Sports FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015

World Cup big guns fine tune in tri-series

SYDNEY: World Cup big guns , and get their final preparations for next month’s tour- nament under way when the one-day international tri- series begins in Sydney today. The Australians face England at the Sydney Ground in the first match before renewing hostilities with World Cup holders India in Melbourne on Sunday, just a week after their 2-0 Test series win. England made the big call of replacing Alastair Cook with Eoin Morgan as less than two months out from the World Cup in Australia and and he gets his chance to fine-tune the squad during the tri- series. Morgan’s team have been among the runs in their two warm-up games in Canberra, scoring a total of 755 with Ian Bell blasting 187 off 145 balls in Wednesday’s 60- canter over the Prime Minister’s XI. Bell’s knock was the highest innings by an England batsman in a competitive 50-over match, eclipsing Robin Smith’s 167 against Australia at Edgbaston in 1993. “It’s nice to get some runs in the week we’ve had here,” Bell said. “It’s a nice start to the tour and hopefully we can kick on in the main games. “I’ve done a lot of netting in the HAMILTON: ’s Tillakaratne Dilshan (C) celebrates his during the one-day international cricket match last month, so it’s nice to get a real big score in a com- between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at in Hamilton yesterday. — AFP petitive game.” England’s recent ODI record has been poor, with series defeats in Sri Lanka and against India at home, and they will be looking to run into some form Tillakaratne ton leads against two of the World Cup favourites.

