Sri Lanka push lead past 200

Sri Lanka lost early wickets in their second innings but extended their lead to 220 runs over Pakistan in the third and final Test in Sharjah to boost their chances of a series victory.

Spinner Abdur Rehman and paceman Mohammad Talha picked up two wickets apiece to reduce Sri Lanka to 89 for four but experienced Mahela Jayawardene (46) and captain Angelo Mathews (14 not out) thwarted Pakistan with a stand of 38 runs.
At stumps on the penultimate day of the series, Sri Lanka reached 133 runs for five wickets to add to their first-innings lead of 87.

Jayawardene, who made 129 in his team's nine-wicket win in Dubai in the second Test, became the first Sri Lankan to cross 11,000 Test runs and eighth batsman overall during his innings.

His careful knock came to an end when his bat-pad catch off Saeed Ajmal was smartly taken by Azhar.

SRI LANKA (I Innings): 428/9 decl
PAKISTAN (I Innings, O/n: 291/6):
Misbah c Chandimal b Herath    63
Rehman c P J’ardene b Eranga    2
Talha lbw Eranga    2
Ajmal (not out)    0
Junaid c Chandimal b Herath    16
Extras (B-3, LB-6, W-1, NB-1)    11
Total (all out, 109.1 overs)    341
Fall of wickets: 1-114, 2-149, 3-189, 4-245, 5-274, 6-291, 7-294, 8-300, 9-325.
Bowling: Herath 38.3-8-125-3, Lakmal 23-4-61-0, Perera 17-1-71-1, Eranga 24-5-60-4, Mathews 7-3-15-0.
SRI LANKA (II Innings):
Karunaratne b Talha    8
Silva b Rehman    36
S’kkara c Manzoor b Rehman    8
Jayawardene c Azhar b Ajmal    46
Chandimal b Talha    13
Mathews (batting)    14
P Jayawardene (batting)    6
Extras (W-1, NB-1)    2 
Total (for 5 wkts, 71 overs)    133
Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-37, 3-66, 4-89, 5-127.
Bowling: Junaid 15-5-25-0, Talha 16-2-36-2, Rehman 22-7-36-2, Ajmal 18-5-36-1.