Australia's plan to blitz Sri Lanka’s top-order into early submission may have worked, but doubts arose yet again whether Brett Lee was involved in a boomerang throwing competition or a World Cup Super Six engagement. As with Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar, the question of the legality of Lee’s action arose again today as the title-holders delivered a crushing blow to Sanath Jayasuriya’s islanders. With their skipper Jayasuriya sidelined by a bruising Lee delivery and likely to miss the next Super Six game, against India at The Wanderers, Sri Lanka’s battle for a semi-final place took on a climb as steep as the steps leading to the summit of the munificent ancient fortress Sigiriya in the centre of the island. The skipper has been diagnosed with a badly bruised left forearm and a small chip of the left thumb and he will only know tomorrow whether or not he will take any further part in the World Cup. SCOREBOARD AUSTRALIA: A Gilchrist run out 99; M Hayden c Tillekaratne b Muralitharan 22; R Ponting c Sangakkara b Fernando 114; D Martyn b Fernando 52; D Lehmann c de Silva b Fernando 10; I Harvey not out 5; M Bevan not out 1; Extras (lb-4, nb-7, w-5) 16 Total: (For five wickets off 50 overs) 319 Fall of wickets: 1-75, 2-181, 3-293, 4-313, 5-314 Bowling: Vaas 8-0-59-0, Gunaratne 6-0-46-0, de Silva 5-0-36-0, Muralitharan 10-0-47-1, Arnold 2-0-21-0, Fernando 9-0-47-3, Jayasuriya 10-0-59-0 SRI LANKA: M Atapattu c & b Lee 16; S Jayasuriya retired hurt 1; H Tillekaratne b McGrath 21; M Jayawardene c Gilchrist b Lee 0; A de Silva c & b Hogg 92; R Arnold lbw Lee 1; K Sangakkara run out 20; C Vaas lbw Hogg 21; M Muralitharan c Lee b Lehmann 4; D Fernando lbw McGrath 9; P Gunaratne not out 15; Extras (b-6, lb-8, nb-3, w-6) 23; Total: (off 47.4 overs) 223 Fall of wickets: 1-42, 2-46, 3-47, 4-48, 5-100, 6-144, 7-149, 8-203, 9-223 Bowling: McGrath 9.4-1-25-2, Lee 10-1-52-3, Harvey 7-0-29-0, Bichel 7-1-32-0, Hogg 9-1-45-2, Lehmann 5-0-26-1 With Jayasuriya retiring on one with the total on six and the seventh minute of the innings, Sri Lanka were already under pressure in presenting any strong challenge to chase the 320 needed for victory. Then, in a matter of 23 minutes, Lee and Glenn McGrath blew away the top order and as Ponting promised, the Australian big guns ripped a hole through the top order. Marvan Atapattu fell to a return catch to Lee with the total on 42, Hashan Tillekeratne was deceived by a McGrath delivery and Mahela Jayawardene’s misery continued when the bounce undid his confidence once again. At 48 for four, the battle for survival was as forlorn as has been any of Sri Lanka’s efforts against the Australians this summer. Just as well as De Silva and Kumar Sangakkara performed a rescue act of sorts, terminated when Sangakkara was runout by a direct throw from Brad Hogg. De Silva engaged in a typically defiant rearguard act and his innings of ninety-two, which included four sixes, at least gave the crowd some entertainment. There was a partnership of 54 off only 40 balls for the ninth wicket with Fernando which at least cleared the 200 total. Yet Sri Lanka also created their own problems. The early bowling was often too short and wayward and the fielding was often sloppy. Sangakkara missed stumping Ponting when he was barely into double figures and there was the careless effort to run out the Australian captain. They were chances Sri Lanka could ill afford to squander, but squander them they did. Ponting’s World Cup has not been notable for the sort of innings expected of a captain with a top-score of 53 before he managed, with luck, today’s 12th LOI century. It did much to build an Australian total of 319 for five and with Jayasuriya unable to bat again, Sri Lanka’s challenge died when (effectively for five wickets) with only forty-eight runs on the board, it was a matter of a battle of survival.
