Spinner Brad Hogg snared five wickets to lead Australia to a resounding 84-run win against Sri Lanka in their five-match series opener Friday.
Batting under lights the Sri Lankans found themselves in trouble early, losing openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana run out, with only 13 runs on the board.
Jayasuriya attempted a second run after his partner hit the ball to deep-square-leg but decided against it only to find himself short of the crease when Brett Lee's throw reached wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.
In the next over Kaluwitharana, running from non-striker's end with skipper Marvan Atapattu, found himself inches short of the crease at the striker's end when Ricky Ponting broke the stumps with a direct throw from mid-off.
Paceman Jason Gillespie playing in his 66th limited-over international picked up his 100th wicket in style bowling Atapattu with a beautiful outswinger.
Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena combined thereafter for a valuable 121-run partnership in 171 balls, livening up a packed crowd at Dambulla.
Lee elicited an edge off Sangakkara to Gilchrist in the 34th over. Sangakkara departed for 58 off 91 balls and Jayawardena followed in the next over playing an Andrew Symonds offbreak on to the stumps.
Batting with a runner because of a cramp half way through his innings, Jayawardena scored 61 runs in 90 balls including five fours. Wickets fell quickly thereafter with Hogg receiving bowling honors.
Earlier in the day, Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden combined for a brisk 104-run opening stand as Australia posted Sri Lanka a challenging target.
Gilchrist and Hayden got their side to a flying start after captain Ricky Ponting elected to bat after winning the toss, scoring at will against both fast bowling and spin.
Left-hander Gilchrist scored 66 runs from 64 balls before being caught at extra-cover by Sri Lankan skipper Marvan Atapattu off legspinner Upul Chandana.
Hayden survived a dropped catch by Chaminda Vaas off his own bowling to score 40 runs off 57 balls, including three fours. He was run out by a direct underarm throw at stumps from Atapattu at extra-cover.
A determined 75-run partnership between Ponting and Damien Martyn prevented further losses, until Martyn was dismissed for 27 runs in the 39th over.
Jayasuriya Friday surpassed Aravinda de Silva's 308 limited-over caps and is also in line to replace De Silva's name in the record books as Sri Lanka's highest limited-over run-maker. His present run tally stands at 9172 runs, 112 runs short of De Silva's record total of 9284.
Atapattu played five spinners including part-timers Jayasuriya and Dilshan, but used the two seamers Vaas and Nuwan Kulasekara sparingly.
Zimbabwe versus Bangladesh
Zimbabwe ground out a first-innings total of 441 on Friday at the Harare Sports Club in the first test against Bangladesh, which was 14 for one at stumps on the second day.
Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak snatched the wicket of Hannan Sarkar for 4 in Bangladesh's third over, putting the visitors further on the back foot until they accepted an offer of bad light from the umpires for an early finish. Opener Shahriar Hossain was 8 not out and Tapash Baisya had yet to get off the mark.
Sean Ervine and Gavin Ewing notched career-best scores as Zimbabwe, which started the day at 175 for four, finished its innings at a tedious pace. But the Bangladesh attack -- slow left-armer Mohammad Rafique excepted -- was only steady without being particular dangerous.
After half centuries on the first day by Dion Ebrahim (65) and Stuart Carlisle (58), the innings was pushed along by overnight batsmen Ervine (86) and Tatenda Taibu (59), then Ewing (71) and Streak (68).
Ervine, playing his fourth test, put on 125 for the fifth wicket before Taibu was trapped by Rafique at 258 for five. Ervine then was out, edging Baisya to Hannan Sarkar at second slip to fall just 14 short of a maiden test century. His second half century included 11 boundaries over more than four hours.
After Rafique had Andy Blignaut stumped for 7, Ewing joined Streak and the pair put on 106 for the eighth wicket, taking Zimbabwe past 400.
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