Match Report

Australia's openers have been restricted early by the Sri Lankan bowlers after Arjuna Ranatunga won the toss and sent Australia in to bat at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart. After five overs Australia is no wicket for eight with Mark Waugh on 2 and Adam Gilchrist on 5.

Despite the distraction of the Ricky Ponting fracas matter firmly in the minds of the local crowd, the Hobart people have turned out in great numbers with a near sell out attendance in at the early start of ten o'clock in cool conditions of around 19 degrees.

The Australian selectors made a couple of changes from the game in Sydney on Sunday with Damien Fleming out through injury and Ricky Ponting omitted for disciplinary reason, their replacements are Shane Lee who has been brought in from the New South Wales team and Brendan Julian has been recalled.

For Sri Lanka Nuwan Zoysa was unavailable through an injury sustained in Melbourne and he has been replaced by batsman Roshan Mahanama.

Australia find it hard work at Bellerive

Sri Lanka's bowlers are on top in the early stages of their match against Australia at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart.

Chaminda Vass (1/17 off seven overs) and Prodmya Wickramasinghe (1/15 off seven) have bowled good opening spells as after fifteen overs, Australia are 2/34 with a boundaryless Mark Waugh not out on 15 and Darren Lehmann on 5.

Adam Gilchrist was the first to go, being bowled attempting a big off drive on the up off Chaminda Vass for 12 in the 9th over. Greg Blewett, batting up at number three today in the absence of Ricky Ponting, was brilliantly caught at cover by Roshan Mahanama, diving to his right and in the 12th over Australia were 2/25 with Blewett out for just a single.

The difficult nature of the wicket indicates that a score of 180 by Australia may prove to be a satisfactory total against the Sri Lankans who are in search of their first victory in the tournament.

Australia increase the tempo

A third wicket stand between Mark Waugh and Darren Lehmann is allowing the Australia scoring rate to quicken as it has now reached the half way mark of its innings at the Bellerive Oval against Sri Lanka.

Australia now have moved along to 2/87 after 25 overs with a still boundaryless Mark Waugh on 37 and Darren Lehmann on 36.

Lehmann had a slice of luck when he was on 18, as he lofted Muttiah Muralitharan to long off where Chaminda Vass dropped an absolute sitter in the 21st over. That over proved to be Australia's best for the innings to that point as Muralitharan conceded nine runs following the fielding misdemenour.

Interestingly, Australia have only hit four boundaries in the first 25 overs as the Sri Lankans had restricted the Australians in the early stages.

The game has just been declared a sell out with a capacity crowd of 12 or 13,000 people being in attendance.

Sri Lanka's rough day in the field

Sri Lanka's poor day in the field has continued with a further two chances going down as the Australians make good progess at the Bellerive Oval.

After 40 overs, the homeside is 5/162 with Stephen Waugh on 9 and Michael Bevan not out on 4.

The Sri Lankans have now put down three chances, the two most recent being Mark Waugh who offered a caught and bowled chance to Muttiah Muralitharan when on 49 in the 31st over and then Shane Lee was put down on eight at deep backward square leg by Muttiah Muralitharan in the 37th over. To rub salt into the wound, Lee two balls later hit Upul Chandana for a big six over the mid wicket boundary.

These two chances follow Chaminda Vass' drop of Darren Lehmann at long off when the burly left hander was on 18.

Lehmann went on to make a good half century before he was caught at deep mid off for 51 in the 32nd over after dominating a partnership of 93 for the third wicket in 20 overs.

Then in between the Muralitharan drops, Mark Waugh was well held in the deep backward square leg area for 65 off Jayasuriya by Roshan Mahanama. Waugh hit just one boundary in his 105 ball stay as he commandeered the early Australian batting after the loss of Gilchrist (12) and Blewett (1).

Shane Lee's flurry of 18 off 21 balls ended as he holed out to Chandana in the deep square leg region in the 39th over.

Australia reach 9/210

After receiving the help of three dropped catches, Australia have reached 9/210 after its fifty overs, with Mark Waugh (65 off 105 balls) and Darren Lehmann (51 off 65) making half centuries and sharing a partnership of 92 for the third wicket in 20 overs, after Australia were in early bother at 2/25 after Adam Gilchrist (12) and Greg Blewett (1) went inside the first twelve overs.

On a pitch that hasn't been easy to score on, Australia were restricted to just six fours and two sixes in their innings with Chaminda Vass the best of the bowlers finishing with 3/27 from his ten overs, picking up Gilchrist early and later in his second spell getting the wickets of Brendan Julian and Shane Warne. Sanath Jayasuriya took 3/47 from his ten overs as the Sri Lankans paid heavily for dropping Darren Lehmann on 18, Mark Waugh on 49 and Shane Lee when on 8.

Sri Lanka did particularly well to restrict the Australians conceding just 48 runs from the final ten overs for the loss of four wickets.

Apart from Mark Waugh and Darren Lehmann, skipper Steve Waugh made a brisk 20 off 22 balls hitting a huge six onto the roof of the Clarence Cricket Clubrooms, as the Australians strove toward their score of over the 200 mark.

Sri Lanka start carefully in run chase

Sri Lanka are off to a circumspect start in their pursuit of Australia's 9/210 at the Bellerive Oval against Australia.

After ten overs they are 1/31 with Romesh Kaluwitharana on 15 and Marvyn Atapattu on 11 as they chase their first victory in this seasons Carlton and United One Day Series.

The wicket to fall was that of Sanath Jayasuriya in the first over as his partner Kaluwitharana pushed Glenn McGrath to square leg, Jayasuriya took off, was sent back by his partner and running in substitute fielder Damien Martyn scored a direct hit at the bowlers end as Jayasuriya attempted to scurry back into his ground. Jayasuriya was out for just three and Sri Lanka were 1/4.

