Ponting, Gillespie in rescue act

Young Ponting waged a lone battle before he was out the last man after rescuing Australia from a precarious 60 for seven with a fighting 107-run eighth-wicket partnership with Jason Gillespie 41. Muralitharan ran through the middle and late order to capture 63 for four and also had Ponting caught and bowled off a defensive shot to deny him a richly-deserved century.

Sri Lanka in reply were 119 runs adrift with eight wickets in hand after skipper Sanath Jayasuriya 18 and talented fellowleft-hander Russel Arnold 19 both fell leg before victims.

AP adds: Australian skipper Steve Waugh won the toss and chose to bat, but Slater fell leg before to Chaminda Vaas in the second ball of the day.

Fellow left-arm paceman Nuwan Zoysa, struck in his first over from the other end and trapped Blewett lbw. Aravinda de Silva, fielding at second slip, held a superb catch off Vaas to dismiss Justin Langer. Mark Waugh went when Vaas held a low catch on his follow through and Australia were four down for 16.

Scoreboard

Australia 1st innings: Michael Slater lbw Vaas 0, Greg Blewett lbw Zoysa 0, Justin Langer c Aravinda b Vaas 7, Mark Waugh c amp; b Vaas 6, Steve Waugh c Aravinda b Zoysa 19, Ricky Ponting c amp; b Muralitharan 96, Ian Healy st Kaluwitharana b Muralitharan 11, Shane Warne c Atapattu b Zoysa 0, Jason Gillespie lbw Muralitharan 41, Colin Miller c Atapattu b Muralitharan 0, Glenn McGrath not out 4, Extras nb-4: 4. Total all out in 59.1 overs: 188

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-4, 3-9,4-16, 5-40, 6-59, 7-60, 8-167, 9-171

Bowling: Vaas 16-2-43-3, Zoysa 13-2-38-3, Muralitharan 25.1-4-63-4, Jayasuriya 5-0-5-0, Chandana 8-1-39-0

Sri Lanka 1st innings: Sanath Jayasuriya lbw McGrath 18, Marvan Atapattu batting 25, Russel Arnold lbw Miller 19. Extras b 4, lb 2, nb 1: 7. Total for two wickets, in 20.2 overs: 69

Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-69

Bowling: McGrath 6-0-25-1, Gillespie 6-0-21-0, Miller 4.2-2-9-1, Warne 4-2-8-0