Sri Lanka Win Thriller to Seal Series 2-0

Sri Lanka prevailed in a rain-hit thriller to clinch the second and final Twenty20 international against Australia and seal the series 2-0 on Monday.
Glenn Maxwell hit two successive boundaries to bring Australia agonisingly close to their target but could not make contact with the last delivery sent down by Thisara Perera as Sri Lanka eked out a narrow victory via the Duckworth-Lewis method.
Put into bat, Mahela Jayawardene (61 not out) featured in fifty-plus partnerships with Jeevan Mendis (25) and Perera (35 not out) to help Sri Lanka overcome a slow start and post 161-4 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Australia lost both their openers cheaply but captain George Bailey (45) and Shaun Marsh (47 not out) guided them to 60-2 in 10 overs before rain led to the loss of five overs' play.
Australia were required to score 122 runs from 15 overs under the revised target and 18 runs from the last over from Perera, who removed Bailey with the second ball and followed it with a waist-high full toss which was adjudged a no-ball.
Marsh managed a single off the next delivery and watched from the other end as Maxwell hit two straight boundaries to raise hopes of a memorable victory before failing to put bat to the ball at the death.
Earlier, Sri Lanka's batsmen scored just 56 runs in the first 10 overs but came back strongly, smashing 105 in the second half of their innings.
Spinners Maxwell (1-23) and Xavier Doherty (1-30) and paceman James Faulkner (1-24) took a wicket each as Australia made inroads into Sri Lanka's batting order.
But Mahela Jayawardene (61 not out off 45 balls), Jeevan Mendis (35 not out from 15) and Perera (25 off 24) ensured Australia faced a difficult run chase.
Sri Lanka's late flurry yielded 80 runs from the final seven overs.
It started when Jayawardene lifted Maxwell for a straight six that remarkably rebounded off a seat and rolled all the way back to the bowler.

And by the closing overs Jayawardene was flourishing in a 59-run partnership with Perera.
The pair clubbed 20 from Ben Laughlin's final over, including three fours and a six, as Australia again closed out their bowling innings poorly.
Laughlin finished with the untidy figures of 1-40 while Mitchell Starc (0-35) also copped late punishment.
The result means Australia have just 30 wins from 60 Twenty20 Internationals.
Worryingly, their top order again failed to fire as Aaron Finch and David Warner were both out for seven.

The match ended on a sour note as Perera and Warner started an argument. Jayawardene and Matthew Wade then took over before Bailey intervened to bring a halt to discussions.

Brief scores
Sri Lanka 4 for 161 (Jayawardene 61*, T Perera 35*)
Australia 3 for 119 (Marsh 47*, Bailey 45)
Result Sri Lanka won by 2 runs (D/L method)
MOM Thissara Parera (Sri Lanka)

Mathews Named T20 Captain

Mathews Named T20 Captain, Malinga Named Vice-captain


All-rounder Angelo Mathews was named Sri Lanka Twenty20 captain on Wednesday for the next 12 months in an appointment which could lead to him taking over as leader of the Test side.
Mathews, 25, the Sri Lanka vice-captain in all three formats of the game, succeeds Mahela Jayawardene who resigned as T20 captain after his side lost this month's World Cup final to West Indies.
"We are giving Mathews a free hand to captain the T20 side for one year after which we will review his performance," said chief selector Ashantha de Mel.
Mathews' first assignment will be to lead Sri Lanka in a one-off T20 international against New Zealand at Pallekele on Oct. 30. Fast bowler Lasith Malinga has been named at the T20 vice-captain, also for a one-year term.

Sri Lanka Enter World Twenty20 Final

Discipline Sri Lankan bowlers powered the hosts to the final of the 2012 World Twenty20 as they beat 2009 champions Pakistan by 16 runs in a low-scoring thriller at Premadasa stadium in Colombo on Thursday.

Sri Lanka will meet the winner of second semifinal between Australia and West Indies in the summit clash on Sunday.

