Lions tame Kangaroos

Win first series in Australia :

Sri Lanka claimed their first-ever series success in Australia with a win against Ricky Ponting’s team in the rain-marred second one-day international at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.

The Sri Lankans won by 29 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method after several rain interruptions and followed their stunning one-wicket victory in the opening match in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka condemned Australia to a seventh straight international defeat in all forms of the game by scoring 213 for three off 41.4 overs and then bowling the home side out for 210 off 37.4 overs. Opening batsman Upul Tharanga was named man-of-the-match for his unbeaten top-score of 86 while veteran spinner Muttiah Muralitharan claimed two wickets to take his career ODI tally to 517 wickets.

Tharanga showed steely powers of concentration to regroup after a lengthy rain delay to remain unbeaten in his 112-ball knock in Sri Lanka’s innings after winning the toss.

A 90-minute downpour reduced the match to 45 overs per side, but a much heavier shower later ended Sri Lanka’s innings prematurely. Sri Lanka’s openers put on 98 runs for the first wicket before Tillakaratne Dilshan was trapped lbw in the 20th over for 47.

After a rain delay, Kumar Sangakkara was out for 45 off 52 balls when he shaped for a square drive off Watson and top-edged to Clint McKay at third man.

Sri Lanka began well with the wicket of Brad Haddin for one in the second over and then got the prized wicket of Ponting for 10 when the Australian skipper top-edged a pull shot straight to Chamara Silva at deep backward square-leg.

Watson was trapped lbw for 40 off 44 balls by Muralitharan.

Michael Clarke followed seven balls later to a tumbling catch by Muralitharan at third man off Thissara Perera for 25.

Mike Hussey (15) lofted to Mathews to give Muralitharan his second wicket of the innings. Cameron White was bowled off-stump for 35 by Kulasekara. Mitchell Johnson (23) and Steve Smith (33) went in the same over, bowled by Suraj Randiv. Hauritz (4) and McKay (6) went cheaply as Sri Lanka rejoiced a milestone triumph. SYDNEY, AFP