Cricket-De Silva reaches ton before Sri Lanka declare

Sri Lanka declared their first innings closed on 308 for six on the fifth morning of the weather-hit opening test against hosts Pakistan at Rawalpindi after batsman Dhananjaya de Silva completed his sixth century. The weather-hit match is headed for a draw and has not had full play on any of the previous four days since tourists Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat.

Right-hander De Silva, stuck on 87 since the third day, reached his mark with a sublime cover drive off fast bowler Mohammad Abbas and remained unbeaten on 102. Dilruwan Perera was not out on 16 when Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne called the pair in to allow his bowlers to have a go at Pakistan's batsmen.

The two-match series marks Pakistan's first tests on home soil since a militant attack in 2009 on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore.