Player of the Match
Player of the Match
  • BATSMEN
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    4s
    6s
    SR
    8.1 Whoa! What a series for debutants! Eranga takes a wicket first ball now. Watson is gone. To be fair, though, it was not a very remarkable delivery. It was a loosener wide outside off, and Watson went after it like it was the last wide delivery he would get. Just couldn't keep it down, and backward point accepted the catch with glee. Eranga will take it 22/2
    1.2 Timber! Hughes must have been under some pressure to keep his place, and he has done himself no favours here. Short of a length outside off, holds its line, in that it doesn't go away with the angle. Hughes jabs at it away from the body, with an angled bat, and drags it on. Just the start Sri Lanka wanted 0/1
    81
    207
    276
    7
    0
    39.13
    67.3 Bowled'im! His average falls to 111! A potential nelson has struck. Is this a break in concentration or a natural variation? It's a regulation offbreak from Herath, Marsh defends, but it doesn't turn in as much as he expects it to. The off stumps is left exposed, and pegged back 190/5
    35.5 No patience from Ponting! Poor poor shot from him. Lakmal has been bowling wide outswingers all over, and Ponting has been leaving them alone. Off the seventh delivery of the over, Ponting loses patience, and goes for the big drive, away from his body. The swing takes the edge, a real bonus of a wicket, as was Watson's. Walking back, he is a frustrated man 101/3
    44.2 What is with Australia and patience today? Third poor shot, although one has to confess Sri Lanka have strung together a cluster of good overs with each-way swing. Still there can't be many excuses for this. This is well wide of off, and Clarke goes for a push - mind you, not a flashy drive, which could have resulted in a thick edge that could have eluded fielder. The ball holds its line, and takes the edge of the bat through to PJ. He had to stretch remarkably to even reach it 120/4
    118
    178
    253
    12
    2
    66.29
    104.3 bowled him! Eranga caps a fine performance on debut with a slower ball, Hussey comes forward to push at it but gets an inside edge on to the stumps. Hussey goes after a terrific century - his 15th in Tests - and steering Australia past 300 316/10
    86.5 loud appeal for caught behind and Haddin's been given, he isn't happy with the decision and asks for a review. The ball pitched on a good length outside off and seamed away a touch, Haddin did not come forward and pushed at it. There was a noise as it passed the bat and there's no conclusive evidence to suggest there was no edge. Haddin has to go. An odd one. You'd assume no batsman would review if he had nicked it, so either he didn't or he didn't know he did. 265/6
    96.2 caught at point! The ball from Welegedara is short of a length and rather wide outside off, Johnson could have hit that hard through cover but he just opened the face and spooned it gently towards point instead, an easy catch for Herath 293/7
    96.3 caught at first slip! Welegedara angles a good length ball across the right-hander, Siddle pokes tentatively at it and edges to first slip. Another easy catch. Siddle looks back at Hussey, who's at the other end on 99, before walking off. 293/8
    98.3 caught at second slip! Copeland has a flash at one that angles across him from over the wicket. He edges it hard but straight to Mahela Jayawardene at second slip and he's taken far harder catches than this. That was a low catch though, Jayawardene got his fingers under the ball just in time. Copeland seemed to take Jayawardene's word for it after he claimed the catch 295/9
    not out
    3
    15
    30
    0
    0
    20.00
    Extras
    8 (lb 4, nb 3, w 1)
    TOTAL
    316 all out (104.3 Overs, RR: 3.02, 455 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Phillip Hughes, 1.2 ov), 2-22 (Shane Watson, 8.1 ov), 3-101 (Ricky Ponting, 35.5 ov), 4-120 (Michael Clarke, 44.2 ov), 5-190 (Shaun Marsh, 67.3 ov), 6-265 (Brad Haddin, 86.5 ov), 7-293 (Mitchell Johnson, 96.2 ov), 8-293 (Peter Siddle, 96.3 ov), 9-295 (Trent Copeland, 98.3 ov), 10-316 (Michael Hussey, 104.3 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    UWMBCA Welegedara2167533.5700
    RAS Lakmal2136022.8503
    RMS Eranga23.366542.7610
    HMRKB Herath2757812.8800
    TM Dilshan1203402.8300
  • BATSMEN
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    35.6 caught at short cover by Ponting, whose reflexes I covet. The ball was ordinary, full and outside off, there to be driven. Paranavitana went hard at it, and made proper contact, smashing the drive out of the middle. His only fault was that he hit it in the air just above Ponting's head. Up went those hands to catch a screamer at short cover. He was so well balanced as he took it. 97/2
    25.4 bowled him! Thirimanne's off stump has taken a beating. Siddle pitches the ball full just outside off stump and brings it back in just a little, enough to find the gap between the batsman's attempted drive and pad. There might have been a faint inside edge too 56/1
    81.4 The new ball does the trick. Extra bounce. Sanga doesn't get a hundred in his 100th! This is just short of a length, around off, Sanga has to play at it, but the ball kicks up, takes the shoulder edge and through to Haddin. Australia are right back 210/4
    76.4 How many times does he do that? Watson strikes when nothing is working for Australia. Not the best of shots, but this has been that kind of Test. Full and wide, Mahela goes for the big drive, away from the body, the ball just holds its line and takes the edge. Watson is delighted. Watching the replays of the Mahela dismissal, the difference between his previous cover-drives for fours and this was that the front foot didn't move across to get close to the line 198/3
    117.3 Dilshan walks. Thick edge as he gets a touch too late on the fine dab. Another man misses a ton. This is a slightly unfortunate dismissal. He has got a healthy enough deflection on this t beat the gloves of Haddin who is standing up to the stumps. However, the ball hits the right thigh, lobs into the stomach area, and an alert Haddin holds on 331/5
    not out
    105
    269
    404
