Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene shared an opening partnership of 179 as Sri Lanka hammered Australia by eight wickets yesterday to take the one-day international tri-series final to a third and deciding match.
Dilshan smashed 106 and Jayawardene 80 to help propel Sri Lanka toward their victory target of 272 with 34 balls to spare and ensure that the teams would return to the Adelaide Oval tomorrow to decide the tournament victors.
Michael Clarke earlier hit a superb 117 and David Warner backed up his 163 in the hosts’ victory in the first match of the final at the Gabba on Sunday with a more circumspect 100 in a stand of 184 for the third Australian wicket.
Photo: Reuters
However, the batsmen, both clearly hampered by injury, failed to drive home their advantage and the tally of 271 for six from 50 overs looked under threat almost from the moment Sri Lanka came out to bat.
Captain Jayawardene got a life on one when he was dismissed caught behind by Clint McKay, but was called back to the crease after a television review revealed a no ball.
From then on it was plain sailing and the hundred partnership came up on the first ball of the 16th over as Australia’s bowlers labored and their fielders showed a sloppiness they have avoided for most of the season.
Paceman James Pattinson finally separated the openers when he trapped Jayawardene leg before with an inswinger, but by then Sri Lanka were only 93 runs short of their victory target.
Mike Hussey finally caught Dilshan at deep midwicket off the bowling of Brett Lee, but Kumar Sangakkara (51 not out) and Dinesh Chandimal (17 not out) comfortably accumulated the remaining 38 runs required for victory.
Sri Lanka, too, had been guilty of sloppy fielding and Clarke was dropped three times as he reached his century.
Quick bowler Lasith Malinga spilled one over the boundary for a six to trigger a brilliant spell where Clarke hit Farveez Maharoof for 21 off one over.
Left-hander Warner, troubled by a groin injury, was subdued by his high standards and departed as one of Malinga’s three victims with four fours and one six to his name in a 140-ball 100.
Clarke followed soon afterward, run out when his lack of mobility left him unable to race for safety at the end of his 91-ball knock, which included five fours and fours sixes.
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