Sri Lanka secure a famous win at MCG by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Ground:	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Scorecard:	Australia v Sri Lanka
Player:	MEK Hussey, NLTC Perera, XJ Doherty, SL Malinga, AD Mathews
Event:	Sri Lanka in Australia 2010/11

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DateLine: 3rd November 2010

 

Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga produced a world-record ninth-wicket stand of 132 to help Sri Lanka secure a famous victory in the first of three ODIs against Australia.

 

Chasing a target of 240 set by Australia under lights the tourists found themselves at 107 for 8 in the 26th over. But Mathews showed why he regarded as one of the players to watch out for the future as he made an unbeaten 77 from 84 deliveries. He received magnificent support from the unlikely Malinga whose tempered 56 included two towering sixes.

 

Their stand was an all-time best for the ninth wicket in ODIs, surpassing the 126 achieved by Kapil Dev and Syed Kirmani against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup.

 

Malinga didn't quite make it to the finish, running himself out when the scores were level. The honour of hitting the winning run went to Muttiah Muralitharan with more than five overs to spare and one wicket in hand.

 

Tillakaratne Dilshan was the first wicket to fall for just seven in the fourth over. Two overs on, Dilshan's opening partner Upul Tharanga was on his way thanks to a flash of brilliance from Doherty in the field. At 19 for 2 the tourists were teetering, but Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene advanced the score safely to 73 when Doherty struck with just his second delivery, trapping Jayawardene in front before Chamara Silva skied the second ball of Doherty's second over to Shane Watson at mid-on. Then, with his very next delivery Doherty claimed the prized wicket of Sangakkara. When Mitchell Johnson followed up by bowling Thisara Perera, Sri Lanka had slumped from 73 for 2 to 86 for 6. A further two wickets fell with the score on 107 and still half the quota of overs to be bowled.

 

Earlier, Michael Hussey held Australia's innings together with an unbeaten 71 to defy exciting young paceman Perera who claimed 5-46 from eight overs. The hosts were cruising at 85 for 1 when Perera removed Michael Clarke for 27 in the 16th over of the innings, and Brad Haddin and Cameron White from successive deliveries in his next over. The 21-year-old returned later to remove Steve Smith with the second ball of his brief second spell and bowled John Hastings in the final over of the innings when the Australians were pushing hard for whatever runs they could muster.