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A MAIDEN Test century by Asela Gunaratne helped Sri Lanka pass 500 in their first innings against Zimbabwe on the second day of the second Test Series against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club yesterday while Brian Chari and Craig Ervine combined in a fightback.When Zimbabwe lost two early wickets in their reply, disaster loomed, but then came a superb fighting partnership between Chari and Ervine that took Zimbabwe to 126 for two wickets by the close. It was another hot, sunny morning as Sri Lanka resumed their first innings against Zimbabwe at 290 for five wickets, with Dhananjaya de Silva on 100 and Gunaratne on 13.

The batsmen took the score past 300 without difficulty and then Zimbabwe lost a referral, when umpire Stephen Fry turned down an lbw appeal by Carl Mumba against Gunaratne, but the ball was shown to have hit the pad just outside the line of off stump, while it was also just clearing the stumps.

When de Silva had 111 he drove a ball straight back to Mumba at about waist height, but it went down — he apparently lost concentration, slashed at the very next ball and got an edge, which flew just over the slips and went for four.

After that escape de Silva seemed less comfortable and a few overs later he finally fell to a superb low return catch by Graeme Cremer, diving low to his right. His 127 lasted 245 balls and included 14 fours; Sri Lanka were 342 for six.

Dilruwan Perera came in and when he had five he was dropped by PJ Moor, although it had appeared like a straight-forward catch off the inside edge off Mpofu. Perera went on to play an aggressive innings of 34 off 45 balls in support of the steady Gunaratne, who went to his fifty off 92 balls.

Perera eventually fell victim to Cremer, who pushed a ball through straight and faster to trap him lbw, an undisputed decision; 396 for seven. Sri Lanka were 414 for seven at lunch, with Gunaratne on 64 and Rangana Herath seven.

Gunaratne continued as master of the bowling after the interval, scoring freely off the loose balls and more than a match for the best the bowlers could produce, except once, on 91, when a slider from Cremer missed his off stump by the narrowest of margins.

Herath scored 27 off 51 balls before he slashed at a ball from Donald Tiripano and this time Moor held the edge; 471 for eight. Two balls later and without addition, Sauranga Lakmal lost his off stump, bowled by a full-length ball from Tiripano. Finally Gunaratne lofted Cremer for two over his head to bring up his century, off 181 balls and then celebrated with a six over long-on.

Gunaratne brought up the 500 with a slash over point for four, but then came down the pitch, missed a good flighted ball from Williams and was easily stumped for 116. Tiripano and Cremer took three expensive wickets in the innings, while Hamilton Masakadza had two for 34.

An early tea was taken, before the Zimbabwe openers Tino Mawoyo and Chari went out to open the innings against the bowling of Lakmal and Herath. Chari decided on bold measures and began his innings in astonishing fashion against the experienced Herath, who had troubled him in the first Test.

The first ball he played a slog-sweep that sent the ball for six over long-on; the second he edged for four and the third he drove over mid-off for another four.

He then quietly played out the rest of the over. A single by Mawoyo took him down to Lakmal’s end; he padded up to his second ball from the paceman and was eagerly given out lbw by umpire Fry. The referral showed that the ball was clearing the top of the stumps, so again the DRS proved its inestimable value to the Zimbabwe players.

However, disaster was not far away. Mawoyo played at and missed Herath’s arm ball, to be trapped lbw for three; he did not refer it, although the replay showed the point of impact was just outside the off stump.

Two balls later Masakadza edged a low catch off a ball that Herath got to drift away and was caught low down at slip at the second attempt and Zimbabwe were in trouble at 17 for two.

Scores

Sri Lanka — 504 all out in 144.4 overs (Dhananjaya de Silva 127, Asela Gunaratne 116, Upul Tharanga 79; Donald Tiripano 3/91, Graeme Cremer 3/136, Hamilton Masakadza 2/34)

Zimbabwe — 126 for 2 in 35 overs (Brian Chari 60*, Craig Ervine 60*; Rangana Herath 2/44)

Stumps — Day 2: Zimbabwe trail by 378 runs with eight wickets remaining in the first innings — Zimcricket.