Rangana Herath derailed Pakistan's chase as he dismissed danger man Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi in quick succession to reduce Pakistan to 91 for 6.

Earlier, Ajantha Mendis gave Sri Lanka first breakthrough as he bowled out Imran Nazir (20) after a steady start by Pakistan in their chase of 140.

Angelo Mathews then trapped Nasir Jamshed leg before wickets and got Kamran Akmal caught behind the stumps to hurt Pakistan's chase.

Herath then joined the party by getting rid of Shoaib Malik.

Herath stretched the show further in the 15th over by quick wickets of Hafeez and Afridi.

Pakistan restricted Sri Lanka to a modest 139/4 in their semifinal clash at the R Premadasa stadium on Thursday.

Some 35,000 fans at the Premadasa stadium watched Sri Lanka struggle to force the pace after Mahela Jayawardene elected to take first strike on a sluggish pitch that hampered stroke-making.

Sri Lanka plodded to 123-4 in 19 overs when Thisara Perera smashed three boundaries in the final over bowled by seamer Umar Gul which realised 16 runs.

Openers Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan put on 63 in 10 overs, a slow start by Twenty20 standards but crucial nevertheless for Sri Lanka still had all their wickets in hand.

Jayawardene liberally employed the reverse sweep during his knock of 42 off 36 balls, but was caught at fine-leg while attempting the same shot off leg-spinner Shahid Afridi.

Kumar Sangakkara made a promising 18 from 11 balls when he was snapped up on the long-on fence as he tried to hit Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez out of the ground.

Gul was unlucky to see the TV umpire declare a no-ball after he had Jeevan Mendis given out leg-before in the 18th over.

But Gul removed Dilshan two balls later with another leg-before decision that made Sri Lanka 117-3.

Dilshan was unusually subdued during his innings, taking 43 balls to score 35 with the help of three boundaries.

Brief scores

Sri Lanka 139 for 4 (Jayawardene 42, Dilshan 35)

Pakistan 123 for 7 (Hafeez 42, Umar Akmal 29*, Herath 3-25)

Result Sri Lanka won by 16 runs

MOM Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka)

Sangakkara Double Deny Pakistan Win

Kumar Sangakkara compiled his eighth double hundred in Tests and with able support from Prasanna Jayawardene salvaged a draw for Sri Lanka on the final day of the opening Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Sri Lanka survived some nervous moments at the closing stages of their second innings before being all out for 483 to set Pakistan a victory target of 170 from 21 overs.
Pakistan decided against the chase and reached 21/1, with the loss of double centurion in first innings, Taufeeq Umar, when stumps were drawn.
Sangakkara (211) and Jayawardene (120), both unbeaten overnight, batted resolutely to add 201 for the sixth-wicket as Pakistan were left to rue Friday's dropped chances.
Stylish left-hander Sangakkara, who was dropped on 56 by Younis Khan off Mohammad Hafeez, got past the 200-run mark with a glance to the fine-leg boundary.
The former Sri Lanka captain, who also survived a run-out chance on 190, hit 18 boundaries during his 431-ball knock, before he fell lbw in the last over before tea to give part-time leg spinner Azhar Ali his first Test wicket.
Pakistan's last hopes of forcing a victory after the mammoth partnership between Sangakkara and Jayawardene ended when an easy catch from Rangana Herath (23 not out) off Junaid Khan was dropped by Umar Gul at mid-off.
Jayawardene, who also received a life on Friday when substitute fielder Wahab Riaz put down an easy catch off Gul, completed his fourth Test hundred with a lofted drive over spinner Saeed Ajmal's head.
The right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman fell to the third new ball of the innings when he edged paceman Aizaz Cheema behind the stumps.
Gul wiped off the Sri Lankan tailenders, finishing with 4/64.
The Pakistan pacemen managed to extract a bit of reverse swing with the old ball in dry conditions at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium and troubled the batsmen on a number of occasions but failed to get the crucial wickets.

