 Return to LNP
|
|
Sangakkara battles but World XI facing defeat
Thursday, 6 October 2005 - 4:10 AM SL Time
|
|
|
Sri Lanka`s Kumar Sangakkara hammered his 23rd ODI fifty and kept World XI`s chances alive in the curtain raiser of the ICC Super Series here at the Telstra Dome as the visitors lost four wickets for 80 runs by the 20th over chasing 256 to go one up in the series here at the Telstra Dome in Melbourne.
World XI lost Virender Sehwag for six, Jacques Kallis for eight, star batsman Brian Lara for a duck and Rahul Dravid for four, but Sangakkara was fighting a lone battle.
Much was expected from the star studded World XI batsmen, but they failed to capitalise despite a couple of dropped chances. .
The spectator turn out for the highly publicized series was poor as Wednesday was a working day, but the number is expected to rise for the next two games on Friday and Sunday. The tickets for the Super Series too have been`A0 prized fairly high with the lowest ticket being sold at 30 AU $ (Rs. 2400) and the best seats going up to 125 AU S$ (Rs. 10,000)
Although it was raining n Melbourne the game continued without interruption at the Telstra Dome, the World`s first and only Indoor Stadium.
After captain Ricky Ponting elected to bat first with the Australians desperately trying to stamp their supremacy over the world`s best players following their disappointing loss in the Ashes, openers Simon Katich and Adam Gilchrist provided the side with a blazing start.
Gilchrist who had been caught off a no ball earlier on in his innings went onto make 45 in 48 balls with seven boundaries before Jacques Kallis went through his defense to clean bowl him.
Ponting and Katich then added 48 runs for the second wicket and the Australian captain with some big hitting looked threatening before Lara at deep cover took a brilliant catch to send back of the 30-year-old.
Ponting had earlier hammered 15 runs off an Andrew Flintoff over forcing captain Shaun Pollock to take the bowler out of the attack.
Immediately after Ponting`s dismissal, Muttiah Muralitharan removed the dangerous Damien Martyn for a duck giving Pollock an opportunity to attack from both ends with spin.
It was left arm spinner Daniel Vettori who troubled the Aussies most capturing four wickets for 33 runs in his ten overs. Muralitharan finished with two for 42 in his ten.
Simon Katich opening the innings in place of the axed Matthew Hayden went onto top score for the hosts with 57 in 78 deliveries with four fours.
It was his third ODI fifty.
Australia innings
Australia rallied to score 255 for eight off their 50 overs after spinners Daniel Vettori and Muttiah Muralitharan had put the World XI on top in the opening Super Series cricket one-dayer at Docklands stadium here Wednesday.
Australia, seeking to put behind them the loss of the Ashes to England last month, got off to a rollicking 80-run opening partnership between Adam Gilchrist (45) and Simon Katich (58), but a middle-order batting collapse set them back.
Sri Lankan Muralitharan captured 2-41 off 10 overs and New Zealander Vettori claimed 4-33 off 10 overs to have Australia struggling to reach a competitive 250-run target.
But big hitting from Brett Lee, an unbeaten 26 off 17 balls, helped add 24 runs in the last two overs with Ashes hero Andy Flintoff going for 12 runs in his last over and finishing wicket-less for 66 off nine overs.
The Australians earlier slumped from 80 without loss to 154 for 5, before Andrew Symonds (36) and Michael Hussey (32) steadied the ship with 52 runs for the sixth wicket.
There were few referrals to the video umpire Rudi Koertzen under the International Cricket Council`s experimental playing conditions format in which field umpires will be able to refer all decisions, including LBWs and edged catches, to the television (or third) umpire.
The first referral came in the 14th over when umpire Simon Taufel sought adjudication on whether Katich had feathered a catch behind off Flintoff.
But television replays proved inconclusive and Katich (on 26) stayed at the wicket.
Gilchrist looked in ominous touch, pulling and driving freely with seven boundaries in a crisp 45 off 48 balls before he was bowled by South African Jacques Kallis with the first ball of the 15th over.
Ponting survived a close run-out chance on 10 before perishing for 23 when he attempted to hit Shaun Pollock down the ground only to sky a catch to Brian Lara on the cover-point boundary.
Damien Martyn, whose international future is under threat after a poor Ashes series, didn`t do his cause any good when he was out for a third-ball duck to Muralitharan.
His dismissal stalled the Australian run-rate, which had been humming along at six an over
SCOREBOARD
Australia innings
A. Gilchrist b Kallis 45
S. Katich c and b Muralitharan 58
R. Ponting c Lara b Pollock 23
D. Martyn c Vettori b Muralitharan 0
A. Symonds c Flintoff b Vettori 36
M. Clarke c and b Vettori 6
M. Hussey c Pietersen b Vettori 32
S. Watson c Lara b Vettori 8
B. Lee not out 26
N. Bracken not out 2
Extras (b2, lb6, w6, nb5) 19
Total (8 wkts, 50 overs) 255
Did not bat: G. McGrath
Fall of wickets: 1-80, 2-128, 3-128, 4-142, 5-154, 6-206, 7-223, 8-231
Bowling: Shoaib 9-1-49-0 (3nb, 1w), Pollock 8-1-32-1, Flintoff 9-1-66-0 (1nb, 3w), Kallis 4-0-26-1 (1nb, 1w), Muralitharan 10-0-41-2 (1w), Vettori 10-1-33-4
Toss: Australia
Umpires: Simon Taufel (AUS) Aleem Dar (PAK)
Video umpire: Darrell Hair (AUS)
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)
|
|
|
|
