Humble Sri Lanka by five wickets in the fourth encounter:

Australia pocket ODI series

By Ranjan ANANDAPPA

Australia took a winning 3-1 lead in the five-match ODI series when they crushed Sri Lanka by five wickets in the fourth ODI played at Premadasa Stadium yesterday.

Electing to bat first, Sri Lanka batsmen were all at sea as the home team was shot out for 132 off 38.4 overs with former captain Mahela Jayawardene making a top score of 53 off 102 balls.

Australia, in their run chase, lost two early wickets with only 26 runs on the board. Paceman Lasith Malinga provided early shocks removing Shane Watson and Ricky Ponting with only 29 runs on the board. Then with the total on 123, leg spinner Seekuge Prasanna had three Australian wickets within the space of four deliveries as the visitors slumped to 123 for 5 in the 27th over.

But the Australians managed to reach the target, scoring 133 for 5 in 28 overs. The visitors, who won the first two matches, secured the five-match series.

The fifth and final ODI between the two teams, which now carries only an academic interest, will be played at the same venue tomorrow.

The visitors in pursuit of a moderate 133 runs to win achieved their victory target after losing two early wickets of opener Shane Watson (12) and Ricky Ponting (0) the two most prolific and best batsmen in the side with the scoreboard reading 26 for 2 in 6.5 overs.

But skipper Michael Clarke (48 n.o.) joined by Shuan Marsh (70) avoided further disaster when they added 97 precious runs for the third wicket till the introduction of debutant leg spinner Seekkuge Prasanna who struck thrice in succession to send back Shuan Marsh, the two Hussey brothers Michael and David both without scoring with the score reading 123 for 5.

Prasanna had the figures of 3 for 32 while Malinga who made early inroads in the Aussie batting took 2 for 18.

In a post match press briefing skipper Tillekeratne Dilshan said that it was the middle order batting that had let the side down and if it continues quick measures should be taken to rectify it. He thought that the ideal solution is giving the opportunities to the younger players may be in the under 19 squad in a long term basis.

The victory target of 133 was never sufficient enough to defend, but Lasith Malinga gave a glimmer of hope claiming the wickets of Watson and Ponting in one over to reduce the visitors to 26 for 2. Shuan Marsh opened with Shane Watson replacing Brad Haddin after a series of failures.

Fast bowler Brett Lee (4 for 15) and spinner Xavier Doherty ( 4 for 28) shared 8 wickets among themselves as Sri Lanka crashed to a pathetic 132 in 38.4 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat first in their decisive fourth one day International at the R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday.

The Sri Lankans batting has been appalling as they had been batting first thrice and had failed to face the prescribed 50 overs on three occasions.

Besides a fighting third wicket stand of 71 between the two former captains Mahela Jayawardena and Kumara Sangakkara the rest of the batting folded meekly amidst a steady Australian attack. in a disappointing display of batting as the host lost their last 8wickets for 37 runs in 80 balls.

Sri Lanka had to win the game to keep the series alive and it will be gigantic task for the Sri Lankan bowlers to defend a meagre total against a top batting side.

Ausralian captain Michael Clarke’s effort of depriving the Sri Lankan openers Dilshan and Upul Tharanga of getting off to a flying start was somewhat justified when skipper Dilshan who was threatening to cut loose tried to cut a rising ball from Doug Bollinger and edged one to keeper Haddin.

Sangakkara replacing Dilshan was quickly greeted with a good ball and a nasty one , which struck his helmet just short of length by Bellinger. Brett Lee who opened the bowling with Bollinger struck another vital blow to the Sri Lankan batting when he got Upul Tharanga who drove wildly, missed the ball completely and was bowled for 8.

The third ODI centurion Thanage played a rather irresponsible shot and was bowled by Lee.

Thereafter the Lankan batsmen were batting under tremendous pressure with skipper Michael Clarke handling is side judiciously Sri Lanka made two changes bringing in right arm leg spinner Seepage Prasine for out of form Jeevan Mendis and vice captain Angelo Matthews for Dinette Chandimal. Australia left out Steve Smith the leg spinner, leaving Xavier Doherty and Michael Hussy to handle the spin on a pitch that showed signs of getting slower and slower.

Sri Lanka lost both openers for 24 runs in 6.2 overs and looked in a poor position ,but Sangakkara and Mahela restored some order into the Sri Lanka batting and it was left to the most experienced pair of two former skippers Kumara Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena to rescue the side from a spot of bother. The third wicket pair Jayawardena and Sangakkara added 71 runs bringing the score from 24 for 2 to 92 for 2 when Sangakkara trying to hit one over mid wicket found Brett Lee taking a sprawling catch off Doherty.

Xavier Doherty who was preferred to Steve Smith triggered the Sri Lanka batting debacle when he took the wickets of Sangakkara, Chamara Silva for a duck and Angelo Mathews coming down the pitch and was stumped all within eight balls. The Lankans would have been in a worst plight if keeper Haddin had not dropped Jayawardena low down off Mitchell Johnson.

The partnership between Jayawardena and Sangakkara was mostly made up with one’s and two’s” with the pair showing aggression occasionally when Jayawardena stepped out and drove Doherty for a boundary. Once the Sangakkara Jayawardena alliance was broken it was a case of a procession of the Sri Lanka batsmen appearing and disappearing into the dressing room.

SRI LANKA:
U. Tharanga b Lee 			 08
T. Dilshan c Haddin b Bollinger 	 12
K. Sangakkara c Lee b Doherty 		 31
M. Jayawardene c and b Lee 		 53
C. Silva lbw b Doherty 			 00
A. Mathews st Haddin b Doherty 		 06
N. Kulasekara lbw b Watson 		 07
S. Eranga c Bollinger b Lee 		 01
S. Prasanna lbw b Doherty 		 00
L. Malinga b Lee 			 00
A. Mendis not out 			 00
Extras (lb10, w4) 			 14
Total (all out; 38.4 overs) 		132

Fall of wickets: 1-20 (Dilshan), 2-24 (Tharanga)
		 3-95 (Sangakkara), 4-95 (Silva)
		 5-101 (Mathews), 6-118 (Kulasekara)
		 7-128 (Eranga), 8-132 (Prasanna)
		 9-132 (Jayawardene), 10-132 (Malinga)

Bowling: Lee 6.4-1-15-4
	 Bollinger 7-0-28-1 (w1)
	 Johnson 8-0-31-0 (w1)
	 Watson 7-0-20-1
	 Doherty 10-0-28-4 (w2)

AUSTRALIA
S. Watson c Mendis b Malinga 		 12
S. Marsh c Sangakkara b Prasanna 	 70
R. Ponting c Prasanna b Malinga 	 00
M. Clarke not out 			 38
M. Hussey c Sangakkara b Prasanna 	 00
D. Hussey b Prasanna 			 00
B. Haddin not out 			 05
Extras (lb6, w2) 			 08
Total (for 5 wckt; 28 overs) 		133

Fall of wickets: 1-26 (Watson), 2-26 (Ponting)
		 3-123 (Marsh), 4-123 (M. Hussey)
		 5-123 (D. Hussey)

Bowling: Malinga 7-2-18-2
	 Mendis 7-0-31-0 (w1)
	 Dilshan 2-0-17-0
	 Kulasekara 2-0-13-0
	 Eranga 4-0-16-0 (w1)
	 Prasanna 6-1-32-3

Result: Australia win by five wickets