Monday 5th March, 2012 Kule’s effort in vain as SL lose a thriller

SCOREBOARD Australia Innings U. Tharanga c D. Hussey b Watson 60 D. Warner b Prasad 163 F. Maharoof c Christian b D. Hussey 8 M. Wade c Herath b Kulasekara 64 N. Kulasekera c Doherty b D. Hussey 73 S. Watson c Thirimanne b Maharoof 21 D. Prasad 31 D. Christian c Sangakkara b Prasad 10 R. Herath c Doherty b Watson 5 D. Hussey c & b Herath 1 L. Malinga c M. Hussey b Watson 1 M. Clarke c Jayawardene b Malinga 37 Extras: (1b,3lb,11w,2nb) 17 M. Hussey not out 19 TOTAL: (all out) 306 Extras: (1lb,5w) 6 Overs: 49.2 TOTAL: (for six ) 321 Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-52, 3-93, 4- Overs: 50 115, 5-125, 6-144, 7-248, 8-285, 9-301, Fall of : 1-136, 2-186, 3-223, 4- 10-306. 224, 5-288, 6-321. : Lee 9-1-59-3 (1nb,5w), Did not bat: Brett Lee, James Hilfenhaus 4-0-46-0 (1w), Pattinson 5- Pattinson, Xavier Doherty, Ben 0-49-0 (1nb,1w), Watson 9.2-0-33-3, Hilfenhaus. Doherty 10-0-39-0 (3w), D. Hussey 8-0- Bowling: Malinga 8-0-74-1 (3w), 43-4 (1w), Christian 4-0-33-0. Kulasekera 10-0-60-1 (1w), Maharoof 9-0-64-1, Dilshan 9-0-35-0, Prasad 7-0- Toss: won by Australia 51-2, Herath 7-0-36-1 (1w). Man of the Match: (Aus) Sri Lanka Innings Result: Australia by 15 runs; lead best- M. Jayawardene c Wade b Lee 14 of-three match finals series 1-0. T. Dilshan b Lee 27 Umpires: Asad Rauf (Pak), Paul Reiffel K. Sangakkara c Watson b Lee 42 (Aus) D. Chandimal c Pattinson b D. Hussey 14 TV Umpire: Bruce Oxenford (Aus) L. Thirimanne c Wade b D. Hussey 14 Match Referee: Chris Broad (Eng)

