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Sun, 08 March 2015
World Cup Australia thrash Sri Lanka by 64 runs in Sydney

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17:00  
Scorecard: 

Sri Lanka: 272-4 (40 overs)
Australia: 376-9 (50 overs)

Dinesh Chandimal retires hurt after scoring a fifty. 

Faulkner returns to account for Tharanga (4) to finish with figures of three for 48. 

Starc (2-29) ends it by having Senanayeke (7) caught by Doherty at mid-off. 

Sri Lanka manage 312 in 46.2 overs in response. 

Australia win by 64 runs.
16:16  
Scorecard: 

Sri Lanka: 272-4 (40 overs)
Australia: 376-9 (50 overs)

Mathews and Chandimal are combining well for Sri Lanka. A boundary by the captain, off Johnson, helps raise the 50-run partnership for the fifth wicket, that has come in under five overs.

The shot also takes Sri Lanka past the 250-run mark, in the 39th over. They still have a mountain to climb though.

Sri Lanka need 105 runs in the last 10 overs, with six wickets in hand. 

This match is heading towards a thrilling finish.
15:51  
Scorecard: 

Sri Lanka: 208-3 (35 overs)
Australia: 376-9 (50 overs)

Sangakkara's (104) resistance finally ends when Faulkner has him caught by Finch. 

Dinesh Chandimal joins his captain at the crease with Sri Lanka having a mountain to climb. 

Sri Lanka have managed 33 runs in the batting powerplay but more crucially, lost their most important batsman. 
15:35  
Scorecard: 

Sri Lanka: 195-3 (32 overs)
Australia: 376-9 (50 overs)

The scoring rate has slowed down after Dilshan's dismissal, partly because we have a new man in and partly due to some tight bowling by the Australians. 

Realising the situation, Sri Lanka opt for the batting powerplay in the 30th over. It's good decision, 17 runs come off Faulkner's first over, with Sanga hitting three successive boundaries. 

Starc albeit bowls a lovely second over, in which Jayawardene (19) is run out, having helped Sanga add 53 runs for the third wicket. 

A single off Faulkner helps Sangakkara to his third straight hundred, 25th overall in ODIs. The veteran is the first batsman to hit three straight hundreds in the World Cup.
14:57  
Scorecard: 

Sri Lanka: 142-2 (23 overs)
Australia: 376-9 (50 overs)

Dilshan and Sanga have added more than 100 runs for the second wicket now. 

Just when things looked to have settled down for Sri Lanka, Faulkner strikes. having Dilshan (62) out leg before. The batsman goes for a review. But the decision stays. 

Dilshan's 60-ball innings was inclusive of eight boundaries and he helped Sanga add 130 runs (off just 119 balls) for the second wicket. 

Mahela Jayawardene joins Sanga at the crease. Now these are the two most experienced Sri Lankan batsmen.
14:25  
Scorecard: 

Sri Lanka: 106-1 (16 overs)
Australia: 376-9 (50 overs)

Dilshan hits six boundaries in a Johnson over. 

Dilshan and Sangakkara are combining well for Sri Lankan here. The latter has not only completed his 94th ODI fifty but also complete 14,000 ODI runs. 

Dilshan too completes his fifty, his 43rd, with a single off Maxwell. 
13:26  
Scorecard: 

Sri Lanka: 5-1 (2 overs)
Australia: 376-9 (50 overs)

Tillakeratne Dilshan and Lahiru Thirimanne to open the batting for Sri Lanka and it will be Mitchell Starc first up for Australia. Two off it. 

Mitchell Johnson to bowl the second over. He strikes with his fourth ball, having Thirimanne (1) caught behind.

Kumar Sangakkara is the new man in. 
12:45  
Scorecard: 

Australia: 376-9 (50 overs)

Prasanna ends with figures of one for 77. In the 47th over, Perera ends Maxwell's (102) innings, having him caught by Malinga at mid-on. 

Maxwell's 53-ball innings was inclusive of 10 hits to the fence and four over it and he helps Watson add 160 runs (off just 82 balls) for the fifth wicket. 

James Faulkner is run out off the first ball he faces. Malinga ends with figures of two for 59. 

A six off Perera, by Haddin, helps Australia reach the 350-run mark, in the penultimate over, one that costs Lanka 19 but has Watson (67) dismissed off the last ball, caught by Chandimal. 

Haddin (25 off 9 balls) plays a cameo before Mathews has him caught by Perera at cover in the final over. Mitchell Starc is run out without facing a ball. 

Australia manage a mammoth 376-9 in their stipulated 50 overs. Sri Lanka have a tough road ahead. 
12:15  
Scorecard: 

Australia: 337-4 (46 overs)

Maxwell has missed out on the fastest hundred. He deserved it. 

Successive boundaries off Prasanna help Watson complete his 32nd ODI fifty. It was, after all, a good decision top ask him bat down the order. 

The second of the boundary also raises the 150-run stand for the fifth wicket, one that has taken just 77 balls. 

