Lunch Australia 2 for 97 (Warner 57, Hughes 27*) v Sri Lanka
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David Warner and Phillip Hughes both made ominous starts on the first
day in Hobart but the run-out of Warner for 57 in the final over before
lunch gave Sri Lanka some reason to cheer. It left the Australians at 2
for 97 after Chanaka Welegedara had earlier dismissed Ed Cowan cheaply
and after the break, Australia's new No.4 Shane Watson was due to join
the new first-drop Hughes, who was on 27.
Warner had been fortunate on 45 when an edge off Welegedara flew through
the vacant third slip position but otherwise he had looked impressive
and appeared set for a big score. But the mix-up before the break ended
his hopes of a second Hobart hundred after his innings against New
Zealand last year; Warner pushed Tillakaratne Dilshan to short cover and
took off before stopping, only to see Hughes run through and complete
the run while Angelo Mathews threw to the bowler's end.
It ended Warner's innings for 57 from 89 deliveries. He had struck eight
boundaries and was especially strong through the off side, driving
through cover when the seamers overpitched. His partner Hughes, who has
worked on his leg-side play during his year away from Test cricket,
picked up a few singles off his pads but scored his boundaries
exclusively through the off side.
Hughes got off the mark with a typical cut for four, chasing a short and
wide ball, and a pair of cover-drives flew off the bat and raced away.
He had come to the crease after Cowan, on 4, skied a catch to mid-on
when he tried to pull Welegedara. That left Australia at 1 for 18,
hardly the start Michael Clarke hoped for when he chose to bat on a
pitch with some green patches.
The Sri Lankan seamers found the occasional edge, including one in the
first over when Cowan was nearly taken low to the ground at slip off
Nuwan Kulasekara, and a couple of others that whizzed past the stumps.
But generally it appeared a good pitch for batting, and the removal of
the settled Warner in such a fashion was a major bonus for the visitors.
Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets here
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