Monday 11th February, 2008 15 39 extras were the major contributors towards Sri Lanka’s win. After that episode, Sri Lanka’ opponents simply smashed Ranatunga’s team, but the SL participation in tri-series in game in Adelaide against Pakistan was a thriller. Pakistan made 315 for three in their 50 overs and in reply, Sri Lanka got 288 in their 50 overs and lost by 27 runs. 1996-1996 Series Australia over the years ( T ) After years of tame surrenders, Sri Lanka fought back really hard in this series Rex Clementine Sri Lanka were restricted to 197 by the smashing everything that the Australians beaten by 34 runs while in Sydney,Australia and their excellent form went a long way reporting from Canberra West Indies quicks, namely Malcolm threw at him. got home with three wickets to spare in towards winning the World Cup, in Pakistan. Marshall, Joel Garner, Michael Holding and Sri Lanka got home with four wickets another low scoring game, while New Sri Lanka edged out the West Indies and ri Lanka have been regular partici- Walsh. and four balls to spare and de Silva was Zealand had the better of the Sri Lankans in reached the final against Australia and if not pants of the tri-nation tournament that West Indies won by eight wickets with unbeaten on 46 in just 36 balls with two Brisbane by four wickets, where four run for some horrendous umpiring decisions by Australia annually holds and since S ten overs to spare, but Sri Lanka had some fours and two sixes. He shared an outs, including those of de Silva, Asanka the Australians, they could have done even making their maiden appearance in the 1984- consolation as their captain Mendis was unbroken 34 run stand with another 19- Gurusinghe and Arjuna Ranatunga proved better in the final where they lost close 1985 season, they have come here six more named Man of the Match for his 56 in 48 year-old - Rumesh Ratnayake, whose to be very costly. games. times and given the Australian supporters balls. contribution was just five runs. Once again de Silva’s bating stood out in Sri Lanka found some early form, beat- some thrilling moments over the years. West Indies also beat Sri Lanka in Ratnayake was also named the Man of the series. ing the West Indies in their first match in In the seven tournaments they have par- Sydney by 65 runs in their next game, but the the Match. 1989-1990 series Adelaide and then stunned the Australians ticipated, Sri Lanka entered the finals on two minnows big day would come in Melbourne The next game in Sydney, also against This time too, now under another cap- in Melbourne with a three wicket win, with occasions, 1995-1996 and 2005-2006, at the two days later. Australia was a thriller too, but this time tain - Arjuna Ranatunga - Sri Lanka man- Kumar Dharmasena and Chaminda Vaas expense of the West Indies and South Africa, Taking on Australia, Sri Lanka recorded Australia got home with three wickets to aged only a solitary win. taking them home in style. respectively. their first ever win on Australian soil, beat- spare and de Silva continued his good form The third team in the competition was West Indies beat Sri Lanka in Perth and They’ve even won a best of three finals ing the ‘bullies’ by four wickets in a thrilling with 81 not out in 79 balls. Pakistan. Hobart, while Australia had beaten against Australia the last time they played run chase. From thereon, the Australians really Melbourne staged the first game of this them in Sydney and as the series was get- here. This time, after a rather disappointing This was also the game in which 19-year- rubbed it onto the young tourists, beating series and Sri Lanka lost a game that they show in Sydney,where they were bowled out old Aravinda de Silva would come up them by a massive 232 runs in Adelaide fol- should have won. After restricting the ting tighter between the two visiting teams, for their second lowest total against the Sri Lanka provided a killer blow, beating the world champions, they need to get back to West Indies in their second home, Perth by 16 winning ways to edge out India and qualify runs. for the finals. But that wasn’t enough. To edge out the This is also the last time the tri-nation West Indies and qualify for the finals, they series is played in Australia as Cricket had to beat Australia in Melbourne and they Australia has decided to scrap the tourna- created history by entering the finals for the ment from next season onwards and