    10
    0
    39.03
    145.1 PJ is kicking himself. Drives a length ball on the up, fails to keep it down, finds Clarke at one of the two short midwickets. That looked about the only way they would get a wicket 412/6
    12
    39
    55
    2
    0
    30.76
    157.6 bowled him! Siddle has knocked out leg stump. He bowled a full ball on off stump moving into the right-hander, Eranga stayed in his crease and drove, when he should have been forward. He got an inside edge that brushed the pad before taking out leg stump 436/7
    163.4 lbw! Tony Hill gives Herath out but the batsman asks for the review. The ball was full from Siddle, it pitched in line with the stumps and crashed into the pad before it hit the bat as Herath tried to play on the leg side after moving across his crease. That's plumb, hitting middle and off. The decision stays. Mathews looks on 444/8
    166.2 a terrible mix-up and Haddin takes off the bails with both batsmen at the non-striker's end. Welegedara played a full ball towards mid-on. He didn't run initially but Mathews decided that he wanted the single rather late. Welegedara began to respond to Mathews' call but then Mathews changed his mind and went back into his crease at the bowler's end. Welegedara continued to run and had no hope. Haddin waited ages before completing the run out. Mathews' fault. 450/9
    173.6 bowled him! Johnson clips the top of off stump after squaring Lakmal up with one that pitched around leg and cut across the right-hander 473/10
    Extras
    5 (b 1, lb 2, nb 2)
    TOTAL
    473 all out (174 Overs, RR: 2.71, 739 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-56 (Lahiru Thirimanne, 25.4 ov), 2-97 (Tharanga Paranavitana, 35.6 ov), 3-198 (Mahela Jayawardene, 76.4 ov), 4-210 (Kumar Sangakkara, 81.4 ov), 5-331 (Tillakaratne Dilshan, 117.3 ov), 6-412 (Prasanna Jayawardene, 145.1 ov), 7-436 (Shaminda Eranga, 157.6 ov), 8-444 (Rangana Herath, 163.4 ov), 9-450 (Chanaka Welegedara, 166.2 ov), 10-473 (Suranga Lakmal, 173.6 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    TA Copeland40109322.3200
    PM Siddle3589142.6002
    MG Johnson35612223.4800
    SR Watson2685412.0700
    NM Lyon3459102.6700
    MEK Hussey21502.5000
    RT Ponting201407.0000
  • BATSMEN
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    11.5 huge appeal for lbw and Tony Hill says not out. Sri Lanka ask for a review. Watson got a huge stride forward as he tried to defend but was hit on the front pad in line with the stumps by one that went on with the arm. That's going on to hit off and middle and Tony Hill will have to change his decision. Herath has given Sri Lanka respite. Mahela Jayawardene was so sure that the review was the right thing to do. He wanted it immediately. 62/1
    73.6 wow, what a jinx! Hughes falls immediately. Herath flights it up on off stump and gets it o turn in and bounce just a touch extra. Hughes went for the sweep, but it ballooned off the top edge, straight to backward square leg. This is huge. What a fine innings this was. 220/4
    31.6 caught at short leg minutes before tea! Herath pitched the ball outside off and spun it into the left-hander, Marsh pushed forward in defence and ended up playing outside the line, the ball popped up to Thirimanne at short leg. Did that take the glove though? No it didn't. That ball hit the pad and then his stomach before going to the fielder. Why on earth didn't he review that? What a brain fade. It was miles away from bat and glove. 122/2
    55.5 Ponting walks. Straight-forward dismissal in fact. Herath finally got one to jump up from the rough as Ponting lunged forward. He wasn't to the pitch, the ball leapt up to kiss the glove and balloon to slip. Sri Lanka were celebrating, but Ponting quickly began to walk back. 188/3
    111.6 the captain's stay is over. He's charged Herath successfully on several occasions today, and finally mis-hits ones. Mid-on was standing in between, and it lobs straight into his hands. Herath has all five. 396/5
    123.5 well, we did our best not to jinx him. I never once mentioned he could get twin tons here. But Hussey's fallen seven runs away. Dilshan again serves it up wide of leg stump, Hussey sweeps but top-edges it square. Welegedara takes a blinder, moving in quickly to the flat hit and diving away to his right to take it as he lay sprawled. Heartbreak for Hussey. 448/6
    131.4 outside edge and Haddin's on his way now. Herath keeps picking up wickets. Haddin charges out and looks to go inside out, Herath smartly shortens the length and gets it to grip and break away sharply. It takes the edge and lobs up for a simple catch at wide mid-off. 471/8
    124.6 another wicket. I don't think SL are helping their own cause by making inroads here - the fourth innings will be a no-win situation. Good bounce from Welegedara, Johnson top-edges the bounces and it swirls away to deep backward square leg who takes a well-judged tumbling catch. 452/7
    135.6 Siddle's given lbw and immediately refers it. Angled in from wide of the crease, it landed on middle and leg, and straightened past the bat that came around a little slowly. Hit in front of leg, and Siddle must be on his way soon. Straightforward. 7 for 157 for Herath. 486/9
    138.5 end of the story. Aus don't refer that. It is caught at slip. Eranga again bends it in as Copeland looks for a flatfooted drive and gets the outside edge. Smartly held by the man at slip tumbling across to his left. 488/10
    not out
    1
    7
    12
    0
    0
    14.28
    Extras
    26 (b 5, lb 11, nb 4, w 6)
    TOTAL
    488 all out (138.5 Overs, RR: 3.51, 604 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-62 (Shane Watson, 11.5 ov), 2-122 (Shaun Marsh, 31.6 ov), 3-188 (Ricky Ponting, 55.5 ov), 4-220 (Phillip Hughes, 73.6 ov), 5-396 (Michael Clarke, 111.6 ov), 6-448 (Michael Hussey, 123.5 ov), 7-452 (Mitchell Johnson, 124.6 ov), 8-471 (Brad Haddin, 131.4 ov), 9-486 (Peter Siddle, 135.6 ov), 10-488 (Trent Copeland, 138.5 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    RMS Eranga18.526213.2911
    RAS Lakmal2228603.9013
    UWMBCA Welegedara2438813.6600
    HMRKB Herath521115773.0100
    TM Dilshan1906213.2600
    HDRL Thirimanne10707.0000
    NT Paranavitana201005.0000