Brief scores
Sri Lanka 197 (Mathews 52*, Junaid 5-38) and 483 (Sangakkara 211, P Jayawardene 120, Gul 4-64)
Pakistan 511 for 6 dec (Taufeeq 236, Hafeez 75, Ali 70) and 21 for 1
Results Drawn
MOM Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)

Ton-up Sangakkara Keeps Pakistan on Bay

Kumar Sangakkara put his wealth of experience on show with a pugnacious unbeaten hundred to keep Pakistan's victory bids on hold in the first Test here on Friday.
The 33-year-old left-hander notched 161 for his 26th Test hundred to help Sri Lanka, trailing by 314 runs in the first innings, reach 298-5 in their second knock at close on the fourth day at Abu Dhabi stadium.
They need only 16 runs to make Pakistan bat again, and will look to bat out at least two of the three sessions on the fifth and final day to salvage an unlikely draw.
 Sangakkara found an able ally in Prasanna Jayawardene (25 not out) to fight off the second new ball, with which paceman Umar Gul struck with the first delivery to remove Angelo Mathews (22).
Sangakkara-Jayawardene stand for the sixth wicket has so far yielded 65 runs.
Playing his 101st Test, Sangakkara took the fight to the Pakistani bowlers, adding an invaluable 153 runs for the second wickets with opener Lahiru Thirimanne who made a career-best 68.
Walking into bat after Sri Lanka lost opener Tharanga Paranavitana off the very first ball of their second innings on Thursday, Sangakkara batted with resolve as Sri Lanka, resuming at 47-1, reached 125-1 by lunch.
Pakistan then hit back by dismissing Thirimanne soon after lunch, run out after the opener, taking a second run but failed to beat a throw from the fine-leg by Azhar Ali.
Seven runs later, Mahela Jayawardene (four) played on to off-spinner Saeed Ajmal before paceman Junaid Khan bowled skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan through the gate for nine, leaving Sri Lanka at 191-4.
Despite losing partners, Sangakkara kept his cool, hitting Khan for his 11th boundary to reach three-figure mark, his sixth against Pakistan. He has so far hit 16 boundaries during his 295-ball stay at the pitch.
Pakistan spilled as many as six catches in the day but their first innings, three off Thirimanne, which helped Sri Lanka fight back.
Khan, who destroyed Sri Lanka with 5-38 in their first innings of 197, was the unlukcy bowler on three occasions as Mohammad Hafeez grassed two regulation catches in the slip off Thirimanne when he was on 40.
Much to Khan's disappointment Younis Khan held a sharp edge off Sangakkara but the catch was disallowed by the umpires as the ball had bounced before getting into the hands of the slip fielder.
Pakistan again let off Sangakkara when Younis failed to hold onto a sharp edge when a Saeed Ajmal's delivery surprised the left-handed batsman batting on 56.
Pakistan also let off Prasanna when substitute fielder Wahab Riaz failed to catch a miscued hook off Gul when the batsman was 12.

Brief scores
Sri Lanka 197 and 298 for 5 (Sangakkara 161*, Thirimanne 68)
Pakistan 511 for 6 dec
Status Sri Lanka trial by 16 runs

