Clarke helps Aussies tighten grip
MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — Captain Michael Clarke trumped Ricky Ponting as Australia’s highest run scorer in a calendar year with another century as his team clamped an iron grip on the second Test against Sri Lanka yesterday.
Clarke eclipsed Ponting’s previous national record of 1,544 runs and went on to score 106 to continue his stellar 2012 as another heavy defeat loomed for the hapless Sri Lankans in Melbourne after losing the opening Test by 137 runs.
It was yet more misery, too, for Shane Watson, who missed out on his third Test century and his first hundred since October 2010 when he fell for a Sri Lankan sucker punch on 83.
At the close on the second day Australia were 440 for eight, with 200-wicket paceman Mitchell Johnson — enjoying a great all-round match — on 73 and Nathan Lyon yet to score. It was Johnson’s seventh Test half-century.
Australia had extended their lead over the tourists to 284 runs with two wickets intact. They left the undermanned Sri Lanka, skittled for 156 off 43.4 overs on Wednesday, looking down the barrel of defeat on the third day.
Clarke went into the Melbourne Test needing 56 runs to break Ponting’s national record and has now amassed 1,595 runs at 106.33 in Australia’s final Test of the year.
Only Pakistan’s Mohammad Yousuf (1,788), West Indian Viv Richards (1,710) and South Africa’s Graeme Smith (1,656) have scored more runs than Clarke in a calendar year.
Clarke was finally caught by rival skipper Mahela Jayawardene in the slips off Shaminda Eranga after 251 minutes at the crease.
The Australian captain, who was in doubt ahead of the game with a hamstring injury, has also scored a triple century and three double centuries in an extraordinary year.
But it was not a chanceless innings, with Clarke having a let-off in Rangana Herath’s 17th over when substitute ‘keeper Kumar Sangakkara missed a tough stumping chance on 54.
He was also dropped by Tillakaratne Dilshan on five late on Wednesday’s first day.
Clarke put on 194 runs for the fourth wicket with Watson, who soon followed his skipper back to the dressing room after again failing to convert a half-century into a ton.
