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CENTURION, Thursday - Sri Lanka will be looking to continue in the same vein as they did in their last two Pool 'B' matches against West Indies and South Africa when they launch their campaign to qualify for a place in the 2003 World Cup semi-finals. They meet defending champs Australia in the opening match of the Super Sixes at Supersport Park here tomorrow.

If the last World Cup match played here on March 1 between India and Pakistan is any indication, this should also turn out to be a high scoring contest. On that occasion, a total of 549 runs was scored off 95.4 overs.

Sri Lanka know that they need only to win against lowly Zimbabwe to qualify for a place in the last four. But they are not going to leave it to the last to do so.

"We need to pull off one of the big games either against Australia or against India to make it more easier for us before we come up against Zimbabwe. We are taking it one by one," said Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya.

"Australia and India are two of the strongest teams, and we'll have to play very good cricket to beat them. We need to get on top of them early. That is when we will be able to do something.

"If you go down in the game, you cannot come out on top of these teams. They are very good in both departments batting and bowling. If you are batting, in the first few hours you have to put some runs on the board, and when you bowl, you have to bowl well to tie them down," he said.

Jayasuriya admitted that it was not going to be an easy contest, but he said: "If our batsmen can show the same form they had shown against West Indies and South Africa, we will be able to put up a good total for our bowlers". He said that both teams are coming into this contest having played well in the qualifying round.

"We have been working really hard at our cricket after losing to Kenya. We had to win the last two games against West Indies and South Africa and on both occasions we did really well. I am very happy the way things are at the moment, but there is a lot of hard work ahead of us," said Jayasuriya.

The biggest plus factor for Jayasuriya as he attempts to emulate his former captain Arjuna Ranatunga's feat of winning the World Cup, is the form shown by veteran Aravinda de Silva.

De Silva was one of the key figures in Ranatunga's successful World Cup campaign in 1996 winning four man-of-the-match awards including two in the semi-final and final where he made an unbeaten century against Australia.

The 37-year-old seasoned campaigner has struck form at the right time scoring a scintillating 73 and taking two crucial South African wickets to put the home country out of the contest.

"Aravinda's presence in the team is a big factor and serves a lot of purpose. He can bat and also bowl. He is in the runs at the moment and it is a huge advantage for the team. He is an experienced campaigner and his presence on the field is helpful to me. When things aren't going right he can tell me a few things and put us in the right direction," said Jayasuriya.

Sri Lanka's problems lie with the poor batting form of Mahela Jayawardene and the inability of the other seamers to support strike bowler Chaminda Vaas.

Jayawardene has yet to get into double figures in the tournament. In four innings at the crease he has just accumulated 16 runs (avg. 4.00) with a top score of nine. He must be very much short of confidence and from the manner of his dismissals, it seems that he is totally out of touch. But the team management is very much behind him.

"We pushed him up the order in the last match to enable him to get some runs, but he failed. He is too good a player to be dropped," said Jayasuriya.

"Mahela has a lot of potential and we still have faith in him. He is a player who can change a match with his batting. Unfortunately, he is not in the runs. But he is too good a cricketer to keep failing for a long time.

"Any batsman who goes through a bad patch like Mahela will think of so many things. I went through a similar period in the first few games in Australia. I think you have to be simple and only think of the basics. Mahela should play his natural game and not think of anything else. He is in a shell at the moment and he has to come out of it very quickly," he said.

Apart from Jayawardene, wicket-keeper/batsman Kumar Sangakkara is also short of runs making just 52 from five innings (av. 13.00) and a top score of 24.

He said that Pulasthi Gunaratne and Dilhara Fernando were struggling as Vaas' support bowlers.

"Pulasthi is coming out of an hand injury and Dilhara is not hitting the right areas. They are working hard at their game," said Jayasuriya.

"At Dilhara's pace he is unable to sometimes control the line and length. What we want him to do is to get us some wickets. If he can get one or two early wickets, that's what matters," he said.

One thing that will be to Sri Lanka's advantage is the absence of fast bowler Jason Gillespie who was forced to return home after straining a tendon in his heel. He is replaced in the squad by left-armer Nathan Bracken.

"I think it will be a big loss for Australia, Gillespie not being there. He is one of their best bowlers. It is an advantage for us that he is not there," said Jayasuriya.

Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore said the boys came through a test character very well against West Indies and South Africa after the stunning loss to Kenya and that they are jelling very well.

"I just want everyone to go out there and play the game to the best of their ability. Whether we win or lose I don't care, but if you do the best of your ability, there is every chance of a winning result. It's not result orientated, but process orientated," said Whatmore.

"We are aware that if we beat Zimbabwe we have a chance to get into semis, but we don't want to leave it to that stage. Tomorrow is a very tough game. We are trying to do same things throughout. Wanting to get out there and beat the opposition," he said.

Sri Lanka came through Pool 'B' beating New Zealand, Bangladesh, Canada, West Indies, tied with South Africa and lost to Kenya.

Australia have come through Pool 'A' with frightening ease winning all their matches and being the only country to be unbeaten in the competition so far.

"We will continue in the same way," said Australian captain Ricky Ponting.

"It's a kick in the back, losing two of our best bowlers, but we have adequate backup and depth. The bowlers we have can deliver the goods. Nathan offers more variety as a left-armer and he had success against some of the sides we'll come up against in the Super Sixes," said Ponting.

Apart from Gillespie, Australia has also lost the services of leg-spinner Shane Warne after he was tested positive for a banned drug.

Tomorrow's match will be a repeat of the 1996 World Cup final at Lahore. On that occasion Sri Lanka won by seven wickets. They have also beaten Australia in the Champions trophy mini World Cup semi-final in Colombo last year, although Australia had the better of exchanges in the recently concluded VB series in Australia winning three out of four games.

The teams: SRI LANKA (from): Sanath Jayasuriya (c), Marvan Atapattu, Hashan Tillakaratne, Aravinda de Silva, Mahela Jayawardene, Russell Arnold, Kumar Sangakkara, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando, Pulasthi Gunaratne, Prabath Nissanka, Jehan Mubarak.

AUSTRALIA (from): Ricky Ponting (c), Adam Gilchrist, Mathew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Michael Bevan, Andrew Symonds, Brad Hogg, Brett Lee, Andy Bichel, Glenn McGrath, Nathan Bracken.

UMPIRES: David Shepherd (England) and Billy Bowden (New Zealand), TV umpire: Brian Jerling (South Africa), Match Referee: Mike Procter (South Africa). 

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