Sanath Jayasuriya Recalled to Sri Lankan ODI & T20 Team

Veteran batsman  Jayasuriya's international career has been resurrected in the wake of a doping investigation involving Sri Lanka opener Upul Tharanga.
Jayasuriya, who turns 42 this month, will return to play for Sri Lanka in the upcoming limited-overs and Twenty20 matches against England.
He was included in a 16-member squad announced on Thursday, a day after Sri Lanka Cricket announced the official notification by International Cricket Council that Tharanga has tested positive for a banned substance after the World Cup semifinal win over New Zealand and that a disciplinary action has been initiated.
"Since there is an ongoing inquiry to verify this charge, Upul Tharanga will not be making himself available for selection until the conclusion of the inquiry and therefore will not be available for the ODI and T20 matches in England and the Sri Lanka "A" team tour of England," a statement from Sri Lanka Cricket said.
Jayasuriya has not played a limited-overs international for Sri Lanka since December 2009, and played his last Twenty20 game a year ago. His career was thought to be over after being dropped from the World Cup squad and failing to secure a contract with a franchise in this year's Indian Premier League.
Jayasuriya has played 444 one-day internationals, scoring 13,428 runs at an average over 32. He has also taken 322 wickets bowling left-arm spin.
Left-handed batsman Thilina Kandamby was named deputy to captain Tillakaratne Dilshan.
Dimuth Karunaratne, a 23-year-old left-handed opening batsman is the only uncapped player in the squad.
All-rounder Anjelo Mathews' selection will be subject to fitness as he hasn't fully recovered from an injury sustained during the World Cup.
Sri Lanka will play England in a Twenty20 match and five limited-over internationals starting June 25, followed by Twenty20 games against Ireland and Scotland.

The squad: Tillakaratne Dilshan (captain), Thilina Kandamby, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, Dinesh Chandimal, Jeevan Mendis, Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Tissara Perera, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dilhara Fernando, Suranga Lakmal, Suraj Randiv, Ajantha Mendis

England Win After Shock Sri Lanka Collapse

Chris Tremlett and Graeme Swann bowled England to a remarkable innings victory after Sri Lanka were bowled out for 82 in the first Test in Cardiff.
A draw seemed likely after rain delayed the start of day five until 1400 GMT.
But England declared after two overs on 496-5, a first-innings lead of 96, as soon as Ian Bell reached his century.
Tremlett (4-40) grabbed two early wickets, before he and Swann (4-16) combined to tear through the tourists, with Stuart Broad finishing them off.
With the last eight wickets falling in just over an hour after the tea interval, it left England victorious by an innings and 14 runs.
It was an amazing end to a day's play that had begun with few supporters in the stands and even fewer expectations that the game would end in anything but a draw.
For the fourth day out of five, no play was possible during the morning as rain ensured the covers remained in place until four hours after the scheduled start time of 1100 BST, a period that appeared to have killed the game as a contest.
When the players did take to the pitch it was initially for only 12 balls - long enough for Bell to add five runs to his overnight score of 98 and reach his 13th Test century - before England's declaration brought them off again.
Because of the time eaten up by the weather, and with England's four-man bowling attack a man light following the side injury to James Anderson, the remaining 50 overs were expected to encapsulate a period of tame cricket during which England would give their fit bowlers practice time in the middle.
However, this does an injustice to the competitive nature and belief of this England side, who immediately seized the initiative in Sri Lanka's second innings and then steadily turned the screw on their increasingly demoralised and disorganised opponents.
The home side got off to a superb start thanks chiefly to towering opening bowler Tremlett, who claimed two quick wickets to stir England's interest.
In the second over he drew Tharanga Paranavitana into a wayward shot outside off and had him caught low at first slip by Strauss for 0.
In his next over, captain Tillakaratne Dilshan made a mess of a rising delivery and lobbed a catch back to the big bowler, with a review showing the ball had clipped his glove on its way through, leaving Sri Lanka 10-2.
After tea, home hope rapidly grew to genuine expectation as Tremlett and Swann tore into the tourists.
Tremlett claimed his third scalp from a superb, short of a length delivery that cut away from Mahela Jayawardene and caught the outside edge of the bat before nestling into the welcoming hands of Strauss at slip.
Then Swann got in on the act when Thilan Samaraweera played back and chopped onto his stumps to depart for a duck.
Panic had now set in for the tourists, whose middle order capitulated under the England onslaught.
In one Swann over, key man Kumar Sangakkara edged to Strauss at slip to depart for 14 and three balls later Farveez Maharoof needed a review to prove that he had indeed nicked one to keeper Matt Prior, to leave Sri Lanka 43-6.
It was 43-7 after the first ball of Tremlett's next over as England utilised the review system perfectly to overturn Billy Doctrove's initial summary that Prasanne Jayawardene had not gloved an attempted hook to Prior, to see the batsman off for just three.
Swann then dealt with Rangana Herath, who swiped across the line and was trapped lbw.
There followed the briefest period of minor resistance from Sri Lanka as Thisara Perera and Ajantha Mendis clung on, adding 30 between them.
But the introduction of Broad quickly resulted in the former prodding to short-leg where Bell was on hand to snatch a superb catch low down before last man Suranga Lakmal looped an easy catch to Alastair Cook from a short ball.

