Oz in command, end Day 4 well ahead

Resuming on their overnight score of 411-5, Sri Lanka lost their last four wickets for 10 runs with leg spinner Warne finishing with 3-129 from 38 overs. The 34-year-old Warne now has 523 Test wickets, four behind Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan who opted out of the tour.

Australia paceman Jason Gillespie also took three wickets as the hosts gave themselves a chance of clinching a 2-0 series victory.

First innings century-maker Matthew Hayden was unbeaten on 68 in Australia’s second innings with Damien Martyn blasting a quickfire 52 not out from 54 balls.

“Obviously we will bat tomorrow for a period of time and then we will definitely be looking to have a crack at them,” Gillespie told a news conference. “There is not a lot of rough there but Shane is a quality bowler and he will be able to extract something out of that (pitch).”

Sri Lanka coach John Dyson said the momentum was with Australia going into the final day’s play.

“They can dictate what happens. We’ve got to try like crazy to limit their scoring, which we did pretty well after tea for a while until Damien Martyn came out and played a superb innings,” Dyson told a news conference.

Justin Langer was the first man out in Australia’s second innings, caught behind off Nuwan Zoysa for eight in the second over.

Hayden then put on 95 for the first wicket with captain Ricky Ponting who was caught at gully by Sanath Jayasuriya off the bowling of left-armer Zoysa for 45 at 105-2.

Martyn put on 89 for the third wicket with Hayden in just 74 minutes.

Glenn McGrath struck in the third over, when Romesh Kaluwitharana was caught at slip for 34 at 420-6. Gillespie then removed Thilan Samaraweera for 70 and Chaminda Vaas for two, both caught by Ponting at second slip. Warne had fellow leg spinner Upul Chandana stumped on 19 and last man Lasith Malinga was run out without scoring.

Captain Marvan Atapattu top scored for the tourists with 133. Kumar Sangakkara (74) and Mahela Jayawardene (43) shared century partnerships with Atapattu for the second and third wickets.

Brief scores

Australia: 517 and 194-2 (M Hayden batting 68, D Martyn batting 52, R Ponting 45) vs Sri Lanka: 455 (M Atapattu 133, K Sangakkara 74, T Samaraweera 70, M Jayawardene 43; J Gillespie 3/116, S Warne 3/129) (Reuters)