RC signing off here at Blog Central after an interesting opening day's play, thanks for your company, and join us back here for the 10.30am start tomorrow.
STUMPS SCORE: Australia 4/299 (Clarke 70*, Hussey 37*)
WHAT HAPPENED: Australia won the toss and compiled its runs at a steady if not spectacular rate, the loss of Warner and Hughes in particular stemming the run flow at times when Australia looked set to really step on the gas. The home side was its own worst enemy at times, Cowan's dismissal a shocker, as was Warner's run out. Sri Lanka did well to keep things relatively in check, Kulasekara the tightest of the bowlers, Welegedara easily the most expensive, but the man who got the wickets.
WHAT IT MEANS: A more cautious approach from the home side than might have been expected ended up paying dividends, 4/299 a very nice place from which to launch a full-on assault on a hardly threatening attack tomorrow, Clarke and Hussey shoring things up after Hughes's dismissal. Clarke would have to be looking for 500 or so here before turning his bowlers loose. Little encouragement in the track for the spinners, but some variable bounce started to make life a little difficult towards the end, and might make a decent first innings tally formidable indeed.
And that's it for today! Hussey pushes a single to finish it off, and will take block first thing Saturday. 4/299 is a slower day than we've been used to recently, but an entertaining battle.
Just two overs to go now, and you'd have to say Australia has clearly taken the points, not without some flutters along the way, though. Been a tight line and length effort from an attack not rated too highly, does seem to underline the argument about the lacking penetration however.
Now Clarke's batting with more freedom! Couple of scorching drives for four off Welegedara that over pushes the score along nicely up to 289, can the Aussies get to 300 before stumps? Better still, not lose another wicket?
Fifty for Clarke! Very patient knock by the captain, more recently in some pain after that knock on the knee. Clarke's half-century comes up from 117 balls with only four boundaries. Partnership is now worth 76, Australia will be looking pretty strong if they can last another five overs tonight.
Hussey pushes a quick single, return to the bowler's end hits the stumps. SL appeals for the run out, and it goes upstairs ... not sure why, he was home by several feet. Clarke follows up with a lovely drive for four. This pair looking good.
Sri Lanka is taking the new ball. Good timing because this pair looks increasingly settled, partnership now worth 60. It's going to be Eranga with the new cherry, and straight away he gets a little movement through the air and Clarke plays and misses. Half shout for LBW a couple of balls later, pretty optimistic, and Hotspot shows Clarke got a little inside edge anyway. He's hobbling a bit afterwards and Australian physio is coming out to do some work. Got him just above knee cap. Ouch.
It's spin being given a crack again, not Herath though, it's part-timer Dilshan coming on for his second over. Not much trouble for either of the batsmen, you'd think. Eranga still plugging away from the other end. The 250 comes up in the 78th over after a Hussey edge just wide of slip.
And here comes our final drinks break for the day after a bit of a slog there, Australia is 4/235, last hour pretty much decides who takes the points for day one. Have to admire the way Sri Lanka has hung in there today, managing to pinch wickets here and there when they looked in trouble.
Nice little flick off the pads by Clarke has enough pace to race down to the boundary for four, then another two as Mathews strays again to leg. Certainly a far more sedate pace about this day's play than the South African series, but been a good battle between bat and ball nonetheless. Australia 4/234.
Mathews back into the attack to replace Herath, the spinner has been tidy enough with 0/47 from 17 overs, but hasn't really threatened. In fact, Welegedara has been by far the most expensive of the bowlers, but has bowled the critical balls, and has three of the four, the other a run out.
Superb straight drive from Clarke off Kulasekara, lovely timing, bounces over bowler's head and races away for four. Just starting to look a little ominous having played himself in. Bowler's worth mentioning though, has given away only a tick over two per over from 17. Good, tight stuff. Australia 4/225.
Boy the runs have dried up. Just 19 runs and the crucial wicket of Hughes in half-an-hour since tea, Clarke and Hussey really bunkering down. Kulasekara's back into the attack now, has been reasonably tight and pretty economical today.
Hughes will be really disappointed after doing all the hard work there. Wasn't a loose shot at least, really good ball got the better of him. His 86 was from 166 balls with eight fours and a six. Good comeback from him, but this game is certainly levelling out, seems every time the Aussies get on top they stumble again.
WICKET! And Hughes is gone! Welegedara strikes again with the first ball of the second over after tea, pitches up, gets a bit of reverse swing, and Hughes gets a little inside edge on to off stump. Massive wicket for Sri Lanka, they've really fought back well here, Hussey to the crease and Australia now 4/198.