Brief scores
Sri Lanka 400 (P Jayawardene 112, Paranavitana 66, Anderson 3-66, Swann 3-78) and 82 (Swann 4-16, Tremlett 4-40)
England 496 for 5 dec (Trott 203, Cook 133, Bell 103*)
Results England won by an innings and 14 runs
MOM Jonathan Trott (England)

Dilshan to Captain Sri Lanka on Tour of England

Tillakaratne Dilshan will take over from Kumar Sangakkara as captain of Sri Lanka for next month's tour of England.
Sangakkara decided to step down after the team lost to India in this month's World Cup final.
"We are proud to announce the appointment of Dilshan as the national captain in all three formats of the game for the tour of England," Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement on Monday.
"The national selectors have postponed the appointment of a vice-captain since the prospective candidates are nursing injuries and their availability for the forthcoming tour is still in question."
Opening batsman Dilshan, 34, was the leading run-scorer in the World Cup with 500 at an average of 62.50.
He has led Sri Lanka once before, on a tour of Zimbabwe in June last year, when his team won a ODI tri-series which also featured India.
This is the first time Dilshan has been picked to lead his country in a Test series.
Chairman of selectors Duleep Mendis said the tour squad would be selected after Dilshan returns from the Indian Premier League where he is representing Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Sri Lanka have told all their IPL players to return home by May 5 to prepare for the tour.
The squad is due to leave for England on May 10 for a series of three Tests, five ODIs and one Twenty20 international.

Sri Lanka Thump New Zealand by 112 runs, Move on Top

Sri Lanka produced a brilliant bowling performance to beat the Kiwis by 112 runs in their World Cup Group A clash at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday.
Chasing 266, New Zealand were bowled out for a paltry 153 runs in 35 overs.
Muttiah Muralitharan four wickets broke New Zealand's back as he got rid of James Franklin, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Scott Styris in quick succession.
Dilshan joined the party of spinners to dismiss another Kiwi hope in the form of Nathan McCullum. Dilshan bowled a full length delivery, N McCullum went for an expansive drive, got a thick outside edge and Jayawardene on the slips pouched a dolly.
After Angelo Mathews and Nuwan Kulasekara, Mendis struck with the ball to scalp Jesse Ryder. Ryder feathered an outside off stump ball straight into the hands of the keeper.
Kulasekara removed Guptill plump leg before the wicket of a perfect in-swinger, landed on off and hit him low on the pad in front of all three stumps.
Mathews claimed Brendon McCullum of a good length delivery as he opened the face on that and guided it into Mahela Jayawardene's hands on first slip.
Earlier, Kumar Sangakkara led from the front to hit a fine 111 as Sri Lanka posted 265/9 against the Kiwis which was marred by an unsavoury catch controversy.
The Sri Lankan skipper also put on 145 runs for the third wicket with his deputy Mahela Jayawardene (66) to pull his team out of early trouble in the day-night match.
The two teams have already made it to the quarterfinals and the result of this game will determine their final Group A positions.
Sri Lanka lost opener Upul Tharanga early when he was run out in the third over after Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat in hot and humid conditions.
Tharanga backed up too far and Tim Southee (3-63) managed to get his hand to a straight drive from Tillakaratne Dilshan before the ball rolled on to hit the stumps.
Dilshan followed his partner to the pavilion soon, lobbing a simple catch to Jacob Oram off Southee while trying to go for an ambitious shot on the leg side, plunging Sri Lanka to 19-2.
Jayawardene got embroiled in a controversy early in his innings.
The former captain tried to play a defensive shot in the 24th over against off-spinner Nathan McCullum but ended up chipping the ball back to the bowler.
McCullum dived and managed to get his right hand under the ball to cap what looked like a stunning effort.
But even as McCullum broke into a celebration, TV umpire Amish Saheba was called in and he ruled it not out.
A furious McCullum and Kiwi skipper Ross Taylor angrily protested the decision with on-field umpire Asad Rauf.
Jayawardene, then on 26, hit six fours in a dour 90-ball innings before being adjudged trapped leg before off Southee, a decision he asked to be reviewed but in vain.
Sangakkara played a captain's innings, racing to his 11th century and completing 9,000 one-day international runs in the process, the fourth Sri Lankan player to the mark.
This was Sangakkara's first three-figure score in 63 innings, having gone without a ton since June 2008.
He was bowled by McCullum in the 42nd over after facing 128 balls and hitting 12 fours and two sixes.
Angelo Mathews provided the late impetus to the innings with an unbeaten 41 off 35 balls.

