The Island, Wednesday 18th January, 2006 Sri Lanka roast Proteas at Gabba BRISBANE, Australia, Jan 17, ing against Australia. Before ed to keep their heads down and 2006 (AFP) - A determined Sri Tuesday they had just two wins stick to the basics for the remain- Lanka shrugged off a recent run of from their last 12 one-day matches. der of the series. poor one-day form and humbled "It was getting the basics "Do our basics right, bat well, South Africa in the tri-series limit- right, doing our homework proper- field well and then strangle the ed overs competition at the ly and getting prepared," he said. opposition," he said. Brisbane Cricket Ground on "Let the result take care of itself His partnership with Tuesday. and just worry about what we can Mubarak had carried the Sri Sri Lanka achieved a 94-run Lankans to 145-1 and ended when victory, their seventh straight win Mubarak was trapped lbw for 61 in one-day internationals against Tri-series cricket standings off 69 balls, including nine bound- South Africa, despite being humil- PPtsaries. iated in their opening tri-series Australia 2 5 Sangakkara went on to make a match against Australia. Sri Lanka 2 5 stylish 88 off 109 balls. The Sri Lankans made 282-6, South Africa 2 4 The South Africans lost their spurred largely by a 112-run sec- (matches played, points) last five wickets for just 36 but ond-wicket partnership between never really seemed to be in the Jehan Mubarak and Kumar control. hunt, especially against the spin- Sangakkara, and then bowled "I think we have always played ners. their rivals out for just 188 with 5.4 well against them. We have played Malinga Bandara finished overs remaining on a perfect bat- some tough cricket against them with 3-31 while seamer Vaas took ting wicket. in South Africa. The past few 2-21. The victory raised questions months have been a tough time They have already lost Andre about the decision by South and we are just started to turn it Nel and Makhaya Ntini while African captain Graeme Smith to around." Charl Langeveldt missed the send the Sri Lankans in first in Sangakkara said his team need- match with a groin strain. such conditions. Smith also suffered yet anoth- Scoreboard er failure with the bat, making just three before behing trapped lbw by Sri Lanka innings: South Africa innings Chaminda Vaas. U. Tharanga c Boucher b Kruger 16 G. Smith lbw b Vaas 3 Sri Lanka's cause was helped J. Mubarak lbw b Botha 61 B. Dippenaar b Kulasekara 10 by the late withdrawal of brilliant K. Sangakkara c Smith b Pollock 88 J. Rudolph run out 53 H. Gibbs run out 7 South African allrounder Jacques T. Dilshan c Gibbs b Zondeki 15 A. Prince c Kulasekara 29 Kallis with an elbow injury. M. Atapattu run out 33 M. Boucher c Dilshan b Bandara 62 But his absence was no excuse M. Jayawardene c Prince b Botha 14 J. Kemp b Bandara 10 for the Proteas' poor performance R. Arnold not out 15 S. Pollock c Atapattu b Vaas 4 in the field, dropping two catches. C. Vaas not out 14 A. Hall b Muralidaran 4 They also ran poorly between the Extras(12lb, 9w, 5nb) 26 J. Botha lbw b Muralidaran 2 Total (6wkts) 282 G. Kruger not out 0 wickets with top order batsmen Extras(1lb, 3w) 4 Jacques Rudolph and Herschelle Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-145, 3-172, 4-211, 5- Total 188 Gibbs both victims of runouts. 244, 6-259. Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-30, 3-57, 4-93, 5-127, 6- Mark Boucher with 62 off 95 Did not bat: N. Kulasekara, R. Perera, M. 152, 7-179, 8-184, 9-188, 10-188. balls and Rudolph with 53 off 79 Muralitharan. Bowling: C. Vaas 8-2-21-2, R. Perera 6-0-38-0 were the only two batsmen to offer Bowling: S. Pollock 10-1-39-1(1nb,1w), G. (1w), N. Kulasekara 6-0-24-1 (2w), T. Dilshan 6- Kruger 8-0-61-1(5w), A. Hall 10-0-58-0(3nb, 0-29-0, M. Muralitharan 9-1-34-2, M. Bandara serious resistance. 8.2-0-31-3, J. Mubarak 1-0-10-0. 1w), M. Zondeki 9-0-49-1(1nb, 2w), J. Botha 10- Man of the Match Sangakkara Overs: 44.2. 