Match Details

Toss

Sri Lanka , elected to field first

Player Of The Match

Player Of The Series

Series result

Australia won the 3-match series 1-0

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

10am start, Lunch 12.00-12.40, Tea 14.40-15.00, Close 17.00

Match days

16,17,18,19,20 September 2011 (5-day match)

Test debut

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Close of Play

  • Fri, 16 Sep - day 1 - Australia 1st innings 235/5 (MEK Hussey 63*, BJ Haddin 21*, 81.2 ov)
  • Sat, 17 Sep - day 2 - Sri Lanka 1st innings 166/2 (KC Sangakkara 61*, DPMD Jayawardene 31*, 65 ov)
  • Sun, 18 Sep - day 3 - Sri Lanka 1st innings 428/6 (AD Mathews 85*, RMS Eranga 5*, 155 ov)
  • Mon, 19 Sep - day 4 - Australia 2nd innings 209/3 (PJ Hughes 122*, MJ Clarke 8*, 68 ov)
  • Tue, 20 Sep - day 5 - Sri Lanka 2nd innings 7/0 (2 ov) - end of match

Match Notes

  • Dilshan to stay at No. 5

    Tillakaratne Dilshan has admitted his side are finding it hard to deal with the retirement of Muttiah Muralitharan and said it would take time for them to groom bowlers who could win them Tests

  • As special a day as I've had - Clarke

    Australia's 1-0 series victory over Sri Lanka, completed with a draw at the SSC in Colombo, was one of Michael Clarke's proudest days

  • Missed stumpings and a long conversation

    Plays of the Day from the fifth day of the SSC Test between Sri Lanka and Australia

  • Nielsen stands down as Australia's coach

    Tim Nielsen has stood down as Australia's coach after helping the side to a series victory in Sri Lanka

  • At last, a captain's knock

    Michael Clarke's poise as a leader has been striking, exhibiting a superb feel for the game. But he waited until the final day of the series to produce the sort of spinal contribution that can define a captain