his 50 took 133 balls, inc 7x4) before becoming more fluent later. His 87*/211b (11x4) and of course Hussey's continued late(?) career bloom 76*/152b (8x4) have put Australia back on the road to a substantial first innings lead. The main contest may now between them and the weather.

Sri Lanka, especially the economical Suraj Randiv, plugged away in the field. After lunch the occasional ball caused problems but when Kumar Sangakkara came on to bowl it seemed, if not unconditional surrender, then the opening of peace negotiations. Yet like MS Dhoni, the other subcontinental wicketkeeper turned bowler (in a recent Test v England), Kumar didn't bowl too badly: he swung the ball at about 100kph. Good parkland, but a bit short of Test standard.

; Scorecard