Warner, Hughes reach 50, Australia 127-1 in reply to Sri Lanka’s 294

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SYDNEY, Australia — David Warner closed on his fourth test century Friday as he led Australia to 127-1 at lunch on day two of the third and final test against Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Warner struck 68 not out from just 63 balls against an inexperienced pace attack, smacking a series of punchy cover drives as Australia quickly made ground on Sri Lanka’s first-day total of 294 all out.

Phil Hughes moved to 50 on a good batting track and Ed Cowan was the only man out, run out for 4 as Warner tried to make a second run.

The wicket started to offer something to the spin of Tillakaratne Dilshan before the interval but captain Mahela Jayawardene still chose not to offer the ball to Rangana Herath, who took more wickets in 2012 than any other bowler.

The Sri Lankans need wickets quickly in the second session as they try to avoid a series whitewash.

Warner, a Twenty20 specialist, initially looked set for a score to rival his 69-ball century against India last year, hitting 25 of Australia’s first 26 runs and racing to 31 from 21 deliveries before Cowan was run out.

He hit the first ball of the innings to the third man boundary for the first of his nine fours and his cover drives off the back foot drew loud applause from an SCG crowd looking for their side to press an advantage after bowling out Sri Lanka at the end of Thursday’s final session.

The only wicket of the session came in the sixth over. Dhammika Prasad served up a low full toss that Warner swatted away. Warner charged in search of two runs but Cowan dawdled for the first and hesitated coming back for the second, giving Nuwan Pradeep plenty of time to throw to Prasad for the run out at the non-striker’s end.

Warner briefly looked shaken, complaining to the umpire about the point fielder walking sideways during the bowler’s run up, but set off again with a driven boundary to mid-off just two balls later.

Warner reached his half century in just 37 balls. Hughes took a relatively sedate 85 deliveries with only six boundaries but outscored his partner by dominating the strike.

Sri Lanka desperately needed to stem the flow of runs but Pradeep, who had never bowled with a leather ball until he was 20 years old, conceded five wides with a wild delivery.

21:11ET 03-01-13