Resilient Australia uncork champagne stuff

Paceman McKay’s five-wicket burst undermines undercooked Sri Lanka in decisive third final

The massive early blows from Brett Lee and Clint McKay took the fight out of Sri Lanka, rendering their rest of the third final of the triangular series against Australia a glorified sparring session at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

Chasing a relatively modest 232 to win, Lanka never really could recover from the early departures of Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara and Dinesh Chandimal, all falling to the Lee & McKay combine.

These four batsmen were Lanka’s pillars during the tri-series, and their failures meant that the visitors fell 16 runs short of the target, leaving Australia the winner and a highly satisfied unit after a lengthy summer. But a bright end to their campaign seemed unlikely once Lanka restricted Australia to 231.

Australia should profusely thank Lee and McKay, who was adjudged player of the match for his five-wicket haul, for swelling their total after finding themselves at 177 for seven. The 40-run partnership for the eighth wicket between them helped the hosts to put up a total that gave something for their bowlers to defend.

The other significant alliance (75) was for the opening wicket between David Warner, who seemed well on course for his third hundred on the trot, and Mathew Wade. They were engaged in some crisp hitting as they have been doing the whole summer, and a total in excess of 300 was very much on the cards at that juncture.

Warner was in a more positive frame of mind than he was during the second final here. On Tuesday, the left-hander had made a hundred but was never really in his fluent self. The stocky New South Welshman found his range on the day, and some brisk hits to the fence and over it were generated out of his more constructive mindset.

At the other end, Wade too supported his partner to a nicety as Australian innings flourished at nearly six runs an over. But Australia couldn’t exactly exploit the strong start losing seven wickets for 102 runs in a bizarre collapse, and it required a pragmatic effort from Lee and McKay for Australia to slither out of that deep hole.

They never allowed the pressure to get to them, batting with assurance as Aussies closed in on a defendable total.

The pace bowlers didn’t allow the momentum to slip away, rocking the Lankan top order with regular strikes. Since Jayawardene had promoted himself as opener in the early stages of the tri-series, the Lankans had enjoyed some quick starts, often putting the opposition under considerable duress.

A clement day was no exception as Lanka raced to 23 in a less than three overs, and as the Lankan fans, flags and drums came to life, Lee winkled out Dilshan, later adjudged player of the tournament.

Sangakkara then shredded Lee with some powerful shots on the off-side, but the pacer eventually won the battle, a thick edge off him nestling in the hands of Shane Watson at first slip.

With the return of Jayawardene and Chandimal, Lanka were in a dangerous marshy land, but a sedate, consolidation period followed once Upul Tharanga and Lahiru Thirimanne started their 60-run alliance. The Lankan youngsters weren’t allowed any freebies by the spot-on Australian bowlers, but they pushed the board along smoothly with singles and well-converted doubles.

Tharanga showed excellent touch en route to his well-scripted 71, and his ability to find the gaps on the on side was quite commendable. Once Watson jettisoned Thirimanne, Tharanga left to wage a lone battle, but he soon returned to the hut, edging Watson, who bowled a crucial spell in the middle and late overs, to Wade behind the stumps.

There were a few names like Chamara Kapugedara, Nuwan Kulasekara and Farvez Maharoof capable of winning the match for Lanka, but Aussies were not to be denied from lifting the title.

Score Board

AUSTRALIA

Wade c Sangakkara b Herath    49
(74b, 3x4)
Warner c Sangakkara b M’roof    48
(45b, 5x4, 1x6)
Watson c Herath b Dilshan    19
(18b, 1x4, 1x6)
M Hussey (run out)    1
(3b)
D Hussey lbw Maharoof    19
(29b, 1x4)
Forrest b Herath    3
(7b)
Christian c J’wardene b M’roof    19
(26b, 2x4)
Lee b Kulasekara    32
(54b, 2x4)
McKay c Maharoof b Herath    28
(32b, 3x4, 1x6)
Doherty (not out)    5
(8b)
Lyon c (sub) b Kulasekara    0
(1b)
Extras (B-2, LB-3, W-3)    8
Total (all out, 49.3 overs)    231
Fall of wickets: 1-75 (Warner), 2-115 (Watson), 3-119 (M Hussey), 4-123 (Wade), 5-135 (Forrest), 6-151 (DHussey), 7-177 (Christian), 8-217 (McKay), 9-231 (Lee).
Bowling: Dilshan 10-1-41-1 (w-1), Kulsekara 9.3-0-40-2 (w-1), Malinga 10-0-69-0 (w-1), Maharoof 10-0-40-3, Herath 10-0-36-3.
Scoring Pattern: 5 overs: 19/0, 10: 56/0, 20: 112/1, 30: 144/5, 40: 189/7, End of innings: 231 all out in 49.3 overs.
Power Play 1: 1-10: 56/0, Power Play 2: 16-20: 34/0, Power Play 3: 36-40: 25/1.

SRI LANKA

Jayawardene b McKay    15
(27b, 1x4)
Dilshan c D Hussey b Lee    8
(8b, 2x4)
Sangakkara c Watson b Lee    19
(9b, 3x4)
Chandimal lbw McKay    5
(7b)
Thirimanne c Warner b Watson    30
(57b, 1x4)
Tharanga c Wade b Watson    71
(122b, 4x4, 1x6)
Kapugedara c Wade b McKay    7
(18b)
Kulasekara c Lyon b Lee    15
(10b, 2x4)
Maharoof (not out)    18
(24b, 1x4)
Herath b McKay    0
(2b)
Malinga b McKay    6
(9b, 1x4)
Extras (LB-9, W-12)    21
Total (all out, 48.5 overs)    215
Fall of wickets: 1-23 (Dilshan), 2-47 (Sangakkara), 3-52 (Chandimal), 4-53 (Jayawardene), 5-113 (Thirimanne), 6-142 (Kapugedara), 7-172 (Kulasekara), 8-204 (Tharanga), 9-205 (Herath).
Bowling: Lee 8-0-59-3 (w-7), Doherty 8-0-49-0 (w-5), McKay 9.5-1-28-5, Watson 7-1-13-2, Lyon 8-0-36-0, Christian 8-1-21-0.
 Scoring pattern: 5 overs: 40/1, 10: 55/0, 20: 87/4, 30: 123/5, 40: 174/7, End of Innings: 215 all out in 48.5 overs.
Power Play 1: 1-10: 55/4, Power Play 2: 16-20: 20/0, Power Play 3: 336-40: 35/2.