Six wickets in a dramatic last session have guide Australia won in the 1st Test against Sri Lanka at Bellerive Oval. fast bowling made the damage, as 1st Peter Siddle and then Mitchell Starc cut through some brave Sri Lankan resistance to seal a 137-run victory with 10.4 overs remaining in the day.
This was the Australia's first Test victory of the summer - avoided a repeat of Adelaide, where the hosts side failed to take enough wickets on the last day to beat South Africa. Australia will go into the Boxing Day Test with a 1-0 lead in the Three Match Test series.
Starc take 5 for 63 following on from his brilliant performance in Perth against South Africa. Siddle was again star for Australia, taking important wickets as the final day wore on, keeping Australia in with a chance of victory. He got 4 for 50 to go with his first innings haul of 5 for 54 and was named for the man of the match.
Clarke also joined the growing Australian injury list when he retired hurt in the 2nd innings with a hamstring injury.
The Sri Lankans had begun the day five at 2 for 65 facing an uphill task to secure a draw on a deteriorating wicket. The key to survival was the two veterans, Skipper Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.
This pair frustrated the Australian attack for some time, taking the score to 2 for 112 before Siddle made the breakthrough, dismissing Jayawardene for 19 runs, caught by Michael Clarke at slip. The key wicket was Kumar Sangakkara, and when he was trapped in front by Siddle for 63, it looked like Australia was well on its way to win.
A resistant action by Thilan Samaraweera and Angelo Mathews showed Sri Lanka had other ideas, however. When Clarke threw the ball to Matthew Wade just before tea with Sri Lanka still four wickets down, it was clear the pressure was back on the Australian side.
Siddle came, who drew an edge to the keeper to remove Mathews (19), then produced an unplayable ball that swung late and stayed low to dismiss Samaraweera for 49, leaving the tourists at 6 for 218 and the tail exposed. Then Starc took over with a fine spell of bowling that leads for Prasanna Jayawardene for 21 and Nuwan Kulasekara for 9. Finally Sri Lanka all out for 255 runs. Peter named for the Man of the Match award.
