MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Michael Clarke brought up his 22nd test century for Australia on Thursday before Sri Lanka claimed three wickets to spark a middle-order collapse on the second day of the second test.
Clarke and Shane Watson shared a 194-run partnership as Australia reached 332-6 at tea, with a 176-run lead over Sri Lanka.
The partnership was broken when the Australia captain edged a Shaminda Eranga ball to Mahela Jayawardene at third slip for 106.
Watson fell for 83 in the next over when he hooked a lofted shot off Dhammika Prasad (3-81) to the waiting hands of Thilan Samaraweera at deep square leg.
Matthew Wade added just one run before becoming Prasad's third victim of the test, caught by Eranga (1-90).
Michael Hussey was 7 not out, with Mitchell Johnson on 11 at the break.
Clarke became Australia's highest-ever run scorer in a calendar year when he reached 56 shortly before lunch. His total for the year is now 1,595, eclipsing recently retired Ricky Ponting's previous record of 1,544 in 2005.
After resuming on the overnight score of 150-3, Clarke made a watchful start before loosening his strokes against a tame Sri Lankan attack. He timed 14 boundaries, showing little sign of the hamstring strain sustained in the first test at Hobart.
One of Clarke's fours came courtesy of an error when Eranga fielded a straight drive off his own delivery only to beat Kumar Sangakkara behind the wicket with a return that carried to the boundary.
Sri Lanka's injury woes worsened on the second morning when paceman Chanaka Welegedara pulled up while running in to bowl to Clarke and limped from the field. He left the grounds for scans on a strained hamstring.
The visitors lost regular wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene to a fractured right thumb on Wednesday and his place behind the stumps was filled by Sangakkara.
Mitchell Johnson claimed four wickets Wednesday to help dismiss Sri Lanka in under two sessions. The only highlight of the Sri Lankan innings was a defiant 58 from Sangakkara that included his 10,000th test run.
.
