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SYDNEY, Jan 9: World champions Australia conceded their highest ever total in a One-day International as they slumped to defeat by 79 runs against Sri Lanka on Thursday.
Captain Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu smashed centuries in a record opening stand to help the Sri Lankans pile up 343 for five before the hosts were bowled out for 264.
Jayasuriya’s slow left-arm spinners did the damage with the ball, the 33-year-old taking four for 39 to earn the Man-of-the-Match award and keep alive his side’s chances of reaching the finals.
The win was Sri Lanka’s first from four matches in the tournament, while the defeat was Australia’s first after three victories last month.
Australia lead the standings with 17 points from England on 12 and Sri Lanka, who were bowled out for just 65 by Australia ‘A’ two days ago, on seven. Australia take on England in Hobart on Saturday.
Sri Lanka were buoyed by the return from injury of off- spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who took his 299th One-day International wicket on the way to figures of two for 44.
After Australia captain Ricky Ponting had won the toss, Atapattu made 101 and Jayasuriya clubbed four sixes and 12 fours in his 122. The pair added 237 runs in 34 overs, plundering an attack missing fast bowlers Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie and leg-spinner Shane Warne.
The stand was the highest by a Sri Lankan pair in One-day Internationals, beating the 226 for the third wicket by Atapattu and Mahela Jayawardene against India last year.
Sri Lanka’s total was also the highest by any team in a One-day International at Sydney Cricket Ground, surpassing Australia’s 337 for seven against Pakistan in 1999-2000. The previous highest total against Australia in a limited-overs international was 326 for three by South Africa in Port Elizabeth last March.
Jayasuriya, who was bowled by a Brett Lee no-ball when on two and badly dropped twice, was finally out bowled by Watson as he tried an ambitious drive. It was his 14th century in 284 One-day Internationals.
Wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist dropped Atapattu on 83 before the 32-year-old reached his eighth one-day century, including five boundaries from 121 balls.
The right-hander was run out with the total on 283 for three and Russel Arnold was stumped off Andrew Symonds first ball as Sri Lanka’s chances of beating their world record total of 398 for five against Kenya in 1995-96 disappeared.
Australia lost Gilchrist to the third ball of their innings, bowled by Chaminda Vaas for six, and Matthew Hayden (35) and Ponting (15) followed quickly to leave the hosts on 105 for three after 20 overs.
Damien Martyn (40) and Michael Bevan (41) fell to Jayasuriya before Symonds became Muralitharan’s 298th victim.
Jimmy Maher slogged a catch to Jayawardene for 15 and Lee was bowled by Jayasuriya for 20 before Brad Hogg avoided the hat trick.
Watson (35 not out) and Andy Bichel (28) shared an Australia record 10th-wicket partnership of 63, but it was far too late to change the course of the match.
Scoreboard
SRI LANKA:
M.S. Atapattu run out 101
S.T. Jayasuriya b Watson 122
P.A. de Silva b Watson 13
D.P.M. Jayawardene not out 37
R.P. Arnold st G’christ b Symonds 0
K.C. Sangakkara c Maher b Bichel 25
W.P.U.J.C. Vaas not out 5
EXTRAS (LB-12, W-20, NB-8) 40
TOTAL (for five wkts, 50 overs) 343
FALL OF WKTS: 1-237, 2-267, 3-283, 4-284, 5-329.
DID NOT BAT: H.P. Tillekeratne, C.R.D. Fernando, M. Muralitharan, P.S. Gunaratne.
BOWLING: Lee 7-0-41-0 (2nb, 7w); Bichel 10-0-70-1 (2nb, 9w); Watson 10-0-72-2 (1nb, 1w); Symonds 9-0-50-1 (3w); Hogg 9-0-75-0 (3nb); Martyn 5-0-23-0.
AUSTRALIA:
A.C. Gilchrist b Vaas 6
M.L. Hayden c J’wardene b F’nando 35
R.T. Ponting c T’ratne b G’ratne 15
D.R. Martyn b Jayasuriya 40
M.G. Bevan c T’ratne b Jayasuriya 41
A. Symonds c T’ratne b Muralitharan 4
B. Lee b Jayasuriya 20
J.P. Maher c J’wardene b Jayasuriya 15
S.R. Watson not out 35
G.B. Hogg st S’kkara b Muralitharan 4
A.J. Bichel c S’kkara b G’ratne 28
EXTRAS (LB-12, W-4, NB-5) 21
TOTAL (all out, 49.3 overs) 264
FALL OF WKTS: 1-6, 2-35, 3-78, 4-143, 5-150, 6-152, 7-188, 8-188, 9-201.
BOWLING: Vaas 6-0-29-1 (2w); Gunaratne 8.3-0-54-2 (1w); Fernando 9-0-46-1 (5nb, 1w); de Silva 6-0-40-0; Muralitharan 10-1-44-2; Jayasuriya 10-1-39-4.
RESULT: Sri Lanka won by 79 runs.
UMPIRES: S.J.A. Taufel (Australia) and R.B. Tiffin (Zimbabwe).
MATCH REFEREE: Wasim Raja (Pakistan).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Sanath Jayasuriya.
NEXT MATCH: Australia v England, Hobart on Saturday.—Reuters
