Sri Lanka avoid follow-on as test meanders towards draw

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Kumar Sangakkara closed in on a ninth test double century to help steer Sri Lanka towards the safety of a drab draw in the rain-affected second test against Pakistan on Wednesday.

At lunch on the fifth and final day, Sri Lanka were 367 for five wickets, replying to Pakistan's first innings of 551-6 declared with Sangakkara unbeaten on 187 and Angelo Mathews on 46.

At the interval, the hosts, who lead the three-test series 1-0, trailed Pakistan by 184 runs in a match that has suffered major delays on three of the four days.

Resuming on 278-5, Sangakkara and Mathews have added 89 runs in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand and taken Sri Lanka past the follow-on target of 352.

Pakistan, who took the second new ball towards the end of the fourth day, hoped for an early breakthrough from Junaid Khan, who snapped up two late wickets on Tuesday to give his side an outside chance of enforcing the follow-on.

However, Sangakkara and Mathews safely negotiated the early overs to frustrate Pakistan, who tried everything to break the stand on a docile wicket.

Sangakkara moved past 150 for the 16th time in tests and at the interval, had blasted 15 fours and one six in an innings spanning more than eight hours.

Mathews also hit one six in addition to four boundaries in his 95-ball knock.

(Editing by John O'Brien)