Austrailia Vs SiriLanka

Sri Lanka-Australia match abandoned due to rain
COLOMBO: The day-night match between Sri Lanka and Australia in the World Cup Group A has been called off due to rain here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Saturday. The heavy rain disappointed a sell-out 35,000 crowd who were robbed of a potentially... COLOMBO: The day-night match between Sri Lanka and Australia in the World Cup Group A has been called off due to rain here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Saturday. The heavy rain disappointed a sell-out 35,000 crowd who were robbed of a potentially thrilling match between co-hosts Sri Lanka and defending champions Australia. The match was shaping up well until heavy rain, coupled with thunderstorms, forced the teams from the field. The match was later abandoned. The no-result gave both teams one point each, leaving Pakistan at the top of Group A with six points from three matches. Australia have five points from three matches and Sri Lanka have five points from four. Rain stopped play in the 33 rd over when Sri Lanka were batting after their captain won the toss. After a delay of two and a half hours, play was finally abandoned as a no result with each side being awarded a point each. Sri Lanka had scored 146 runs for three wickets in 32.5 overs when play was halted. Kumar Sangakkara was unbeaten on 73 and Thilan Samaraweera on 34 not out. Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan opened the innings but Dilshan was dismissed by Shaun Tait in the second over of the match for 4. Later in the seventh over, Sri Lanka lost other opener Tharanga as Brett Lee got him out for 6. Now, Sri Lanka were reeling at 23-2 when Sangakkara and Jayawardene got together and took their team out of trouble. However, Jayawardene was run out for 23 when Sri Lanka reached 75. Then Sangakkara was joined by Thilan Samaraweera and both added 71 runs for an unbeaten fourth wicket partnership before the rain halted the match. Sri Lanka named all three spinners, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath, in their side. They left out paceman Nuwan Kulasekera from the line-up which beat Kenya by nine wickets on Tuesday, bringing in left-arm spinner Herath on a brownish pitch which is expected to turn. Australia remained unchanged from the side which beat New Zealand last week. Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath. Australia: Ricky Ponting (captain), Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Michael Clarke, David Hussey, Cameron White, Steve Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Jason Krejza, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait.