Sangakkara offers Sri Lanka hope

SECOND TEST MATCH, Hobart (day four, stumps):
Australia 542-5d & 210-2 v Sri Lanka 246 & 247-3

Sri Lanka's hopes rest on the shoulders of Kumar Sangakkara

Kumar Sangakkara hit an unbeaten century as Sri Lanka reached 247-3 chasing a record 507 for victory in the second Test against Australia.

The hosts declared at 210-2 late on the morning of the fourth day in Hobart.

Sri Lanka rapidly lost their first wicket, Mitchell Johnson removing Michael Vandrort for four.

But Marvan Atapattu (80) and Sangakkara (109no) put on 143 for the second wicket, before Mahela Jayawardene fell first ball to a fired up Brett Lee.

Australia ensured Muttiah Muralitharan would have to wait until the home series against England to have the chance to overhaul Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne as the leading wicket-taker in Test history.

The Sri Lanka off-spinner took 1-90 in the second innings and will leave Australia still five wickets short of breaking Warne's record of 708 wickets.

During the series the 35-year-old spinner took four wickets for 400 runs, a sharp contrast to his career average of 21.77.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who said before the series he wanted Muralitharan to leave Australia without Warne's record, was unbeaten on 53 when he declared.

The 507 target would be a record by some distance - the West Indies' 418 against Australia at Antigua in 2003 is the highest winning chase for a team batting last in a Test.

And the mammoth target looked even larger when Vandort could only sky a simple catch to substitute fielder Rhett Lockyear at point as Sri Lanka slipped to 15-1.

The visitors were 23-1 lunch but they dominated the middle session, adding 116 runs without loss.

However, after tea Lee began to work Atapattu over and he eventually hooked a short ball to Phil Jaques at deep square leg.

And the next ball Lee produced a viciously swinging yorker to new batsman Jayawardene and the captain could only look on in horror as he failed to offer a shot and the ball swerved in to rattle his stumps.

Veteran left-hander Sanath Jayasuriya (33 not out) joined Sangakkara and the pair saw the visitors to the close.

Sangakkara played some typically classy shots as he reached his first century against Australia, and Sri Lanka will resume on the fifth and final day needing a further 260 for victory.