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BRISBANE, Jan 15: Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan suffered a thigh muscle injury as Australia scored a four-wicket win in their triangular one-day series international on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka, who won the toss and batted, scored 211 for nine in 50 overs, including four run outs. Australia replied with 214 for six in 48.5 overs.
Muralitharan limped off Brisbane’s Gabba ground in the 39th over. He returned two overs later and bowled off a short run to claim a fourth wicket for figures of 4-27.
Man-of-the-Match Michael Bevan (45 not out from 79 balls) paced Australia’s innings after Matthew Hayden (42), Darren Lehmann (38) and Jimmy Maher (30) all made useful scores.
Lehmann’s run out in the 40th over made the game a contest again.
Watson’s wicket was Muralitharan’s 304th, taking him to outright third on the all-time list, one ahead of India’s Anil Kumble and behind Pakistan pair Wasim Akram on 490 and Waqar Younis on 409.
Earlier, Sri Lanka opener Marvan Atapattu hit 70 and put on 112 runs for the fourth wicket with Mahela Jayawardene, who made 56.
Sri Lanka lost three early wickets for 35 runs and later six wickets for 54 runs. Captain Sanath Jayasuriya (6) was among the run-outs after scores of 122 and 106 in his past two matches.
SRI LANKA:
M.S. Atapattu c Ponting b McGrath 70
S.T. Jayasuriya run out 6
H.P. Tillekeratne run out 7
P.A. de Silva c Martyn b Lee 0
D.P.M. Jayawardene b Hogg 56
K.C. Sangakkara not out 42
R.P. Arnold c Maher b Hogg 3
W.P.U. J.C. Vaas b Williams 0
T.C.B. Fernando run out 3
M. Muralitharan run out 0
C.R.D. Fernando not out 0
EXTRAS (B-4, LB-6, W-11, NB-3) 24
TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 211
FALL OF WKTS: 1-13, 2-30, 3-35, 4-147, 5-165, 6-173, 7-181, 8-199, 9-201.
BOWLING: McGrath 10-2-33-1 (1w); Williams 10-0-33-1 (2w); Lee 10-1-44-1 (2nb, 2w); Hogg 10-1-38-2; Watson 8-0-36-0 (1nb, 2w); Lehmann 2-0-17-0 (4w).
AUSTRALIA:
J.P. Maher st S’kkara b M’tharan 30
M.L. Hayden c D. F’nando b M’tharan 42
R.T. Ponting st S’kkara b de Silva 15
D.R. Martyn b Muralitharan 1
D.S. Lehmann run out 38
M.G. Bevan not out 45
S.K. Watson c T’ratne b M’tharan 4
G.B. Hogg not out 14
EXTRAS (B-5, LB-4, W-11, NB-5) 25
TOTAL (for six wkts, 48.5 overs) 214
FALL OF WKTS: 1-76, 2-94, 3-98, 4-100, 5-172, 6-182.
BOWLING: Vaas 10-1-38-0 (3w); T.C.B. Fernando 7-0-32-0 (1w); C.R.D. Fernando 10-0-48-0 (5nb, 1w); de Silva 6.5-0-31-1 (2w); Muralitharan 10-1-27-4 (2w); Jayasuriya 3-0-17-0; Arnold 2-0-12-0 (2w).—Reuters
(Tabulate under played, won, lost, bonus points, total points):
Australia 6 5 1 2 27
England 6 2 4 1 14
Sri Lanka 6 2 4 1 13
