Pakistan toil as Mathews ton gives Sri Lanka solid lead

Angelo Mathews made amends for missing a century in the first innings with a gritty unbeaten 116 in the second as Sri Lanka racked up a solid lead in the opening Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

Starting the penultimate day of the match with a slender lead of seven runs, Sri Lanka lost just a single wicket during the entire day to reach 420 for five at stumps, a second-innings lead of 241 runs.

The wicket of Dinesh Chandimal (89) was the lone success for the Pakistan bowlers as their hard work proved futile on an unresponsive surface.

Left-arm seamer Junaid Khan, who took five wickets in the first innings, picked up his third scalp in the second when Chandimal hooked him straight to Rahat Ali at deep fine leg.

Chandimal, unbeaten on 24 overnight, added 138 runs for the fifth wicket with captain Mathews and put paid to Pakistan's hopes of making early inroads.

Mathews, who hit 12 fours and a six on his way to his second Test hundred, then added 96 for the unbroken sixth wicket with wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene (48 not out) to deny Pakistan any further success.

Ace off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was wicketless after sending down 42 overs in the second innings and his lack of success on a fourth-day pitch underlined the misery for the Pakistan bowlers.

There was more heartbreak for Pakistan on Friday as they lost wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal for the remainder of the series due to a fracture in his left-hand index finger.

First-innings top-scorer Younus Khan took over the gloves for Pakistan during the day's play.

Scorecard

Sri Lanka (1st innings): 204

Pakistan (1st innings): 383

Sri Lanka (2nd innings): (overnight 186-4)

D. Karunaratne b Junaid 24

K. Silva c Akmal b Junaid 81

K. Sangakkara c Younus b Bhatti 55

M. Jayawardene c Shafiq b Bhatti 0

D. Chandimal c Rahat b Junaid 89

A. Mathews not out 116

P. Jayawardene not out 48

Extras: (lb-7) 7

Total: (for five wickets, 148 overs) 420

To bat: S. Senanayake, R. Herath, S. Eranga, S. Lakmal

Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-146, 3-150, 4-186, 5-324

Bowling: Junaid 31-2-81-3, Rahat 33-8-82-0, Bhatti 33-8-131-2, Ajmal 42-10-96-0, Hafeez 9-1-23-0

Image: Angelo Mathews

Photograph: Getty Images