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| Thursday, 26 February 2004 |
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Australia learns their lesson well and wins by Sa'adi Thawfeeq Australia recovered from a shock start of losing their openers for four runs, and overcame a spirited fightback from Sri Lanka to win the third one-day international by five wickets at the R. Premadasa Stadium under lights yesterday to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Skipper Ricky Ponting (63) and Damien Martyn (62) shared a third wicket stand of 129 off 167 balls, but it was left to the sixth wicket pair of Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke to see Australia through with nine balls to spare. Symonds made certain there would not be another repetition of Dambulla by scoring an undefeated 45 off 52 balls with four fours and a six. With Clarke who gave him admirable support Symonds added 68 off 66 balls in an unfinished sixth wicket stand. Clarke's share was 31 off 36 balls with one six and one four. Sri Lanka's total of 226-8 off 50 overs always seemed a few runs short after they choose to bat first. Australia replied with 227-5 off 48.3 overs. Following the Ponting-Martyn stand, Sri Lanka pulled back by capturing three wickets for 26 runs, but were then stalled by the sixth wicket pair. Atapattu fell back on his most experienced pair of bowlers Muralitharan and Vaas to break the third wicket partnership. Vaas obliged by removing Ponting for 63. The Australian captain played on to an inswinging delivery and was bowled ending a threatening partnership with Martyn. Six balls later Sri Lanka captured the vital wicket of Martyn for 62 largely through a smart bit of work by bowler Jayasuriya who broke the stumps at the non-striker's end when he saw Martyn backing up too far. Sri Lanka also captured the wicket of Bevan for 10 when he attempted a second run and was run out by yards failing to beat Jayawardene's throw from the deep. In this period the Australians were drained of boundaries and they failed to score any for 25 overs between the 18th and 43rd overs. At 159-5 in the 38th over it was anybody's game. But Australia having learnt their lessons well from the experience of Dambulla were not going to let this one slip away and try as much as they could, Sri Lanka failed to separate the sixth wicket pair who eventually saw them through. The fact that Muralitharan once again went wicketless must be a worrying factor for Sri Lanka. After taking two wickets in the first game, the Australians have managed to keep him wicketless now for two matches in succession where he has conceded a total of 92 runs. Mahela shines Vice captain Mahela Jayawardene played one of his finest one-day innings to resurrect the Sri Lanka batting and take his team to a respectable total. Jayawardene made a classic 80 off 110 balls with five fours to take Sri Lanka to a total of 226 for eight wickets after fast bowler Jason Gillespie had ripped through the top order batting with a deadly spell of three for 19 off eight overs. The longhaired Gillespie who eventually took the man of the match award sent back Jayasuriya for a second ball duck with a sharp rising delivery, which the left-hander edged to third slip. Atapattu played on to an inswinger with his score on three and Sangakkara at 15 fended another short delivery to gully. When Arnold pull-swept Hogg to deep mid wicket at four, Sri Lanka were 54-4 in the 21st over and looked like throwing away the opportunity of winning the toss. Dilshan and Chandana helped Jayawardene stage a recovery with two half-century partnerships. Dilshan made 30 off 40 balls (2 fours) out of a fifth wicket partnership of 58 off 110 balls, and Chandana made 34 off 40 balls (1 four), adding 58 off 63 balls for the sixth. Chandana was unfortunate to be ruled run out by umpire Asoka de Silva who did not refer the decision to the third umpire. TV replays showed that Chandana was unlucky. Jayawardene who came to bat at 10-2 began with a flick off his legs for four off Gillespie and continued from there onwards displayed his repertoire of strokes to post his 20th one-day half-century off 78 balls inclusive of three fours. When a century was in the asking for him, Jayawardene's innings was tragically terminated by a run out. He tested the arm of Hogg at square leg by going for a risky second run and was run out for a well-compiled 80. It was his best one-day score in two years after the unbeaten 106 against the West Indies at Kandy in 2001. Following Jayawardene's departure at 170 in the 43rd over, Vaas and Dharmasena indulged in an exciting stand for the eighth wicket, which produced 36 off 26 balls. Vaas made 24 off 22 balls inclusive of a six over midwicket off Symonds. Dharmasena remained undefeated on 24 scored off 15 balls with three fours. Run making on the pitch was not easy and Sri Lanka's innings comprised only a dozen boundaries and one over it. Sri Lanka's final total was much respectable than it looked like at one stage. At the halfway mark they were 77-4 and after 40 overs on 146-5. The last ten overs were the most productive for Sri Lanka with 80 runs coming off them. Australia's bowling showed much discipline than they had in the second game at Dambulla where they conceded 32 extras. Yesterday they gave away only 12, which included three wides. Both sides made one change with Sri Lanka opting for fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa ahead of out for form wicket-keeper Romesh Kaluwitharana, and Australia resting Brett Lee and including Michael Kasprowicz. SRI LANKA M. Atapattu b Gillespie 3 S. Jayasuriya c Clarke b Gillespie 0 K. Sangakkara c Hayden b Gillespie 15 M. Jayawardene run out 80 R. Arnold c Clarke b Hogg 4 T. Dilshan c Gilchrist b Symonds 30 U. Chandana run out 34 C. Vaas c Hogg b Kasprowicz 24 K. Dharmasena not out 24 N. Zoysa not out 0 Extras (B-1, LB-8, W-3) 12 TOTAL (for eight wickets, 50 overs) 226 FALL OF WICKETS: 1-1, 2-10, 3-34, 4-54, 5-112, 6-170, 7-182, 8-218. DID NOT BAT: M. Muralitharan. BOWLING: Gillespie 10-1-36-3 (W-1), Kasprowicz 10-2-37-1 (W-1), Harvey 6-0-29-0, Hogg 10-0-41-1 (W-1), Clarke 5-0-26-0, Symonds 9-0-48-1. AUSTRALIA A. Gilchrist c Jayawardene b Vaas 0 M. Hayden c Murlitharan b Vaas 3 R. Ponting b Vaas 63 D. Martyn run out 62 A. Symonds not out 45 M. Bevan run out 10 M. Clarke not out 31 Extras (LB-4, NB-1, W-8, NB-1) 13 TOTAL (for five wickets, 48.3 overs) 227 FALL OF WICKETS: 1-3, 2-4, 3-133, 4-136, 5-159. DID NOT BAT: I. Harvey, B. Hogg, M. Kasprowicz, J. Gillespie BOWLING: Vaas 9-2-34-3, Zoysa 7.1-0-37-0 (NB-1, W-2), Dharmasena 6.5-0-31-0, Muralitharan 10-0-43-0, Chandana 7-0-36-0, Jayasuriya 8-0-40-0 (W-5), Dilshan 0.3-0-2-0 (W-1) |
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