Sanga fastest to 11,000 runs in Test cricket

Thursday, 6 February 2014 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Triple ton puts Sri Lanka in command
Bangladesh trail by 501 runs with 9 wickets in hand

REUTERS: Kumar Sangakkara struck his maiden triple hundred and became the ninth batsman to score 11,000 test runs as a dominant Sri

Lanka seized full control of the second and final test against Bangladesh on Wednesday. The stylish left-hander (319) was the last Sri Lankan batsman to fall after a marathon 482-ball knock that included 32 boundaries and eight sixes as the tourists amassed 587 before being all out when second day’s tea was called. In reply, Bangladesh reached 86 for one wicket at stumps after losing opener Tamim Iqbal for a duck in the first over of their innings at Chittagong’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. Shamsur Rahman (45) and Imrul Kayes (36) both survived a dropped chance each to remain unbeaten at close with the hosts still trailing Sri Lanka by 501 runs. Batting on 286 with number 11 batsman Nuwan Pradeep, Sangakkara hit left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan for a four and two sixes off successive deliveries to go past his previous best score of 287 and reach his maiden triple hundred in spectacular fashion. Sangakkara, 36, was fastest to the 11000 test-run club, having bettered West Indies batting great Brian Lara’s record by five innings. Kithuruwan Vithanage (35) and Ajantha Mendis (47) provided able support to Sangakkara and added 90 and 100 for the sixth and eighth wickets respectively. All-rounder Shakib completed his 11th five-wicket haul but Bangladesh would require something of a miracle to win the test and square the two-match series after losing the first match in Dhaka by an innings and 248 runs.

Sri Lanka Cricket opposes ICC proposal

Sri Lanka Cricket in a statement said that the decision taken by the Executive Committee to oppose the ICC’s Revised Proposals has been supported by all stakeholders. In a statement SLC said that the Executive Committee met with all the stakeholders, past captains, past presidents and secretaries of SLC and the Sports Ministry representative to discuss the ICC Revised Working Group Proposals at the Auditorium of the Ministry of Sports. “Revised Proposals put forward by the ICC, the views of the legal advisory committee, and the financial evaluations were taken into consideration and discussed in detail. The views of the Executive Committee were expressed based on the above. It was explained at this meeting that the SLC Executive Committee was firmly of the view that all endeavors should be made to safe guard the current rights and privileges of Sri Lanka Cricket as a Full Member of the ICC,” the statement by SLC said. “All present at this meeting were in unanimous agreement with the decision taken by the Executive Committee to oppose the Revised Proposals,” it added.