Damien Martyn, who is twelfth man in this clash, is on the field for Australian skipper Steve Waugh who has not been on the field as he has suffered a reaccurance of his hamstring injury suffered in the Sydney test match, two weeks ago.

The Australian opening attack of McGrath and Adam Dale have bowled tightly to fairly attacking fields, with three slips and a gully in place plus a short leg at times.

Sri Lanka jump a gear

The little powerhouse Romesh Kaluwitharana and his partner Marvyn Atapattu have propelled Sri Lanka into a position of great strength in its run chase at Hobart.

After twenty overs Sri Lanka are 1/75 with the Sri Lankan 'keeper on 36 and Atapattu on 34. Both players are taking few risks and are pushing the scoring rate at close to the required four runs per over to win.

Shane Lee, who has been brought into the side today for the injured Damien Fleming, has been hit for 18 off three overs and this called for stand in skipper Shane Warne to bring himself on in the 20th over. The move didn't succeed as Warne went for seven runs off his first over with Kaluwitharana hitting the leg spinner over mid on for four from the fifth ball of the over.

Australia have both Steve Waugh (hamstring) and Michael Bevan (groin) off the field through injuries

New news on the Ricky Ponting matter has arisen with a hearing being scheduled for Monday in Melbourne to resolve the matter.

Sri Lanka setting themselves for victory

A century partnership for the second wicket is putting Sri Lanka in a strong position as they chase Australia's 9/210.

Since the fall of Sanath Jayasuriya in the first over, Sri Lanka have moved along to 2/124 with Marvyn Atapattu on 61 and Arjuna Ranatunga on one.

Atapattu has played particularly well bringing up his fifty in the 26th over, hitting Shane Warne over mid off to the boundary.

Sri Lanka now require 87 to win off the remaining twenty overs.

Romesh Kaluwitharana went in the 29th over, given out lbw off the bowling of Adam Dale for 54 off 82 balls, in an innings which included five fours. The little wicket keeper seemed very unlucky as he appeared to get an inside edge as the partnership ended after the pair had added 116 in 28 overs.

Sri Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga immediately promoted himself in the order coming in at number four - an indication that he needed to lead from the front given that he is in fine form.

Atapattu run out causes a Sri Lanka hiccup

An intelligent innings by opener Marvyn Atapattu is steering Sri Lanka to a comfortable victory at the Bellerive Oval against Australia.

With ten overs to go, Sri Lanka need 47, as they are on 3/164 with Arjuna Ranatunga on 17 and Upul Chandana on 1.

Sadly for Atapattu he was run out for a well made 82 off 121 deliveries attempting a second run to Glenn McGrath fielding at fineleg and the direct hit found him a good foot short of his ground.

The Australians had struggled to breakthrough since the wicket of Kaluwitharana although a run out opportunity escaped the gloves of Adam Gilchrist when a throw came into to him with Ranatunga just short of his ground.

Australia's stand in skipper seemed to object to Ranatunga's request for a runner, but quite rightly umpires Steve Davis and Peter Parker overruled him.

Sri Lanka finally registers its first win

Sri Lanka, despite a few small problems toward the end of their run chase ran out victors over Australia at Hobart by three wickets with three balls to spare to record their first victory in the 1998-99 Carlton and United Series.

Man of the Match Marvyn Atapattu set up the victory with a well made 82, but it was an unbeaten 45 from Arjuna Ranatunga that saw his side home for a much needed triumph.

The win also breaks a sequence of eight losing matches for Sri Lanka in limited over internationals and still gives them a chance of making the finals of the tournament.

The run chase started off in poor fashion with the run out of Sanath Jayasuriya (3) in brilliant fashion by Damien Martyn in the opening over but from that point Romesh Kaluwitharana (54) and Atapattu added 116 for the second wicket in 28 overs to set Sri Lanka in a strong position.

Ranatunga moved up the order to came in at number four, but struggled to keep the score moving and then later needed a runner which caused some sort of objection from stand in skipper Shane Warne.

Atapattu's demise came in the 40th over, as he attempted two runs to Glenn McGrath at long leg, with the fielder picking Atapattu off with a direct hit from about thirty metres. Atapattu faced 121 balls and hit six fours.

Further problems faced Sri Lanka as Upul Chandana (8) holed out to the bowling of Warne in the 44th over, Hashan Tillekeratne (3) was brilliantly caught in the deep by substitute Damien Martyn as he ran 35 metres from the square leg fence to the deep mid wicket boundary to hold the chance in the 46th and then Mahela Jayawardene (1) was yorked by Glenn McGrath in his last over and the 47th of the innings.

Roshan Mahanama joined his skipper and after a few scary moments with the running between the wickets, Sri Lanka got to within 13 of victory before Warne claimed his third wicket bowling Mahanama for four.

With 13 needed from 12 balls, Ranatunga eased the tension from the first ball of the penultimate over by squeezing a near yorker length delivery between 'keeper and slip down to the fine third man fence for a boundary and off the third ball off the last over Vass chipped Greg Blewett over mid off for the winning runs.

Earlier Australia stuggled in the opening stages of its innings but still managed a satisfactory 9/210. Mark Waugh finished with 65 after bringing up his fifty without a boundary and Darren Lehmann (51 off 65 balls) played a fine hand despite being dropped on 18 at long off.

Sri Lankan opening bowler Chaminda Vass bowled superbly to finish with 3/27 from his ten overs as Sri Lanka did well in the field despite three chances being grassed.

Sri Lanka will now go into Saturday's day/nighter with renewed confidence against top of the table England at Adelaide Oval.

Man of the Match: MS Atapattu, Attendance: 10,680

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