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COLOMBO, Feb 25: Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn struck fluent half-centuries to lead Australia to a five-wicket victory in the third One-day International against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
The world champions, set a modest 227-run target after a fine bowling performance from Man-of-the-Match Jason Gillespie, won with nine balls to spare to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
Captain Ponting made 63 and Martyn 62, the pair adding 129 in 167 balls for the third wicket after Australia had slumped to four for two. Andrew Symonds (45 not out) and Michael Clarke (31 not out) guided the tourists home with an unbroken 68-run stand in 66 balls.
Mahela Jayawardene top-scored for Sri Lanka with 80, his highest One-day International innings for over two years, rescuing the hosts from a poor start after winning the toss.
Jayawardene resurrected the Sri Lankan innings after fast bowler Gillespie had snapped up three early wickets with the new ball. After the hosts slumped to 54 for four Jayawardene added 58 with Tillekeratne Dilshan and 58 with all rounder Upul Chandana.
Chaminda Vaas, with 24, and Kumar Dharmasena, who was left 24 not out, finished off the innings with a brisk eighth-wicket stand of 36. Sri Lanka needed to make early inroads and Vaas duly obliged, reducing Australia to four for two in the third over.
Matthew Hayden's fine run ended when he was caught at extra cover, and Adam Gilchrist, restored to the opener's berth, was out for his second successive duck when he edged to slip. Ponting and Martyn responded aggressively to make sure of victory hitting half centuries.
Scoreboard
SRI LANKA:
M.S. Atapattu b Gillespie 3
S.T. Jayasuriya c Clarke b Gillespie 0
K.C. Sangakkara c Hayden b Gillespie 15
D.P.M. Jayawardene run out 80
R.P. Arnold c Clarke b Hogg 4
T.M. Dilshan c Gilchrist b Symonds 30
U.D.U. Chandana run out 34
W.P.U.J.C. Vaas c Hogg b Kasprowicz 24
H.D.P.K. Dharmasena not out 24
D.N.T. Zoysa not out 0
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-8, W-3) 12
TOTAL (for eight wkts, 50 overs) 226
FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-10, 3-34, 4-54, 5-112, 6-170, 7-182, 8-218.
DID NOT BAT: M. Muralitharan.
BOWLING: Gillespie 10-1-36-3 (1w); Kasprowicz 10-2-37-1 (1w); Harvey 6-0-29-0; Hogg 10-0-41-1 (1w); Clarke 5-0-26-0; Symonds 9-0-48-1.
AUSTRALIA:
A.C. Gilchrist c Jayawardene b Vaas 0
M.L. Hayden c Murlitharan b Vaas 3
R.T. Ponting b Vaas 63
D.R. Martyn run out 62
A. Symonds not out 45
M.G. Bevan run out 10
M.J. Clarke not out 31
EXTRAS (LB-4, W-8, NB-1) 13
TOTAL (for five wkts, 48.3 overs) 227
FALL OF WKTS: 1-3, 2-4, 3-133, 4-136, 5-159.
DID NOT BAT: I.J. Harvey, G.B. Hogg, M.S. Kasprowicz, J.N. Gillespie.
BOWLING: Vaas 9-2-34-3; Zoysa 7.1-0-37-0 (1nb, 2w); Dharmasena 6.5-0-31-0; Muralitharan 10-0-43-0; Chandana 7-0-36-0; Jayasuriya 8-0-40-0 (5w); Dilshan 0.3-0-2-0 (1w).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Jason Gillespie.
FOURTH MATCH: Colombo (D/N), Feb 27.
FIFTH MATCH: Colombo, Feb 29.-Reuters
