
Sri Lanka’s cricketers pose for the
official photograph before their warm up game against Australia
Prime Minister’s XI. The newly elected Australian Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd is seated fourth from left. Picture by Johann
Jayasinghe.
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Dilshan scored an
unbeaten 75 runs
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Man of the match
: Lasith Malinga
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Sri Lanka grabbed some early tour momentum with an easy
one-day victory against the Prime Minister's XI in Canberra.
The Sri Lankans won by four wickets with 18 overs to spare
after the locals failed to offer a decent target, scoring just
152 before being bowled out in 38 overs.
Ashley Noffke (30) top scored for the PM's XI, combining with
Doug Bollinger for a partnership of 33 that rescued the innings
from embarrassment.
Man of the match Lasith Malinga took 3-33 in a display that
should send a warning to Australia ahead of next month's one-day
tri-series.
Farveez Maharoof and Ishara Amarasinghe also chimed in,
taking five wickets between them.
It was an impressive display from a bowling attack minus Test
cricket's greatest wicket-taker, Muttiah Muralitharan.
"I got the ball in the right area," Malinga said.
"I was very happy."
The batting display from the Sri Lankans was no less
impressive. Tillakaratne Dilshan's brash 75 was well supported
by the old giant of the one-day game Sanath Jayasuriya chiming
in with 43 of 48 balls.
New South Wales paceman Doug Bollinger did himself no favours
if he is looking to replace Shaun Tait in the Test squad.
Bollinger returned the horror figures of 1-55 off 8.5 overs.
He was mercilessly punished by all the Sri Lanka batsmen but did
claw back a little pride with the scalp of Jayasuriya.
Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene was pleased with the
win but said there were a few rough edges to be polished ahead
of the tri-series.
"We need to fine tune our game," said Jayawardene, who felt
his bowlers should have extracted more from a wicket that showed
a little movement early on.
He also said the batsmen needed more time in the middle.
"We should have finished the game three down."
Victorian Cameron White, captain of the PM's XI, said winning
was not as important as the experience for a side filled with
future Test hopefuls.
"We weren't that far (from a win) in the end (but) 150 in a
one-dayer is not enough."
The Sri Lankans now head to Tasmania for another tour match
on Saturday before their first tri-series match against India in
Brisbane on Tuesday. India take on Australia in the
curtain-raiser of the series on Sunday.
Brief Scores:
Prime Minister's XI 152
(Ashley Noffke 30, Shaun Marsh 25, David Hussey 23; Lasith
Malinga 3-33, Farveez Maharoof 3-37, Ishare Amarasinghe 2-27)
Sri Lanka 156-6 (Tillakaratne Dilshan 75 not out, Sanath
Jayasuriya 43; Cameron White 2-24, Ben Hilfenhaus 2-39).