Sri Lanka-New Zealand match abandoned due to rain

Chinthana WASALA-reporting from Dambulla

The fourth match of the Micromax Tri Nation ODI Series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, played at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium was abandoned yesterday due to rain, leaving a tough task for Sri Lanka team to stay in the competition. Both teams were given two points each.

It is a must for Sri Lanka to win the next match against India on August 22 (Sunday) to get ahead of India to reach the final of the tournament, but if India wins the next two matches against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, Sri Lanka will have to sit back as spectators and watch the visitors play in the final in their own backyard on August 28.

Sri Lanka and New Zealand have played three matches each and New Zealand are still at the top with seven points. Sri Lanka are second with six and India are in the third slot with four points having played two matches.

Earlier, three good partnerships powered Sri Lanka to a pretty much comfortable score of 203 for the loss of three wickets in the 44th over, in front of almost empty stands, when the rain stopped play.

Sri Lanka, who were at the bottom of the points table were badly in need of a victory in yesterday’s game over the Black Caps. New Zealand skipper who won the toss, decided to go on the other way, unlike his decision to bat first on Thursday, chose to bowl first in much different ground conditions.

Mahela Jayawardena was the top scorer for the Lankans, being not out at 59 when the rain stopped play. He had put up an unbeaten 72 run partnership for the fourth wicket with Chamara Silva who was on 41 not out. Mahela scored his fifth half ton at Dambulla, his 55th in the One Day Internationals. He also surpassed the 1000 individual run mark at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium.

Sri Lanka openers got the best out of the low bounce and Dilshan and Tharanga were seen smashing some back to back boundaries earlier. But due to their impatience, both openers got out by the start of the 16th over when the score was at 75. Tharanga scored 12 while Dilshan made 44.

Then the most experienced pair in the Lankan line-up, Mahela and Sangakkara got together and built their 215th 50-run partnership (56 runs). The next match will be played tomorrow between Sri Lanka and India.

SRI LANKA INNINGS
WU Tharanga c Mills b Tuffey		12
TM Dilshan b Styris			44
KC Sangakkara c McCullum b Styris	40
DPMD Jayawardene not out		59
LPC Silva not out			41
Extras (b 1, lb 2, w 3, nb 1)		7
Total (43.4 overs)			203
Fall of wickets:1-56 (Tharanga, 9.4 ov), 2-75 (Dilshan, 15.1 ov), 3-131
(Sangakkara, 29.4 ov).
Bowling: KD Mills 5-1-30-0, DR Tuffey 8-0-51-1, JDP Oram 9-0-26-0, SB Styris
10-0-36-2, NL McCullum 5.4-0-40-0, KS Williamson 6-0-17-0.

Sangakkara charged

Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara was issued a level 2 charge for an incident with Nathan McCullum. In the 26th over, he flicked a ball to fine-leg region and as he was about to finish the first run, he bumped into Nathan, the bowler, while trying to ground the bat. The bowler made a complaint to the umpires and Sangakkara was due to visit the match referee later.