SL-Australia tour match ends in draw

Sri Lanka's only tour match before their three-Test series against Australia ended in a draw in Canberra on Saturday when they declared on 396 for six at lunch on day three.

The tourists still trailed the 439 for six made by the Chairman's XI but both sides agreed to bring an end to a high-scoring match on a Manuka Oval wicket that offered little to the bowlers.

Tillakaratne Dilshan, who retired unbeaten after reaching his century, high-scored for Sri Lanka with Prasanna Jayawardene (71), Dinesh Chandimal (57) and Kumar Sangakkara (55) also grabbing half centuries.

New South Wales lefthander Scott Henry plundered an unbeaten 207 in the Chairman's XI innings, while Test aspirant and captain Usman Khawaja made 56 before he was withdrawn from the match to play in the domestic Twenty20 competition.

Sri Lanka packed their squad with five fast bowlers and will expect a better return in the first Test from next Friday in Hobart, where the Bellerive Oval has proved a happy hunting ground for pacemen in the last couple of years.

"It was a good wicket and a good practice match as all the batsmen managed to get a good hit," wicketkeeper Jayawardene said.

"I think we'll get a different wicket from this in the Test matches and I think our bowlers did okay."

The tourists, who have never won a Test in Australia, also play matches in Melbourne and Sydney.