A couple in the same over helps Maxwell reach his maiden ODI hundred, in his 45th match.
12:00  
Scorecard: 

Australia: 300-4 (43 overs)

Watson finds the gap between deep fine leg and square leg, off a poor Malinga delivery, to get his third boundary. He follows it up with a single, one that helps Australia reach the 250-run mark, in the 40th over. 

Australia have had a remarkably productive batting powerplay, scoring 54 runs without the loss of a wicket. 

Prasanna is back to bowl the 41st over, replacing Perera (6-0-40-0). Maxwell finds the fence thrice as 17 runs come off the over. This is carnage. 

Three runs by Maxwell, in the next over by Mathews, helps raise the 100-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Australia reach the 300-run mark in the 43rd over.
11:39  
Scorecard: 

Australia: 245-4 (39 overs)

The first over after the drinks break, the 37th overall by Prasanna, is an expensive one, 17 runs coming off it with Maxwell hitting a six over deep backward square leg followed by a boundary.

A boundary by Maxwell, followed by a single off Malinga, helps raise the 50-run partnership for the fifth wicket. In fact, 16 runs come off that Malinga over, with Watson also finding the fence in succession. 

Perera replaces an expensive Prasanna (8-0-44-1) in the attack in the 39th over. Maxwell smashes the second ball for a huge six, thereby reaching his 12th ODI fifty, off just 26 balls.
11:23  
Scorecard: 

Australia: 202-4 (36 overs)

Clarke (68) and Smith (72) have added 134 runs for the third wicket. 

Just as we say it, Malinga returns to rattle the Australian captain's stumps. 

Dilshan soon has Smith caught by Perera at long-off. 

Glenn Maxwell nd Shane Watson are the two new batsmen at the crease. The former eases the pressure with a boundary and six off Dilshan.
10:16  
Scorecard: 

Australia: 85-2 (19 overs)

Captain Michael Clarke joins Smith at the crease. 

Smith eases the pressure with a couple of boundaries in a Mathews' over. And the Sri Lankan captain takes himself off after just two overs, bringing back Senanayeke. 

Another bowling change for Sri Lanka, Thisara Perera replacing Prasanna (3-0-14-1) in the attack in the 15th over. Smith hits a boundary to mid-on as seven runs comes off the over. 

Clarke and Smith have settled down well.
09:40  
Scorecard: 

Australia: 41-2 (9 overs)

With Senanayeke (3-0-18-0) failing to impress, Angelo Mathews replaces him in the attack in the eighth over. 

After a voracious appeal of the third ball, the Sri Lankans go for a review. But Smith (on 7) survives, replays confirming the ball struck outside off. 

The next over sees a second bowling change for Sri Lanka, Seekkuge Prasanna replacing Malinga (4-0-16-1). Finch welcomes him with a boundary.

However, the bowler has the last laugh, Finch (24) getting stumped off the fourth ball.
09:22  
Scorecard: 

Australia: 24-1 (5 overs)

The first boundary of the Australian innings comes in Malinga's second over, Finch hitting through cover point. 

The second happens in Senanayeke's second, Warner hitting inside out over extra cover. 

However, Malinga strikes in his third over, having Warner (9) caught by Prasanna at extra cover. The change of pace has done the trick.

Steven Smith is the new man in. He starts off with an exquisite cover drive.
09:08  
Scorecard: 

Australia: 8-0 (2 overs)

Aaron Finch and David Warner to start the proceedings for Australia and it will be Lasith Malinga first up for Sri Lanka. 

Finch is fortunate as Jayawardene puts him down at first slip. To be fair to the fielder, the ball was out of his reach. In fact Mathews had moved the second slip after the first ball. Four runs off the first.

Sachithra Senanayeke to bowl the second over. Interesting tactics this. Another four off the over.
08:52  
Scorecard: 

Good morning and welcome to the live coverage of the World Cup Pool A match between Australia and Sri Lanka in Sydney. 

The news here is that Australia has won the toss and opted to bat first. 

The co-hosts have made a couple of changes,  Xavier Doherty and Shane Watson coming in for Josh Hazlewood and Shaun Marsh. 

Sri Lanka have as amany as three changes, injuries to Dimuth Karunaratne and Rangana Herath ensuring appearances for Upul Tharanga and Sachchithra Senanayeke while while Suranga Lakmal makes way for Seekkuge Prasanna.
08:46  
Good morning and welcome to the live coverage of the World Cup Pool A match between Australia and Sri Lanka in Sydney. 

The news here is that Australia has won the toss and opted to bat first. 

The co-hosts have made a couple of changes,  Xavier Doherty and Shane Watson coming in for Josh Hazlewood and Shaun Marsh. 

Sri Lanka have as amany as three changes, injuries to Dimuth Karunaratne and Rangana Herath ensuring appearances for Upul Tharanga and Sachchithra Senanayeke while while Suranga Lakmal makes way for Seekkuge Prasanna.

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