da casino： Ricky Pontings’ all-conquering Australians overpowered a beleaguered SriLankan outfit, winning a predictably one-sided contest by a massive 142runs at the WACA on Sunday night
Charlie Austin22-Dec-2002Ricky Pontings’ all-conquering Australians overpowered a beleaguered SriLankan outfit, winning a predictably one-sided contest by a massive 142runs at the WACA on Sunday night.During the afternoon the Australian batsman, led by stand-in opener DarrenLehmann, who scored his third one-day century, ran riot, setting theconfidence-short tourists a daunting 306 target.Their new bowlers, Glen McGrath with his metronomic accuracy and Brett Leewith his searing pace, who grabbed three wickets, then exploited the tourist’s well documented weakness against top class fast bowling on quick andbouncy pitches.Sri Lanka, whose preparations for the 2003 World Cup are going from bad toworse, were never in the hunt after another lacklustre performance by theirmiddle order and they were eventually bowled out for 163 in 43 overs.The win moved Australia into pole position in the VB Series table with 17points and a game to spare over England on 12 points.Australia, missing Shane Warne (shoulder) and Adam Gilchrist (groin) throughinjury, never looked like losing the game after a 162 run openingpartnership between Matthew Hayden and Lehmann.Lehmann, provided the vice-captaincy in the absence of Gilchrist, laid thefoundations for the mammoth Australian score, hitting a commandingrun-a-ball 119 that included 12 fours and one six.The 32-year-old left-hander, who normally bats in the middle order, madefull use of the early over fielding restrictions with a clever combinationof improvised deflections and brute force.Hayden, sedate in comparison but typically powerful, provided solid supportscoring 64 from 68 balls and Australia looked set for a stratospheric scoreat the mid-way point of the first innings.The tourists, however, clawed their way back during the second half of theinnings thanks to a spirited performance from fast bowlers Prabath Nissanka(three for 54) and Dilhara Fernando (one for 55).Nissanka grabbed the wickets of Ponting (17), Lehmann and Damien Martyn (7)in quick succession before Fernando chimed in with the wicket ofentertaining wicket-keeper batsman Ryan Campbell (16).Nevertheless, despite the mid-innings wobble that saw Australia slip to 253for five, one-day specialist Michael Bevan (40 from 41 balls) and ShaneWatson (25 from 22 balls) finished the innings strongly with an unbroken52-run sixth wicket stand.Sri Lanka clearly needed a lightening start if they were ever going tochallenge the Australian total but McGrath and Lee quickly crushed suchfaint hopes as the visitors slumped to 20 for three.Out-of-form opener Jayasuriya scored just three before chipping a catch tomid-wicket, Marvan Atapattu (15) was caught off an inside edge and youngJehan Mubarak (4) sliced into the gully.Mahela Jaywardene (21) and Russel Arnold (15) – the only two Sri Lankanbatsmen to perform thus far in the series – steadied the innings briefly,adding 35 runs in six overs.However, a brilliant catch by man of the match Lehmann off his own bowlingto dismiss Jayawardene was quickly followed by the demise of Arnold, who topedged a slog-sweep off rookie spinner Brad Hogg.With Sri Lanka having slipped to 62 for five in the 18th over, KumarSangakkara (40) and Romesh Kaluwitharana (35) were left fighting for prideonly as the contest petered out into another drab finale.Sri Lanka will, at least, be provided with an opportunity to regroup as thetournament breaks to allow for Australia and England to complete their AshesTest series. The tri-series resumes on Jan 9.By then Sri Lanka will have been reinforced by the arrival of batting legendAravinda de Silva and the return to full fitness of Muttiah Muralitharan,who has been out of action after a hernia operation.