Skipper Ranatunga led by example

Sri Lanka performed well for the first fourteen overs, claiming two wickets and only conceding thirty two runs, but then the concentration began to wane. Vaas dropped Darren Lehmann in the outfield; a sitter that hemisjudged and this set the pattern for more horrible misses. Muttiah Muralitharan was the unlucky bowler and he appeared to give the outfielder a blast, but he only had himself to blame when shortly afterwards he dropped an easy caught and bowled chance offered by Mark Waugh.

The two Australian batsmen profited as they both made half-centuries, Waugh amazingly without hitting a boundary. Lehmann gave the innings a bit of impetus with a couple of powerfully hit lofted drives, but eventually he holed out attempting to repeat the shot. Waugh’s fourth consecutive fifty in the series was hard work, but he showed what a fine player he is by making runs, despite not being at the top of his game.

The Sri Lankans dropped another catch in the outfield, Muralitharan again the offender, but thanks to some good accurate bowling from Vaas they were able to contain the Australians and give themselves a chance of winning.

The Australians were further hampered when Steve Waugh aggravated his hamstring injury and had tohand over the reins to Warne and Michael Bevan strained a groin muscle. However, substitute fielder Damien Martyn ran out Sanath Jayasuriya with a direct hit to lift Australian spirits, but they were denied any more early success by the diligence of Romesh Kaluwitharana and Marvan Atapattu. Realising the gravity of the situation, the pair mixed discretion and aggression, the latter appearing when Warne entered the attack. Both batsmen used their feet to the leg-spinner and were prepared to loft him down the ground as they posted half-centuries and appeared determined to see the job right through to the end as they passed a century partnership.

Australia then got a lucky break when Adam Dale was awarded an lbw decision despite Kaluwitharana’s faint inside edge. It became obvious how seriously Ranatunga was taking this game when he promoted himself to number four and began to play a typically determined knock full of deflections and placements. He lost Atapattu, run out by a direct hit from McGrath just afterhe’d called for a runner and wickets then began to fall at regular intervals down the other end.

Warne was bowling well and added to the tension by recalling McGrath and keeping plenty of fieldsmen in single saving positions. The attacking field placings brought Mahanama undone as he attempted to loft Warne over mid-off, but was beaten in the flight and bowled. Ranatunga though was not to be denied and a fortuitous boundary off the penultimate over made victory certain. Eventually Vaas hit the winning run to give the Sri Lankans their first points. With Australia suffering multiple injuries this could be a significant win for Sri Lanka, although they can ill afford to lose their skipper who strained a leg muscle in playing his valiant knock.

SCOREBOARD

Australia: Mark Waugh c Mahanama b Jayasuriya 65, Adam Gilchrist b Vaas 12, Greg Blewett c Mahanama b Wickremasinghe 1, Darren Lehmann c Jayawardene b Jayasuriya 51, Stuart Lee c Chandana b Muralitharan 18, Steve Waugh c Jayawardene b Jayasuriya20, Michael Bevan c Kaluwitharana b Muralitharan 18, Brendon Julian c&b Vaas 7, Shane Warne c Chandana b Vaas 5, Adam Dale not out 7, Glen McGrath not out 1; Extras (lb2, w3): 5. Total (for nine wickets, 50 overs): 210

Fall Of Wickets:

1-20, 2-25, 3-118, 4-138, 5-153, 6-185, 7-196, 8-198, 9-206.

Bowling: Vaas 10-1-27-3, Wickremasinghe 8-1-20-1, Muralitharan 10-1-42-2, Jayawardene 4-0-20-0, Chandana 7-0-44-0, Jayasuriya 10-0-47-3, Tillakeratne 1-0-8-0.

Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya run out 3, Romesh Kaluwitharana lbw Dale 54, Marvan Atapattu run out 82, Arjuna Ranatunga not out 45, Upul Chandana c Dale b Warne 8, Hashan Tillakeratne c Martyn b Warne 3, M Jayawardene b McGrath 1, Roshan Mahanama b Warne 4, Chaminda Vaas not out 2; Extras (lb2, w3, nb4): 9. Total (for seven wickets, 49.3 overs): 211

Fall Of Wickets: 1-4, 2-120, 3-163, 4-178, 5-188, 6-190, 7-198.

Bowling: McGrath 10-2-33-1, Dale 10-2-30-1, Julian 10-0-41-0, Lee 6-0-39-0, Warne 10-0-45-3,Blewett 3.3-0-21-0.