Sri Lanka through as Australia crash out of Champions Trophy

London: Sri Lanka beat defending champions Australia by 20 runs to march into the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy on Monday. In the last group match of the tournament at the Oval they produced a spirited display with the bat and ball. Experienced batsman Mahela Jayawardene showed the way with a classic unbeaten knock of 84 runs off 81 balls and with Lahiru Thirimanne (57) the other mainstay Sri Lanka  posted an impressive 253 for 8. They then bowled out Australia for 233 with Nuwan Kulasekara bagging 3 for 42.

Adam Voges’ fighting 49 in Australia’s chase went in vain. Xavier Doherty (15no)  and Clint McKay (30)  put on a brave last wicket partnership of 41 to inch their team close to the target and shred Sri Lankan nerves. But Tillakaratne Dilshan finally ended McKay’s innings with a fine caught and bowled.

The chase began with Australia needing to reach the target in 29.1 overs to qualify for the semi-finals, while Sri Lanka had to bowl Australia out for 164  or less for them to top the Group A table.  Sri Lanka failed to clinch top spot but finished second and will now take on Group B winners India in the second semi-final in Cardiff on Thursday. Group A winners England will meet South Africa in the first semifinal on Wednesday.

Chasing the target, Australia got off to a horrendous start. With the second ball of the second over, Nuwan Kulasekara bowled Watson with an angling delivery for 5. Kulasekara also had Philip Hughes, who aimed to steer the ball to third man, caught by wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara for 13.

Lasith Malinga made it tougher by dismissing Glenn Maxwell with a slow yorker. Maxwell was just beginning to settle down, hitting five boundaries and a six in his 20 ball stay for 32 runs.

To make matters worse, in-form skipper George Bailey was run out for 4. In the 12th over Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews clean bowled Mitchell Marsh for 6 and half the Australian side were back in the pavilion for 80 runs.

Matthew Wade and Adam Voges steered Australia past the 100-run mark. They put on 47 runs in just 6.1 overs before Kulasekara struck again. He had Wade caught at long off by Tillakaratne Dilshan for 31. His fighting knock off 23 balls contained four boundaries and a six.

James Faulkner put on 36 runs in 4.5 overs with Voges before Rangana Herath ended the partnership, Faulkner caught behind for 17. Shaminda Eranga removed Mitchell Johnson for 4.

Earlier, Jayawardene hogged the limelight with a classy innings, during which he went past his 11,000 run mark in One-Day Internationals. His innings was studded with 11 boundaries and came off 81 deliveries.

Johnson bowled brilliantly for Australia to pick up three wickets for 40 runs.

Australia’s stand-in captain George Bailey won the toss and elected to field without their captain and star batsman Michael Clarke who remains injured. They picked up an early wicket when Johnson trapped Kushal Perera leg before for four.  Kumar Sangakkara, the hero of their match against England, joined Tillakaratne Dilshan at the crease. Clint McKay silenced the fans by picking up the prize wicket of Sangakkara who played a poor shot into the hands of Glenn Maxwell at point for 3.

Two down for 20, the Australian bowlers went for the kill. They beat both Dilshan and Thirimanne outside the off stump. The pair knuckled down after 54 boundary-less deliveries, Thirimanne hit Faulkner for two successive fours in the 11th over. The pair moved from strength to strength.

Left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty generated turn from his very first over but had to wait until the 23rd over to get a wicket. He ended Dilshan’s uncharacteristic knock of 34 runs from 58 balls with just one boundary by having him caught at slip by Shane Watson. The pair had put on 72 runs in 19 overs.

By the half way mark, Sri Lanka were 99 for 3 with Thirimanne reaching his half century playing a Doherty delivery to deep point. Jayawardene settled down through a classic sweep and a reverse sweep for boundaries off Maxwell.

Half way through the 32nd over Johnson dismissed a well set Thirimanne, who pulled straight to Watson at mid-wicket. Three overs later, Johnson would have had the wicket of Jayawardene on 25 had Watson managed to hold on to a flick shot.

Skipper Angelo Mathews helped Jayawardene add 31 runs off 35 balls before Mathews fell for 12 runs, bowled by Faulkner.  Jayawardene began to unleash his shots and raced to his half century in the 42nd over. It was his 69th one-day half century and it came off just 57 balls.

Dinesh Chandimal provided the free-stroking Jayawardene as much strike as possible.  Jayawardene played two lovely shots in the 44th over off Johnson. He first hit a cracking shot past gully and then a well-timed glance to help Sri Lanka reach the 200 run mark.

Chandimal hit the first six of the match off Mckay over long on. He fell in the 47th over going for the runs and lofting Johnson into the hands of Phil Hughes at mid-on for 31. He helped put on 65 runs from just 57 deliveries for the sixth wicket.