Michael Clarke top-scored with an unbeaten 77 and Nathan Bracken took five
wickets as Australia beat Sri Lanka by 128 runs Friday in a tri-series
limited-overs match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Scorecard
Australia scored 253-6 after Ricky Ponting won the toss and decided to bat.
Sri Lanka was bowled out in the 32nd over for 125, meaning Australia picked up a
bonus point to move to the top of the tri-series standings with seven points.
Bracken took a career-best 5-47 and was named man of the match.
Retiring wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist scored 61, his 54th half-century,
including three fours and one six. Matthew Hayden, returning from a hamstring
injury, hit 42 to dominate an opening stand of 65 with Gilchrist before Hayden
fell caught at mid-wicket in the 13th over.
Chaminda Vaas dismissed Ponting, who was caught at slip for nine, as
Australia's scoring rate slowed, leaving the home side at 88-2 from 20 overs in
overcast conditions.
Gilchrist, who has made five of his 15 centuries against Sri Lanka, went for
one big swing too many and was out lbw to Chamara Kapugedera at 139-3.
Andrew Symonds (12) chipped a catch to extra cover as left-armer Vaas (2-34)
completed a strong spell.
Mike Hussey (10) also fell cheaply, caught at backward point trying to force
the pace off the bowling of third-gamer Ishara Amarasinghe (2-66).
James Hopes, pushed down to No. 7 with Hayden's return, made 34 off 29 balls
and shared a 63-run partnership with Clarke.
Full coverage: India in Australia
Offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan (0-42) was struck in the face by the ball
while diving forward at mid-on in the 48th over. He immediately left the field
for treatment and one of his teeth was loosened, but he was able to bat in his
team's innings.
In reply, Sri Lanka started badly when openers Sanath Jayasuriya (7) and Upul
Tharanga (10) fell in successive balls to the bowling of Brett Lee and Bracken.
Kumar Sangakkara and captain Mahela Jaywardene (6) steadied as they added 39
runs for the third wicket before the skipper was caught behind off Mitchell
Johnson, reducing Sri Lanka to 57-3.
Sangakkara continued to anchor the Sri Lanka innings but Bracken struck in
the 20th over when he trapped the left-hander lbw for 42 off 41 balls, as the
visitors collapsed.
Sri Lanka's middle-order lost two more wickets in the next two overs as
spinner Brad Hogg removed Chamara Silva (7) caught behind, then Bracken had
Chamara Kapugedera caught at slip for a duck.
Left-armer Bracken also had Tillekeratne Dilshan (14) caught at long-off to
claim his fourth wicket and the paceman removed Muralitharan caught in the deep
in his ninth over to end the match.
"Gilly (Gilchrist) played really well, and Clarke played a sensible knock,”
said Ponting. “We got to 250 and I knew that as the game wore on our bowlers
would be able to take the pace off the ball.”
Jayawardene said Sri Lanka had a difficult task.
”Chasing that total we knew it was going to be hard,” he said. “We lost too
many wickets early.”
The first two games of the triangular series were washouts at the Gabba,
between Australia and India on Sunday and India and Sri Lanka two days later.
The tri-series resumes Sunday with Australia playing India at Melbourne.
| Cricket Scorecards
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