A switch-hit from David Warner typified Australia’s chase for quick runs early on day four of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Hobart as the home side powered to a lead of 260 runs at lunch.
Australia reached 2-146 after adding 119 runs in Monday’s 150-minute opening session as skipper Michael Clarke pondered making a declaration to set up an exciting finish to the match.
Openers David Warner (68) and Ed Cowan (56) shared a partnership of 132, their second century stand in Cowan’s 11-Test career.
Phil Hughes is nine not out and Shane Watson is on two.
Warner was caught behind off the bowling of spinner Rangana Herath after hitting five fours and one massive six over long-on.
Warner reached his half-century off 101 deliveries with a pull shot to the boundary and charged the bowling of left-arm paceman Chanaka Welegedara two balls later in a bold attempt to lift the scoring rate, to no avail.
The left-hander had more success in the next over as he launched into a huge hit over long-on for six off the bowling of Herath.
Warner moved to 65 in Herath’s next over with a spectacular switch-hit through the right-hander’s mid-wicket boundary off Herath.
Cowan fell eight runs after Warner, bowled by Welegedara at 2-140.
Left-hander Cowan made four in the first innings and should have been gone for five in the second dig but Sri Lanka had an lbw appeal turned down and failed to ask for an umpire Decision Review System (DRS) referral which would have yielded success, TV replays showed.
Sri Lanka’s struggles with the DRS continued when the tourists called for a referral after a caught-behind decision against Cowan was turned down with the batsman on 34 and the total on 81.
Replays indicated the batsman was not out, which means Sri Lanka have only one successful referral remaining in the innings.
Australian pace bowler Ben Hilfenhaus broke down with a side strain on Sunday morning and is unlikely to bowl in Sri Lanka’s second innings with Mitchell Johnson and the uncapped Jackson Bird among the contenders for the Melbourne Boxing Day Test.
