Resilient Sri Lanka post emphatic win

Take Tri-Nation Series final to decider after beating Australia by eight wickets.

ADELAIDE:

Sri Lanka blazed to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Australia at the Adelaide Oval to take the best-of-three Tri-Nation Series final to a decider.

The World Cup finalists easily ran down Australia’s 271 for six, posting 274 for two with 34 balls to spare.

Man-of-the-match Tillakaratne Dilshan smashed 106 off 119 balls and captain Mahela Jayawardene hit 80 off 76 balls to give Sri Lanka a flying start, putting on 179 off just 165 balls to set the platform for victory.

Kumar Sangakkara hit the winning runs to remain 51 not out with Dinesh Chandimal on 17.

“No one gave us a chance when we came to Australia,” said a confident Jayawardene. “But we’ve done a lot of hard work and we just need to do that for the decider and execute our game plan.”

Jayawardene was fined 10% of his match fee for clashing with umpires after Australian counterpart Michael Clarke, while batting, appealed to umpires for a waist-high no-ball ruling, which was subsequently granted.

“I was probably the culprit in dragging it for too long,” said Jayawardene. “I thought initially the umpire didn’t make a call. I had no issue with the no-ball, but I felt after Clarke had spoken to them, that is when they made the call.”

It was Sri Lanka’s fourth victory over Australia in the tournament and gives them the momentum heading into Thursday’s decisive match at the same venue.

‘We’ve shown how good we are’

Meanwhile, Dilshan, fresh from a superb 160 although in a losing cause against India, sounded an upbeat tone. “If the ball is there I’m going to hit it. We’ve shown how good we are.”

On the other hand, Australia have an injury concern ahead of the third final with Clarke.

Clarke limped through the latter stages of his resolute innings of 117 from 91 balls and fielded until the 38th over of the Sri Lankan run chase before leaving the ground for treatment.

He has a history of back-related hamstring injuries and only returned to the tri-series from a right hamstring strain last Sunday.

Poor show worries Australia captain

Adding to Clarke’s concern was a poor show on the field by Australia. “Our bowling was poor, our fielding let us down,” said the captain. “On good wickets you need to maximise your powerplays, you need to make 300 on that wicket.

“The boys are working hard, we are just not executing against quality opposition. We’ve got to find a way.”

Warner reeled off his
second consecutive century with 100 off 140 balls to set Sri Lanka what in the end proved to be a below-par target.

Lasith Malinga, who also finished the innings in discomfort, finished with three wickets for 40 off his 10-over spell.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7^th, 2012.