Cricket: Australia out for 120 and Murali takes 500th

KANDY, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan became the third bowler in history to claim 500 wickets, helping bowl Australia out for 120 on the opening day of the second test today.

Muralitharan, who started the match with 486 scalps from 86 matches, grabbed four for 48 from 15 overs as Australia recorded their lowest score against Sri Lanka.

Only Courtney Walsh with 519 and Shane Warne, who took his 501st wicket during the first test in Galle, have accumulated more wickets that Muralitharan.

Left-arm seamer Nuwan Zoysa shared in the Sri Lankan bowling triumph, taking four for 54 from 16 overs.

Opener Matthew Hayden was Australia's top scorer with 54 but found no support from his top-order colleagues.

Australia's previous lowest total against Sri Lanka was the 140 they scored at Kandy during their 1999 tour. They lost that game by six wickets.

Hayden and fellow opener Justin Langer rode their luck during the first hour after Australia had chosen to bat first, playing and missing regularly as the new ball swung and seamed wickedly.

Zoysa eventually broke through when Justin Langer padded away an inswinger and was out lbw for three.

Ricky Ponting (10) started confidently, driving two boundaries off Zoysa, but was then trapped lbw by Chaminda Vaas despite taking a big stride forward.

Muralitharan grabbed his 497th test scalp when Damien Martyn, on one, was pinned lbw by a sharp off break as he played back defensively.

Zoysa then bowled Darren Lehmann for eight behind his legs for the second consecutive test to send Australia into lunch on 61 for four.

Zoysa caused more problems after the break when Tillakaratne clung on to a juggling catch at slip off Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist nicked a catch behind for a second ball duck.

Muralitharan, cheered on to the 500 mark by a full stand of school children who had been bussed in by the cricket board, then ended Hayden's 99-ball resistance trapping him lbw with a straighter ball.

Jason Gillespie was caught at slip off Muralitharan's leg break and Michael Kasprowicz was bowled through the gate to bring up Muralitharan's 500.

Australia had made no changes to their side but Sri Lanka made three. Zoysa came into the team in place of off spinner Kumar Dharmasena and Kaushal Lokuarachchi replaced fellow leg spinner Upul Chandana.

Middle order batsman Thilan Samaraweera failed a fitness test in the morning on his pulled groin and was replaced by Avishka Gunwardene, who will either open the innings or bat at number three.

Australia lead the series 1-0 after their 197-run victory in Galle last week.

Australia

First innings

J Langer lbw b Zoysa 3

M Hayden lbw b Muralitharan 54

R Ponting lbw b Vaas 10

D Martyn lbw b Muralitharan 1

D Lehmann b Zoysa 8

A Symonds c Tillakaratne b Zoysa 6

A Gilchrist c Sangakkara b Zoysa 0

S Warne c Muralitharan b Vaas 18

J Gillespie c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 8

M Kasprowicz b Muralitharan 0

S MacGill not out 8

Extras (1b, 3lb) 4

Total (42.2 overs) 120

Fall: 25, 47, 50, 60, 84, 84, 86, 100, 106, 120.

Bowling: C Vaas 11.2-5-14-2, N Zoysa 16-3-54-4, M Muralitharan 15-4-48-4.