Symonds, Lee see Aussies through before rain

As the long promised rain swept across the historic venue, Sri Lanka had failed to live up to their promise as their psyche failed them at the most crucial hurdle of an event which has upset predictions, form book and any number of hopes. As it is Sri Lanka had swept into the last four when an accomplished India side beat New Zealand in Centurion last Friday.

Ironically, it is shaping up for a final between Pool A teams Australia and India, with Saurav Ganguly’s side needing to beat Kenya at Kingsmead on Thursday to reach the final at The Wanderers. And the way Australia performed in this first semi-final was warning enough; they were as destructive as they have been.

Ricky Ponting, winning the toss, knew the advantage he had in batting first but, as he said after the game, he would have preferred to win on the field.

Sri Lanka lost it when at 4/43 and then 5/51 only 11 balls later. It was left to a scrambling, yet battling unbroken partnership of 47 between Kumar Sangakkara and Chaminda Vaas which salvaged some credit for the islanders.

The gamble of playing seven batsmen with Mahela Jayawardene back in the side failed to work as the innings subsided as a mud hut ravaged by driving rain. Sri Lanka did not seem to know how to attack the Australians and challenge them at their own game.

Lee was as devastating as usual and his three-wicket burst in six overs was all the Australians needed to place Lanka under pressure as they set out to hunt down the 213 needed for a place in Sunday’s final.

What had disturbed Lanka was the way Lee ripped a delivery through Marvan Atapattu’s defence with the last ball of the fourth over. From that point, Lanka were in trouble as he was one batsman who could have helped engineer a Lanka victory had he batted through the first 15 overs. Similarly, another disturbing aspect was the way Aravinda de Silva got out in what was probably his last international appearance. There was a scramble for a quick single with the bowler, Andy Bichel, picking up the ball and throwing down the stumps with impressive accuracy, catching De Silva short of the line.

For Australia, however, their early pressure did ease when Andrew Symonds pulled the innings together. Up to that stage there was always a sense of urgency about Lanka’s fielding as the Aussie innings progressed and at 51/3 the Lankans, no doubt, sniffed the possibility of some success. But the Aussies admirably dug deep into their reserves.

The problem is where does the Aussie middle-order start and where does it end? If this tournament is any guide, only after Andy Bichel departs, and he has put together some interesting and at times highly useful batting performances.

In three innings he has managed 117, with the top score of 64, which helped Australia squeeze home at this very venue against England when the scales of victory had tipped the way of Nasser Hussain’s side.

To this end there was some tidy batting up front until Adam Gilchrist did what he felt was the honourable act by walking when getting a touch, real or imaginary, to a looping delivery from Aravinda de Silva. With Ponting falling nine balls later for two and Matthew Hayden being brilliantly picked up by Jayasuriya, the innings was in need of a rebuilding.

Symonds walked out at The Wanderers with the Aussies at 84/4 and in the company of Darren Lehmann first and then Bichel did the rescuing act. There was a calmness about his play which he did not have in his early years.

There were also times the wind billowed out his shirt sleeves and there was some resemblance to the sails which billow out across the Sydney Harbour from the Opera House. It was that type of near majesty.

Then of course there are the efforts of the javelin expert Lee. Having decimated the Lankan top-order a second time, the strength of mind they needed had evaporated and the dreams of an all-Asian final had disappeared when De Silva’s run out took place with the score board reading 51/5.