da winzada777： Ricky Ponting scored his 11th one-day and Matthew Hayden scored an unbeatenhalf century as Australia romped to an emphatic nine-wicket victory againstSri Lanka in their triangular one-day international match on Tuesday
Charlie Austin21-Jan-2003Ricky Ponting scored his 11th one-day and Matthew Hayden scored an unbeatenhalf century as Australia romped to an emphatic nine-wicket victory againstSri Lanka in their triangular one-day international match on Tuesday.Replying to Sri Lanka’s disappointing 214 for eight, Ponting and Haydenadded 178 in 28.3 overs for the second wicket after the early loss of AdamGilchrist (26), taking Australia to the victory target with 15.3 overs tospare.The run-a-ball partnership was a record against Sri Lanka by Australia,surpassing the 157 scored by Steve Smith and Wayne Phillips way back in1985.Skipper Ponting, previously out of sorts in the tournament, regained hisbest form, playing shots all-round the wicket as he sped to a hundred injust 94 balls and finished with 106 from 97 balls having hit 14 fours andone six.Hayden played with less freedom, only launching a full-blown assault on SriLanka’s lacklustre bowlers once his captain had reached three figures. Thetall left-hander finished with 80 from 87 balls, hitting one four and foursixes.Sri Lanka, without the services of their injured star bowler MuttiahMuralitharan, and rested fast bowler Dilhara Fernando, went into the gamewith just three specialist bowlers.Chaminda Vaas apart, who claimed the early wicket of Gilchrist, they took ahammering with the inexperienced Prabath Nissanka and Chamila Gamageconceding 84 runs in 10.3 overs.Earlier in the day, a brisk start by the Sri Lankan openers had beenfollowed by a mid-innings collapse that saw four wickets fall for 36 runs.That left the tourists someway short of a defendable total against theAustralians on such a fine batting strip.The only joy for the Sri Lankans, who are currently involved in adistracting payment dispute with the Sri Lankan cricket board, was Aravindade Silva passing 9000 one-day runs.The 37-year-old right-hander, playing his 298th one-day international in acareer that has spanned 19 years, became the third man to reach themilestone after Sachin Tendulkar (11,546) and Mohammad Azharuddin (9378)De Silva, who will retire from international cricket after the World Cup,was forced to work very hard for his 44 from 73 balls, failing to hit asingle boundary.Avishka Gunawardene, Jayasuriya’s replacement, top scored with 45 from 72deliveries, hitting four boundaries, adding 64 runs in 14.3 overs withAtapattu (26), who was leading Sri Lanka for the third time in an ODI.But Australia’s bowlers, backed up good fielding, clawed their way back intothe game from the time that Atapattu flicked a catch into the hands of BradHogg at square leg.Wrist-spinner Hogg, set to be replaced by leg-spinner Shane Warne during thetriangular series final against England starting Thursday, bowled the keyspell, taking three wickets for 37 runs in his ten overs.Gunwardene was trapped lbw whilst trying to sweep, Kumar Sangakkara (42) wascaught in the deep as he aimed his third six and Mahela Jayawardene wasdeceived by a googly to be stumped for a second ball duck.When Arnold (14), who added 31 runs with De Silva for the fifth wicket, wasbowled by Brad Williams and Chaminda Vaas surrendered his wicket with alackadaisical piece of running, Sri Lanka’s innings ground to a virtualstandstill on 170 for five.De Silva added 31 runs with Mubarak before being caught in the penultimateover, and Tillakaratne and Mubarak scrambled 12 runs from the final over,but it was all too little too late.