http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 defeat Australia by 8 wickets in a rain interrupted tri-series match
After a series of disappointing performances Down Under, the Sri Lankan bowlers hit back with a disciplined show to restrict http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 to a meager one-day total of 158 to set up a convincing eight-wicket win, over the hosts in a rain-interrupted Commonwealth
Bank series match, played at the Sydney Cricket Ground today, February 17, 2012.
The Islanders held the upper hand right from the start, claiming early breakthroughs in overcast conditions and prevented the Kangaroos from reaching a par score. The newly appointed Sri Lankan skipper, Mahela Jayawardene led the chase with an unbeaten half
century and his presence on the crease ensured a safe passage to a gettable target.
Despite the overcast conditions at the start of the match, the stand in Australian captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/DA-Warner-c1301 departed
in the fifth over, hitting http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SL-Malinga-c2540 to Farveez Maharoof at mid on.
Ponting became the second Australian to depart when he was caught by Maharoof off his own bowling in the 11th over for just 2. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Matthew-Wade-c1933 soon followed Punter to the dressing room. He was run out.
A flurry of boundaries by Mike Hussey and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AD-Mathews-c913. Three overs later, Maharoof struck again, claiming the
wicket of Peter http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Stewart-Jonathan-Walters-c91389 to leave the hosts struggling at 74 for 5. Forrest scored 16 runs off 26 balls, which included three boundaries.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/DJ-Hussey-c1380 was the lone fighter for the Aussies. He made 58 runs of 64 balls to guide the side to a respectable 158-run total. Rest of the Australian batsmen fell for scores inside 17 runs.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MF-Maharoof-c1944 and Thisara Perera grabbed two wickets each, while Malinga, Mathews and Herath returned with a wicket apiece.
The Lankans were given a revised target of 152 from 41 overs after adjustments were made under the Duckworth-Lewis Method.
The tourists got off to a steady start with the opening duo of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/TM-Dilshan-c2691 sharing a first wicket stand of 74-run. Mckay earned the hosts their first breakthrough in the 12th over when Dilshan was caught by David
Hussey at 45. The skipper shared another half century stand with Kumar Sangakkara, to put the side on course for a comfortable victory. Sangakkara departed in the 22nd over, scooping http://www.senore.com/Cricket/XJ-Doherty-c2804 at mid-on.
At the fall of the second wicket, the Islanders were just 19 runs away from a comfortable win. Jayawardene and Chandimal guided the Lankans to victory. They reached the target on the first ball of the 25th over, with eight wickets to spare.
Thisara Perera was adjudged as the man of the match for his economical spell of seven overs which saw him claiming 2 crucial wickets conceding only 29 runs.
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