0-49-2, G. Smith 3-0-14-0. said his team had got the simple Sri Lanka won by 94 runs. Brisbane, Queensland AUSTRALIA: Sri Lanka's Jehan Mubarak pulls a ball to the boundary off the bowling of Shaun Overs: 50. things right after their poor show- Man-of-the-Match: Kumar Sangakkara. Pollock of South Africa in their one day match played at the Gabba in Brisbane, yesterday. – Pic. David Hancock, AFP. Peterites Wickramanayake Rivals India and Pakistan slam heartbreaking Test pitch and Magage hit half tons LAHORE, Pakistan, Jan 17, 2006 "Wickets like the one at the bowl on," he said. when Sehwag was batting. by Reemus Fernando (AFP)- India and Pakistan on Gaddafi stadium here are demoral- "It is easy to criticise the pitch, "He was doing all the scoring, Ruwan Wickrama- Thurstan fight Tuesday criticised the lifeless wick- ising for the bowlers and captains the groundsman and other things, I was just hanging in there," he said. nayake (97) and Krishal back against St. et prepared for the first Test here find it hard to stop the flow of runs. but not many people know about "It is amazing how he hit the good Magage (82) scored use- Sebastian’s with home team captain Inzamam- "But since everyone has asked the art of making a wicket and it is balls to the fence when I may have ful half tons to help St. Thurstan College, ul Haq calling it a "poor advertise- me about the pitch I must make it not for us to ask what kind of pitch- just defended them." Peter’s pile up a massive who managed just 118 in ment for Test cricket." clear that I am the captain and not es the hosts are preparing." The Dravid-Sehwag stand is 302 for 9 declared their first innings, "If we prepare wickets like this the groundsman," the Pakistan Dravid said India gained a lot against De Mazenod the second best for the first wicket, fought back to bowl out we will lose the crowds that came skipper said. of confidence from the drawn Test. College on the first day only behind the 413 by fellow coun- St. Sebastian’s College for the previous series against "The lead-up to the Test was "I do not believe in any team of their cricket trymen Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj for 130 in their match at England," Inzamam said after affected by bad weather so it may having the psychological edge or encounter at Kandana Roy against New Zealand at Thurstan grounds yes- murky weather and the batting- not have been easy to make a good the momentum, but I can say that yesterday. In reply, De Madras in 1955-56. terday. friendly wicket forced the Test to be wicket. Hopefully we have a better we have gained a lot of confidence Mazenod were tottering on Right arm pacies drawn. Test at Faisalabad and get a better going into the second Test," he said. 114 for 5. Jehan Fernando and India reached 410-1 in reply to wicket too." The Indian captain, who pre- Scoreboard St. Peter’s 302 for 9 Kanishka Elvitigala Pakistan's mammoth first innings The second Test starts at ferred to open the innings with Pakistan 1st innings: 679-7 decl (Younis declared in 60 overs from the two camps total of 679-7 declared before play Faisalabad on Saturday. The third Sehwag in place of his predecessor Khan 199, Mohammad Yousuf 173, Shahid (Ruwan Wickrama- claimed six wickets each. was called off after just 2.2 overs on and final Test will be played in Sourav Ganguly, also made light of Afridi 103, Kamran Akmal 102 not out) nayake 97, Krishal Thurstan 118 (Geeth the fifth and final day. Karachi from January 29-February the failure to break the world record. India 1st innings (overnight 403-0): Magage 82, Chevan Kumara 22, Charith Indian openers Virender 2. "To get to 410 was special and V. Sehwag c Akmal b Naved 254 Edirisinghe 43, Gayan 24; Jehan Sehwag (254) and Rahul Dravid Indian captain Dravid chose to it was special to be close to that R. Dravid not out 128 Shivanga Ranasooriya V. Laxman not out 0 Fernando 6/39, S. (128 not out) failed to compile a play down his criticism of the wicket, record," he said. 25; Terrance Livera 4/78, Extras: (b2, lb7, nb17, w2) 28 Fernando 3/25) world record opening partnership by but indicated he too was not happy "Sehwag was a bit disappoint- Shanaka Jayakody 2/46) Total: (for one wicket) 410 St. Sebastian’s 130 just four runs after Sehwag was with what was on offer. ed. We could have got there and De Mazenod 114 for 5 Fall of wicket: 1-410 (Sachintha Cooray 52; caught behind off seamer Rana "I would not blame the had it come it would have been in 35 overs (Amith Bowling: Shoaib 16.2-6-46-0, Naved 16-1- Kanishka Alvitigala Naved. groundsman or anyone for the nice." Eranda 20, Sahan 94-1, Afridi 11-0-55-0, Sami 12-1-67-0, 6/34) Inzamam said he had always pitch, but this obviously was not a Dravid said it was great to Kaneria 10-0-69-0, Malik 12-1-70-0 Fernando 45 n.o; More schools cricket been in favour of sporting pitches.