Australia’s David Warner BY JOHN PYE Kulasekara inspired an unlikely acknowledges the tailend fightback with a career-high crowd after reaching 50 BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — 73 from 43 balls and combined with Australia salvaged a 15-run win Upul Tharanga (60) in a 104-run runs during the first after snuffing out an unlikely Sri partnership from 70 balls. final match in the One Lanka tailend comeback in the last David Hussey ended the part- Day International over Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in nership in the 42nd over but the series against Sri Lanka the best-of-three tri-series finals. tailenders continued, with Dammika David Warner belted 163 and Prasad scoring an unbeaten 31 to in Brisbane, Australia, shared a 136-run opening stand keep the match alive until Sri Lanka Sunday, March 4, 2012. with Matthew Wade (64) to set was dismissed for 306 in 49.2 He scored blistering 163 Australia on course for an imposing overs. runs. 321-6 after Michael Clarke won the took the last Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Kulasekara plays a shot during the 1st final match in toss and elected to bat. three wickets to finish with 3-33, (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard) the cricket series between Sri Lanka and Australia in Sri Lanka was down and seem- ending Australia’s three-match los- Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, March 4, 2012. Kulasekara inspired an unlikely ingly out of the contest after slump- ing streak against Sri Lanka. ing to 144-6 in the 31st over chas- Australia can clinch the series tail-end fight back with a career-high 73 from 43 balls. ing 322 to win, but Nuwan with a win in Adelaide on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard) Pitch Invasion the only spark in high scoring draw 83rd ‘Battle of the Maroons’ SCOREBOARD Nalanda College 1st Innings 252/9 dec Nalanda 2nd Innings BY CHATHURA PINNAWALA Ananda 1st Innings(72/2 overnight) W. Silva c. Gunathilaka b. Ashan 10 D. Pathirana b. Hettiwatta 81 M. Jayasekara c. Gunathilaka b. Madushan 13 The 83rd Big Match between G. Wimaladharmac. Amarasinghe b. Dias 9 K. Danushka c. Ashan b. Gunasekara 51 Ananda College and Nalanda College K. Perera run out 11 S. Amarasinghe b. Wimaladharma 1 ended in a tame draw as no one was T. Athulathmudali b. Danushka 20 I. Rangana not out 18 willing to take a risk be it a declara- P. Madushan c. Vimukthi b. Wijeratne 75 L. Jayakody not out 5 tion or attacking fields and the only T. Samarakoon c. Jayakody b. Danushka 1 Extras: 1 source of spark came from an unlikely S. Samarasinghe LBW b. Danushka 8 Total: (for 4 wickets) 99 origin as the invading supporters of U. Gunathilaka c. and b. Dias 81 Overs: 29 both schools halted the match for 25 V. Ashan c. Jayasekara b. Dias 4 Fall of Wickets: 1-14, 2-45, 3-46, 4-93 minutes in the final session. I. Gunasekara not out 0 Bowling: Ashan 3-0-19-1, Wijesuriya 3-0- It started when one fan was caught Extras: 13 18-0, Madushan 12-1-35-1, Wimaladharma by the security while running to the ground and the section of fans near Total: (for 9 wickets declared) 303 9-1-17-1, Gunasekara 2-0-10-1 the trouble angered by the situation Overs: 83.4 Toss: Ananda ran to the field in numbers. Then both Did Not Bat: T. Wijesuriya Umpires: R. Martinesz and G. Liyanage set of supporters crowded the surface Fall Of Wickets: 1-13, 2-43, 3-91, 4-137, Scorers: C. Munasinghe and U. Peiris and when it seemed a shemozzle was 5-138, 6-150, 7-298, 8-303, 9-303 Result: Match Drawn on the cards, the total opposite hap- Bowling: Dias 23-2-84-3, Wijeratne 7.4-0- Man of the Match: Pasindu Madushan pened with both in good spirit in the 31-1, Danushka 26-4-79-3, Vimukthi 3-0- Best Bowler: Pasindu Madushan Nalanda Koshan Danushka about to face a ball during day two of the 83rd ‘Battle 15-0, Silva 4-1-12-0, Hettiwatta 18-3-57-1, Best Batsman: Lahiru Jayakody middle of the pitch nonetheless. The of the Maroons’ played at SSC grounds yesterday. (Pic by Manoj Ridimahaliyadda.) match was stopped from 4.40pm to Wickramarachchi 2-0-18-0 Best Fielder: Ushan Gunathilaka 5.05pm before restarting to complete another five overs. sive 148-run stand for the seventh Ashan to be snapped up by the keeper mere formality as no result was possi- Rangana who completed 1,000 runs for Early in the day Danuka Pathirana wicket. Jayasekara. If the one which account- ble with time the major evil but the season the day before and first resumed from where he left off in the Gunathilaka fell to the surprise ed for Gunathilaka was a steeple, the Woshantha Silva approached it with innings hero Jayakody took Nalanda to first day as he scored 81 packed with 12 weapon as Dias slipped in the bouncer next one was a brute of a . purpose and played some airy drives stumps without any hiccups. fours. But Ananda were in trouble at to catch the batsman unaware as he Madushan seemed led astray by the before nicking a rising one from Ashan Before the match both coaches reit- 150 for 6 and danger loomed for a pulled straight into the throat of the sudden collapse at the other end and to reward the bowler for his persist- erated their desire to ‘distract’ the struggle but keeper Ushan onrushing bowler. Dias reacted as if he while trying to force the issue edged ence in worshipping the corridor of drought of a result-which hasn’t been Gunathilaka attained the role of the had been reminded by his companions Wijeratne to the keeper Jayasekara to uncertainty. Then captain Danushka onrushing for nine years in this annu- aggressor and captain Pasindu of new batsman Venuka Ashan’s bully- end a defiant rearguard which carried made amends for his first innings mis- al encounter-banking on their bowlers Madushan the anchor as they took ing line in the first day and with this Ananda to a position of strength after take making a risk-free half-century to but after a run-fest the closest it came their team to relative safety with mas- he found a spring in his step and pro- the early misdemeanours. shore up the score before holing out to to a ‘distraction’ was not orchestrated duced a peach to kiss the glove of Nalanda’s second innings was a long on off Gunasekara. Southpaw by the players.

Monday 5th March, 2012