Australia top rankings The tri-series is also a chance for several Australians, S Lanka to win over NZ battling fitness and form issues, to bed down a place in the starting World Cup team. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh is scheduled to make his HAMILTON: Tillakaratne Dilshan made a Martin Guptill (10), 38 with Tom Latham (5) Vettori (7), Corey Anderson (5), Luke return as a batsman in Australia’s third game on January flawless 116 to lead Sri Lanka to a comfort- and 85 with Ross Taylor, of which Taylor Ronchi (0) and Nathan McCullum (13) 23 against England in Hobart following hamstring trou- able six- win over New Zealand yes- contributed 23. wrecked the New Zealand innings and ble. terday, leveling the seven-match one-day deprived it of any chance of extending its “Obviously I have got a few things to get past first,” series at 1-1. McCullum’s fifth in one-day ton winning record at home this season. Sri Marsh said. “At this stage I will be playing the first few Chasing New Zealand’s 248, Sri Lanka The century was McCullum’s fifth in Lanka won for the first time on its New games as a batter while I build my workloads up and go reached the target with 14 balls to spare one-day internationals and his first since Zealand tour after losing the test series 2-0 from there. “If it all goes to plan, I can start playing as an thanks chiefly to Dilshan’s 17th one-day February, 2012 and extended the run of and the one-day opener. all-rounder at the back half of this series.” century. Earlier, New Zealand captain form which has seen him scored a triple “Four run outs is just not good Another all-rounder Glenn Maxwell boosted his Brendon McCullum made 117 from 99 balls century and two double centuries in tests enough,” McCullum said. “We probably let World Cup claims by plundering 136 off only 89 balls for but the Black Caps’ effort descend- in the past 12 months. a little bit of panic set in and that’s some- the Prime Minister’s XI against England. George Bailey ed into chaos after McCullum departed, McCullum scored a half century from thing we’ve prided ourselves on not doing may be in the unusual situation of leading Australia in with four run outs destroying the middle 19 balls in the first one-dayer, which New recently. “We’ll have to learn the lesson the tri-series but missing out altogether in the World order. Dilshan then brilliantly paced the Sri Zealand won by three . He was from it because we were in a pretty good Cup if skipper Michael Clarke passes a fitness deadline Lanka reply, reaching his century from 116 only a little less forceful on Thursday, position at that time and we were threat- from his hamstring injury on February 21. balls and finally falling in the 46th over with reaching his half century from 33 balls and ening probably a 300-plus score. They “I think every person who is playing, regardless of any only 12 runs needed for victory. his century from 88 deliveries with 10 were certainly desperate in the field to put other positions, will just be looking to perform to make He was well-supported throughout the fours and four sixes. The runouts of Daniel us under pressure.” — AP the case for retaining them within the 11 pretty com- Sri Lanka innings. made pelling,” Bailey said. 38 including three straight sixes, Mahela The Australians edge India at the top of the ODI rank- Jayawardene contributed 27 with five SCOREBOARD ings after a 4-1 home series victory over in boundaries and captain November and they will be looking to win the tri-series was unbeaten on 39 and hit the winning Scoreboard at close of play in the second between New to widen their lead at the top in their quest for a fifth runs with his sixth boundary. Zealand and Sri Lanka yesterday in Hamilton, New Zealand. World Cup crown. “It was pretty pleasing the way the boys New Zealand Innings R. Herath 10-0-36-2, J. Mendis 10-0-47-1(w- Mahendra Singh Dhoni will lead India in the tri-series went about things,” Mathews said. “They M. Guptill c Mathews b N. Kulasekara 10 3), T. Dilshan 7-0-27-0, A. Mathews 1-0-2-0. got off to a brilliant start - Brendon and World Cup after retiring from Tests during the B. McCullum c&b J. Mendis 117 Sri Lanka Innings: McCullum batted really well - but our spin- recent Australia series. India failed to make the final of T. Latham c Sangakkara b Herath 5 D. Karunaratne lbw b N. McCullum 21 ners especially pulled them back. “In the R. Taylor c T. Perera b Herath 34 the last tri-series they played in Australia, but they are T. Dilshan c Ronchi b Henry 116 field, again, we were brilliant taking four D. Vettori run out (J. Mendis, Sangakkara)7 K. Sangakkara c Latham b Milne 38 strong in the batting department with , Rohit run outs and it was a very good perform- C. Anderson run out (Mathews, M. Jayawardene c Taylor b Henry 27 Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane. ance by the whole team.” Sangakkara) 5 A. Mathews 39 But their big test will be their bowling strength, with Mathews said Tillakaratne had played L. Ronchi run out (Dilshan, Sangakkara) 0 L. Thirimanne not out 2 former Test batsman among many critics N. McCullum run out (M. Jayawardene) 13 Extras (lb-5 w-4) 9 the vital anchor role in a well-executed run A. Milne st Sangakkara b Senanayake 19 who have said the bowlers continue to be a big let- chase. “As soon as he got off to a brilliant Total (for 4 wickets, 47.4 overs) 252 down. M. Henry not out 20 Fall of wickets: 1-64 D. Karunaratne, 2-116 start he made sure he continued and bat- T. Boult c Thirimanne b Senanayake 13 Fixtures: K. Sangakkara, 3-163 M. Jayawardene, 4- ted through the innings and that’s what we Extras (w-5) 5 Today - Australia v England, Sydney Cricket Ground want from our first four batters,” Mathews Total (all out, 50 overs) 248 237 T. Dilshan. Jan 18 - Australia v India, said. Fall of wickets: 1-35 M. Guptill, 2-73 T. Did not bat: J. Mendis, T. Perera, N. Kulasekara, S. Senanayake, R. Herath Jan 20 - England v India, Gabba, Brisbane McCullum tried to play that role for New Latham, 3-158 B. McCullum, 4-171 D. Bowling: T. Boult 10-1-52-0, M. Henry 9.4-0- Jan 23 - Australia v England, Bellerive, Hobart Zealand, setting his team up for a score in Vettori, 5-183 R. Taylor, 6-183 L. Ronchi, 7- 34-2(w-1), A. Milne 8-0-61-1(w-1), N. Jan 26 - Australia v India, Sydney Cricket Ground excess of 300, but no-one took up the 185 C. Anderson, 8-207 N. McCullum, 9-222 A. Milne, 10-248 T. Boult McCullum 6-0-40-1, D. Vettori 10-1-40-0(w- Jan 30 - England v India, WACA, Perth baton when he was out. When he fell he Feb 1 - Final, WACA, Perth. —AFP Bowling: N. Kulasekara 8-0-40- 1(w-1), T. 1), C. Anderson 4-0-20-0. had scored 117 of New Zealand’s total of Perera 4-0- 41-0, S. Senanayake 10-0-55-2, : Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets 158, dominating partnerships of 35 with