Lanka and Proteas fight out for final spot

Elmo Rodrigopulle reporting from Australia

PERTH, Wednesday - The Victoria Bitter triangular cricket series has reached an interesting stage where Australia have already booked their berth in the best of three finals and allowed the Sri Lankans and South Africans to fight out the remaining slot.

The South Africans are three points ahead after their easy victory over Sri Lanka in Perth with two games in hand and a win in any of its final three matches - they play Australia twice before playing Sri Lanka in the final game in Hobart on February 7 - would assure them of a final battle with Australia.

If South Africa loses both games to Australia, it would mean the winner of the Hobart clash would decide the second finals qualifier for the three match finals series, starting in Adelaide on February 10. The second final will be played in Sydney on February 12 and if required a third final on February 14 in Brisbane.

The Lankans now have a week off to sit back, put their legs up and plan how they could beat the South Africans if their clash is going to decide who will go into the finals. The Lankans like the Proteas are beset by injuries and the week off should give them time to recover and have their best playing eleven ready for battle.

When the Lankan cricketers flew into Melbourne from New Zealand, the consensus here was that they were only going to make up the numbers and honour their fixtures. This was so because they had a disastrous tour of India where they lost the one-dayers 6 - 1 and also got beaten in Kiwiland 4 - 1.

They added to their woes when they went down tamely to the Aussies in the opening game at the Telstra Dome on February 13.

But when the critics were writing them off as also rans, they cocked a snook at their detractors by raising their game, coming back strongly and dumping the South Africans and the Australians in subsequent games.

These two triumphs saw them firmly on rails for a finals clash with the home team. But then suddenly the wheels started to come off with four defeats that could have been turned into victories and now the Lankans are having their fingers crossed hoping that the Kangaroos would pounce on the Proteas and beat them in both games and allow the Lankans to play a do or die game against the South Africans in Hobart.

It was poor thinking and a sloven approach that has placed the Lankan in this sorry plight. Apparently after their two wins they allowed complacency to set in and this brought about their downfall. They have no one, but themselves to blame for this.

An ugly spectacle in the Lankan get up has been their ugly and unacceptable running between the wickets. In the two games against Australia and South Africa there have been six run outs.

In their final game against the South Africans in Perth, Sanath Jayasuriya gave them the ideal start when he launched a devastating attack on the opposing bowlers. At 137 for one 21 overs, the stage was set for the other batsmen to take charge and milk the bowling.

But what followed after Jayasuriya's dismissal was a lesson in absolutely bad and insensible batting. The utterly irresponsible strokes that were being played and putrid running between the wickets evoked side splitting laughter and it looked as though the movie "Crazy Boys" was being replayed.

In Hobart the Lankans must get back to the nets regularly and tighten their loose ends. In this aspect the coach Tom Moody and captain Marvan Atapattu have a responsible role to play. The final game will show whether the Lankans have been seriously at it.