play bi- first time, in one of the closest ODI games lateral series. between these countries. Since the tournament was started in Australia set the tourists a target of 243 1979/1980, it has been held for 29 and Romesh Kaluwitharana, who made a successive years and without much sur- name for himself in that series put them in prise, Australia has won the competition on the box seat with 74 in 68 balls, opening the 17 instances, while England have won twice innings. De Silva, Ranatunga and with South Africa and Pakistan winning one Mahanama all chipped in with useful contri- each and the West Indies winning six times. butions, but none was able to finish things Much of their (West Indies’) success was off, staying till the end. When Ranatunga in the 1980s, where they won four of the five departed at 222, Sri Lanka still needed 25 runs to win. Once again Dharmasena (24*) tournaments they played. The three Sri Lankan captains for the tri-nation series in Australia from 1984-1995. Duleep Mendis, Ranjan Sri Lanka’s baptism to coloured clothing, and Vaas (13*) finished things off in style, white balls and day-night encounters was in Madugalle and Arjuna Ranatunga. taking Sri Lanka through, prompting wild 1984-1985, and that was a baptism of fire as with his first match winning contribu- lowed by nine wickets in Perth. defending World Champions to 228, the celebrations among the thousands of sup- Duleep Mendis’ Sri Lanka was taking on tion. Over the next 20 years, there was much The West Indies also beat Sri Lana by 82 tourists should have knocked off the target porters, in Melbourne. Clive Lloyd’s West Indies and Alan Border’s more of those and the lifetime achievement runs in Perth and they returned home with and they were well placed at 161 for four The first final went to the wire and Australia. of a hundred in the World Cup final. just one win out of ten games. Sri Lanka’s when Ranatunga and Gurusinghe were bat- Australia won by 18 runs, but the leg before 1984-1985 Series. Rumesh Ratnayake, made his debut at total of 91 all out in Adelaide is their lowest ting. decision that Kaluwitharana got raised Sri Lanka played ten preliminary round the MCG and took the Australians by sur- total against Australia in ODIs. But they lost their last six wickets for just many eyebrows. matches in this tournament and were beaten prise with a four wicket haul. His figures West Indies went onto win the trophy and 37 runs and fell short by 30 runs. The game He had been in terrific form in that series in nine games and won just one match, were impressive too as he finished with 10-3- were beaten in only one of their 13 games. was played on Boxing Day in front of over and not only the Australian players, even against Australia. They started off the com- 37-4 and Australia were restricted to 226. 1987-1988 series 45,000 people and a certain Sanath their umpires targeted ‘Little Kalu’. petition well in Sydney against the hosts. Sri Lanka’s reply was impressive and In 1987-1988 series, the role of leadership Jayasuriya made his debut for Sri Lanka at The second final at Sydney too was a Sri Lanka posted 239 for seven in 49 overs Dias and Mendis had taken the total to 150 for had changed in Sri Lanka and Ranjan 19. tough contest and once again Australia won thanks to Roy Dias and Amal Silva, three when Mendis was out. Madugalle had taken over as the captain. Sri Then they were taken to Perth and given by nine runs and this time too who scored half-centuries. In came Aravinda de Silva, who before Lana were beaten in Perth by Australia a real hiding, where Australia beat them by Kaluwitharana’s leg before decision was Dias hit a run ball 60 including two long, ran out his senior partner Dias, for a while New Zealand warmed up for the final nine wickets. But in the next game at the debated by many. boundaries. The Sri Lankans fought hard well made 48. by beating them in Sydney and Adelaide. Sri same venue, Sri Lanka defied the famous This was also the series where Muttiah and eventually lost the game by four wickets “I was just gutted. It felt terrible. Roy was Lanka’s only win came in their next game in pace quartet of Pakistan - Imran, Wasim, Muralitharan was no-balled twice for throw- as Australia got home with 16 balls to spare. my vice-captain and he was taking us to vic- Hobart where they won a low scoring game. Waqar and Aaqib plus leggie Abdul Qadir But from thereon, life became miserable.