Malinga Hat-trick Helps Sri Lanka Maul Kenya

Malinga Hat-trick Helps Sri Lanka Maul Kenya

Colombo: Lasith Malinga recorded his second World Cuphat-trick and a career-best 6/38 to spark Sri Lanka's crushing nine-wicket win over Kenya on Tuesday.

The 27-year sling-action bowler, who missed Sri Lanka's opening two matches due to a back strain, trapped Tanmay Mishra (nought) lbw with the last ball of his seventh over.

At the start of his next, he bowled Peter Ongondo and Shem Ngoche in successive balls to complete his hat-trick, finishing the innings at 142 in 43.4 overs, by bowling Elijah Otieno (0) to complete a four-wicket burst off six balls.

Sri Lanka polished off the runs in just 18.4 overs with Tillakaratne Dilshan (44) and Upul Tharanga (67 not out) giving the co-hosts a flying start with a first-wicket stand of 72 by the ninth over.

Even after Dilshan's 30-ball knock, which was spiced with eight boundaries, skipper Kumar Sangakkara (27 not out) and Tharanga polished off the runs with more than 31 overs to spare, completing another miserable day for Kenya.

Tharanga hit 12 boundaries during his rampaging 59-ball knock, his fifth World Cup half-century.

The win put Sri Lanka back on track in Group A after losing to Pakistan by a narrow 11-run margin on Saturday.

The 1996 champions, who won their first match against Canada by 210 runs, now have four points from three games. They next play defending champions Australia on Saturday.

It was all Malinga in the afternoon after Kenya, who chose to bat, were on track for a near-200 total but lost their last eight wickets for a mere 40 runs with Malinga the destroyer-in-chief.

Malinga's previous best of 5/34 was recorded against Pakistan at Dambulla last year.

His hat-trick is the seventh in all World Cup matches and came just a day after West Indian Kemar Roach took three-in-three against the Netherlands in New Delhi.

But the curly-haired Malinga is the only man to have two hat-tricks in World Cup history, his first coming against South Africa at Guyana in the 2007.

Kenya, shot out for 69 against New Zealand and 112 against Pakistan, started disastrously with Nuwan Kulasekara dismissing opener Morris Ouma (one) in the second over before Malinga had Seren Waters (three) lbw in the next.

Brothers Collins Obuya (52) and David Obuya (51) steadied the innings during their snail-paced, 94-run partnership which came off 178 balls before Malinga broke the family association, by bowling Collins Obuya.

Collins Obuya, whose five wickets helped Kenya upset Sri Lanka at the 2003 World Cup, hit four boundaries during his sedate 100-ball knock. His elder brother hit three fours during his 106-ball innings.

With Malinga firing all cylinders, four of the last seven batsmen failed to score.