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Steve Waugh, the Australian cricket captain
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July 27, 2003, 08:30
Steve Waugh, the Australia captain, scored his 32nd century in the second test against Bangladesh today as Australia declared on 556 for four in reply to the visitors first innings total of 295.
At the declaration, Australia held a first innings lead of 261 with 35 overs remianing in an extended evening session on the third day. When the players came off for an early tea, Waugh had reached 156 not out to move into second on the all-time centuries list behind India's Sunil Gavaskar (34).
The Australian skipper was involved in two major partnerships on the batting-friendly pitch, including an unbeaten fifth-wicket stand of 174 with Martin Love who made 100 not out, his maiden test century.
He also added 250 for the fourth wicket with Darren Lehmann, who was out for his highest test score of 177 in the morning session. Resuming on 351 for three, Australia added 104 runs for the morning session and a further 101 after lunch. Lehmann's century was his third in five tests and his innings included 22 boundaries.
His 233-minute partnership with Waugh, who hit 17 boundaries, ended when Lehmann backed away and played a lofted drive to cover off the bowling of Tapash Baisya and was caught by Mohammad Ashraful.
Love, playing in his home state of Queensland, overcame a nervous start to score an elegant hundred off 154 balls with seven boundaries before Waugh immediately declared after 139.2 overs of suffering for Bangladesh.
Waugh, the game's most capped player and most successful captain, has hit four test centuries this year.
Waugh and Lehmann scored hundreds in last week's first test. Top-ranked Australia lead the two-match series 1-0 after Bangladesh, who have not won a test in 20 attempts, lost the first test inside three days by an innings and 132 runs in Darwin last week. - Reuters
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