Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka celebrates the final wicket during the Commonwealth Bank Series match between Australia and Sri Lanka at Sydney Cricket Ground on November 5, 2010 in Sydney, Australia.
(November 05, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sri Lanka have secured their first ever One-Day series victory on Australian soil with a convincing 29-run triumph in a rain-affected encounter at the SCG on Friday.
An unbeaten innings of 86 from opening batsman Upul Tharanga set up the historic win as the tourists made an imposing 3-213 from 41.1 overs before rain delayed play for the second time in the contest shortly before 7pm local time.
Set a revised target of 244 from 39 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis method - which was further modified to 240 off 38 overs after another five-minute rain delay - the hosts were dismissed for 210 with two balls remaining in front a modest audience of 11,495.
The crowd, which was dominated by Sri Lankan supporters, represents the worst attendance for a limited-overs match at the SCG in 27 years.
The loss extends Australia's winless run in all three forms of the game to seven matches dating back to July.
Australia's pursuit began disastrously when Brad Haddin was clean bowled by Nuwan Kulasekara (2-48) off the seventh ball of the innings without scoring.
Ricky Ponting's first innings of the domestic summer was also brief, the skipper departing for 10 off 16 deliveries when his attempted hook shot off Thisara Perera (2-39) found Chamara Silva in the deep.
Shane Watson (40 off 44) and Michael Clarke (25 off 30) steadied the ship with a brisk 46-run stand before wily veteran Muttiah Muralitharan (2-30) trapped Watson lbw to steal back the momentum.
Clarke holed out to Muralitharan at third man off Perera moments later and when Mike Hussey was also caught in the deep for 15, the match was safely in Sri Lanka's keeping.
Cameron White (35) and Steve Smith (33) both fought valiantly in the latter stages but neither was able to hit the hosts out of trouble.
Earlier, Tharanga made the most of two lives offered by the hosts, belting six boundaries in his 117-ball knock to set up the win.
Having been granted a reprieve on 61 when Brad Haddin grassed a tough chance off Nathan Hauritz's bowling, Tharanga received another let-off when the Australians botched a certain run-out.
With Tharanga and Sangakkara both stranded at the same end of the pitch, Haddin's throw to the non-striker's end sailed over Watson's head and fell to Clarke who fired at the stumps only to hit Watson on the knee allowing Tharanga to make his ground.
Tillakaratne Dilshan (47 off 57) and skipper Kumar Sangakkara (45 off 52) also made valuable contributions with the bat.
Watson (2-34) was the pick of the bowlers for the home side, while Hauritz (1-48) bowled better than his figures suggest after coming into the side for Xavier Doherty.
Having won the toss and electing to bat in overcast conditions, Tharanga and Dilshan put on 98 runs without loss before the latter was trapped in front by Hauritz in the 20th over.
The series heads to Brisbane on Sunday for what is Australia's final international encounter ahead of the opening Ashes Test as the Gabba on November 25.
Post a Comment