TEA SCORE: Australia 3/193 (Hughes 82*, Clarke 7*)
And that will be tea, Hughes marching ever closer to a ton, skipper Clarke seeing out a testing little period before the break. Left-armer Welegedara really got an extra spring in his step after that wicket. Sri Lanka has certainly stuck to its guns, but Australia will be very keen to press home the advantage in the final session. Join us in 20 minutes for the last session of the day!
WICKET! And what a fantastic catch! Watson tries to drive Welegedara, gets a thick edge and skipper Jayawardene flings himself to the right and at full stretch takes it almost parallel to the ground. Best catch we've seen for some time, Australia now 3/183.
Disaster for Sri Lanka! Welegedara bowls a good length, Hughes gets a thickish edge through to the keeper, but it's a no-ball!! And on replay, the bowler overstepped by plenty. No wonder the length was good!
Hughes and Watson picking up the pace again. This partnership is worth 79 from 133 deliveries, run rate is back up to 3.6, but last 10 overs have been worth 4.5.
And there's our first six of the day! Hughes thrusts his front foot down the track to Herath and slogs him over the long-on fence. Bloke in front row moved well to make ground, but sadly spilled the offering. Will be copping a bit from his mates tonight!
Fifty for Hughes! Brings it up with a lovely square drive for three. Good stuff from the leftie, has played like it means a lot to him, patience has been particularly impressive. His half-century comes from 121 balls with six boundaries.
That's the drinks break, only 39 runs in that hour for the home side as the SL bowlers started to find a much tighter line. Nothing particularly to fear in the bowling, as we've seen so far today, Aussies' greatest danger could be themselves! Australia 2/136.
Beautiful pull shot from Hughes off Eranga for four, moves to 44, picking the right ball at the moment, plenty of leaves, plenty of patience, something the top order has been a little short on of late. Australia now 2/131.
Sri Lanka has at least managed to put the breaks on here. Only 21 runs came in the first 30 minutes after lunch, run rate has slipped to 3.1. Hughes and Watson watchful by their standards, but Kulasekara and Eranga are bowling a more consistent line, too. Australia 2/120. And finally, Herath is into the fray. This will be interesting.
Lovely on drive from Watson, just punches it down the ground past the bowler, he does time the ball beautifully. Hughes cracks another through covers, but SL has a man out on the rope well, has already saved several boundaries. Australia 2/113.
Seems a bit odd Herath hasn't been given a trundle with his left-arm orthodox yet. Easily SL's best-performed bowler of late, has 27 wickets in his last three Tests. Instead, Eranga is back into the attack, Australia 2/105.
We're off again, Australia still reeling from that run-out disaster right on the lunch break. Hughes faces Dilshan, who only bowled two balls of his first over saw an early adjournment. Pushes a single and new man Watson sees out the final ball. Time for a bit of caution now, to lose a third wicket quicky would be terrible given how comfortable the batsmen have looked. It's Kulasekara from the other end.
LUNCH SCORE: Australia 2/97 (Hughes 27*, Watson 0*)
That's lunch, Warner trudging off and Hughes probably trying to give him a wide berth! We said Aussies would have to get themselves out for Sri Lanka to be a chance, and that's exactly what's happened, a very poor shot from Cowan and a ridiculous mid-pitch mix-up between Warner and Hughes. 2/97 isn't a bad result for the visitors, all things considered. Watson will be the new man in. Join us back here in half an hour or so for the second session.
WICKET! Another disaster! Warner pushes spinner Dilshan into the covers, takes off, hesitates and stops, but by then Hughes is at the striker's end, and Warner is run out by nearly the length of the pitch! That was terrible, shades of Ric Darling and Graeme Wood there! That makes a big difference, and another wicket right on break time!
Australia's David Warner is run-out by Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan during the first day's play in the first cricket Test at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.
Kulasekara drops one short, and a lovely pull from Warner races to the square leg boundary. He moves to 57, Australia is 1/96 from 26 overs and doing it nicely.
Fifty for Warner! Not without a big scare, though! Edge went flying just wide of second slip with no third in place, then one bounces up unexpectedly and he flicks it off his hip just past square leg. That half-century was from 75 balls, apart from those couple of near things he's looked solid enough today.
Left-armer Welegedara back into the attack, immediately dispatched for four by Warner but hits back well, inside edge cannons just wide of leg stump for another boundary. Fifty partnership is up from 95 deliveries, not bad for first session of a Test.
