Colombo, March 28:

Ferveez Maharoof took a career-best 4-52 on Tuesday and was assisted by brilliant top-order batting to help Sri Lanka seize control of the first Test against Pakistan with a 251-run lead in the second innings.

At stumps on the third, Sri Lanka was 242-2 with half-centuries from Upul Tharanga (72), Kumar Sangakkara (77 not out ) and Mahela Jayawardene (69 not out). Pakistan resumed the third day with 124-4 but Sri Lankan bowlers led by Maharoof snared six wickets for 52 runs to skittle the visitors for 176 to earn a slim nine-run lead.

Sri Lanka was dismissed for 185 in its first innings on the second day on Monday.

Sangakkara and Jayawardene combined for an unbeaten 115 runs for the third wicket. Sangakkara faced 169 balls hitting eight fours while Jayawardene faced 103 deliveries and hit 10 fours and a six.

Tharanga was brilliantly caught by a diving Imran Farhat off legspinner Danish Kaneria having faced 133 balls and hitting 12 boundaries. Asif finished with 1-37 while Kaneria recorded 1/78.

Starting the day at a

comfortable position, Pakistan lost skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq in the second over of the day caught by wicketkeeper Sangakkara off Maharoof for 31. His overnight partner Abdul Razzak (8) was bowled with a sharp Maharoof inswinger that deflected to the stumps off the pad.

Farhat top-scored for the visitors on the second day with 69 runs hitting 13 fours. The rest of the batting tumbled in quick succession with only Kamran Akmal offering some resistance scoring 27 runs off 55.

Fast bowler Lasith Malinga provided good support to Maharoof taking 3-30 runs while Muttiah Muralitharan polished off the tail to record 3-41.

SCOREBOARD

SRI LANKA —1st Innings: 185

PAKISTAN —1st Innings (overnight 124/4)

I Haq c Sangakkara b Maharoof 31

A Razzaq b Maharoof 8

S Afridi b Muralitharan 14

K Akmal c Tharanga b Muralitharan 27

U Gul lbw b Muralitharan 2

M Asif b Malinga 0

D Kaneria not out 0

Extras: 10 (b1, w1, nb8)

Total: 176

FoW: 1-25, 2-25, 3-28, 4-122, 5-127, 6-138, 7-154, 8-160, 9-172

Sri Lanka bowling: Malinga 12-3-30-3, Maharoof 15-2-52-4, Fernando 3-0-20-0, Bandara 7-1-32-0, Muralitharan 17.4-4-41-3

SRI LANKA —2nd Innings

U Tharanga c Farhat b Kaneria 72

S Jayasuriya c Akmal b Asif 13

K Sangakkara not out 77

M Jayawardene not out 69

Extras: 11 (b10, lb1)

Total: 242/2

FoW: 1-53, 2-127

Pakistan bowling: Asif 14-2-37-1, Gul 15-1-60-0, Kaneria 21-4-78-1, Malik 10-2-24-0, Afridi 6-0-15-0, Razzaq 6-1-15-0, Farhat 1-0-2-0