Have to say, short of the Aussie batsmen getting themselves out (which admittedly they're not bad at doing) it's pretty hard to see this attack being able to take 20 wickets. Line is OK now, but just not enough pace or movement to trouble top class batting. Hughes and Warner both look set, Australia now 1/66 from 20 overs.
Lovely off drive from Warner for four off Eranga, moves to 26, now tucks him away off his pads for another three. Australia 1/60 from 16 overs and looking very comfortable.
Here's our first drinks break. Australia chugging along nicely save for that shot Ed Cowan would like to have back. Australia 1/49 from 14 overs, certainly no demons in this particular Bellerive track, or the bowling for that matter.
Mathews is into the attack now, both openers replaced after 12 overs. Bit of lift for him with his greater height, but again pace not an issue. I'm sure we'll say this a few times this series, but must be frustrating for Sri Lanka to see Malinga causing carnage in T20 but not for his country where it counts most. Australia 1/49.
Now that IS the shot of the day! Scorching cover drive from Hughes! Eranga is into the attack and cops it ... Hughes got front foot to the ball and went whack, ball thunders into the boundary fence. Repeats the dose three balls later! Does look in very good touch. Australia 1/41 from 10 overs.
Well that's the shot of the day thus far! Cracking off-drive from Warner off Welegedara for a boundary. One thing's for sure, if he and Hughes settle themselves in, we'll see a pretty entertaining partnership! Australia 1/31 from eight overs.
WICKET! ..... Oh, Ed, that was a shocker! Leaned back to pull, but simply spooned it up in the air and presents a dolly of a catch to mid-on. Welegedara was struggling till that point, and to be truthful there weren't a lot of demons in that delivery, either. Australia 1/18, Hughes to the crease.
Sri Lanka's Shaminda Eranga takes a catch to dismiss Australia's Ed Cowan during the first day's play in the first Test in Hobart. Photo: REuters
Another near-miss! Warner drove on the up back to the bowler, but Welegedara was off-balance in his follow-through and couldn't get down low enough. Couple of nice drives to follow, though, through covers and now past mid-on. Good aggressive start by the openers, Australia 0/17 after four overs.
Eventful first over, and now it's going to be left-armer Welegedara from the other end. Skipper Jayawardene has got a man in at bat-pad for the left-handers. Cowan pulls first ball away for three, was a little short. Sri Lankan attack will be hoping this track's plays some of the tricks it has so far this summer, because first glances show they certainly won't be relying on sheer pace! Australia 0/7 after two overs.
And we're off! It's Warner on strike, and Kulasekara to open with some fast-mediums. Let's play! Warner pushes a single from the first ball, now Cowan's turn. And nearly a wicket! Found the outside edge, and was a half-chance, Mathews at third slip flinging himself to his right, just fell out of his hand, would have been a ripper.
Ed Cowan of Australia bats during day one of the First Test between Australia and Sri Lanka in Hobart. Photo: Getty Images
Just about to start. Big test for the Aussies' revamped top order, and a particularly big test for Phil Hughes in his third incarnation as a Test batsman. Was a bit of a nightmare for him down here last outing against New Zealand, but he's been in great nick in the Shield so far this season. With he and Warner in the top three, you'd think the run rate will be fairly brisk!
Here's the starting line-ups - Australia: Warner, Cowan, Hughes, Watson, Clarke, Hussey, Wade, Siddle, Starc, Hilfenhaus, Lyon. Sri Lanka:M Jayawardene, Mathews, Dilshan, Eranga, Herath, P Jayawardene, Kulasekara, Samaraweera, Sangakkara, Karunaratne, Welegedara
They've just tossed, Michael Clarke's won it, and the Aussies are going to have a bat. Australia has already announced its starting XI, with paceman Mitch Johnson perhaps a little unlucky to be carrying the drinks after a fine performance in Perth against South Africa on his Test recall. Siddle and Hilfenhaus come back into the team, along with batsman Phil Hughes, replacing retired Test legend Ricky Ponting. We should have the Sri Lankan line-up shortly.
Rohan Connolly: Good morning everyone. RC with you here at Fairfax blog central to take through the opening day of the first Test between Australian and Sri Lanka in Hobart. Hope you enjoy our new look! Weather outlook is fair today, a partly cloudy day with a forecast top of 22 and a 50 per cent chance of rain. Let’s hope that holds off.
