Player of the Match
Player of the Match
2098dThe Bulletin by Brydon Coverdale at the SCG

Bracken slides Sri Lanka to 128-run defeat

Nathan Bracken bowled Australia to a comfortable win, exploiting the slow SCG pitch to perfection after Michael Clarke and Adam Gilchrist set up an imposing target of 6 for 253

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

MJ Clarke
MJ Clarke
77(86) 2x4 - 1x6
Control %85%
  • Productive Shot
  • on side drive on front foot
  • 23 runs
  • 0x4 - 1x6
6 1 9 6 17 2 19 16
AC Gilchrist
AC Gilchrist
61(81) 3x4 - 1x6
Control %86%
  • Productive Shot
  • leg glance
  • 15 runs
  • 1x4 - 0x6
4 5 3 10 12 12 9 6

Best performances - Bowlers

NW Bracken
O8.3
M0
R47
W5
Eco5.52
RHB
OFFLEG
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
WPUJC Vaas
O10
M1
R34
W2
Eco3.40
RHB
OFFLEG
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF

Really good spell from Bracken, bowling the majority of his deliveries as slower balls to suit the track, excellent adjustment. Australia then have romped home with this win, more than doubling Sri Lanka's score thanks to some patient bowling and batting too. So Australia record the first result of the series and the Sri Lankans run out to congratulate the Australians.

"It's great to be back," beams Hayden. "Every game we play is a special thing. It's a time I can savour with Adam [Gilchrist]. We got off to a reasonably solid start. 240 was probably a par score. This has been an outstanding performance from Nathan Bracken. We've seen some great ... intellectual bowling tonight so we have to give him a tick there."

"We knew it wasn't going to be easy," says Jayawardene. "A slowish wicket, we knew 240 would be a good score. We were trying to get a good start but lost too many wickets first up. A very disappointing day. We need to concentrate on our basics, come back strongly and show our character."

Here's Ponting. "Gilly played really well, and Clarke played a sensible knock. We got to 250 and I knew that as the game wore on our bowlers would be able to take the pace off the ball.

"I thought our fielding tonight was very sharp," he adds, which is important as it had been under the spotlight.

The Man of the Match is undoubtedly Bracken. "The boys batted very well and gave us a good total to bowl with," he says modestly.

Thanks for joining me today, it's been entertaining if a little predictable from the early stages of Sri Lanka's innings.

31.3
W
Bracken to Muralidaran, OUT, but he gets him this time, his best ODI figures and there's a five-for as the batsman goes to pull again over midwicket, but picks out the fielder instead

M Muralidaran c Symonds b Bracken 11 (17m 14b 0x4 1x6) SR: 78.57

Bracken is furious, hands on hips, how dare a tailender smack him for six when he has four wickets. In he comes again...

Quality stroke, absolutely leathered that one

31.2
6
Bracken to Muralidaran, SIX, slower ball again, Murali gets right under the ball and drives it straight and over long-on
31.1
0
Bracken to Muralidaran, no run, too good, on off, moved away and was just too high for the off bail, Murali was nowhere near it

Bracken looking for his fifth wicket now

END OF OVER:
31 | 3 Runs | SL: 119/9 (135 runs required from 19 overs, RR: 3.83, RRR: 7.10)

  • Muthiah Muralidaran5 (11b)
  • Ishara Amerasinghe0 (4b)
  • Brad Hogg6-1-17-1
  • Brett Lee7-1-34-1
30.6
1
Hogg to Muralidaran, 1 run, big air on that one, pushed to midwicket
30.5
0
Hogg to Muralidaran, no run, down the track, drives outside off to the covers
30.4
1lb
Hogg to Amerasinghe, 1 leg bye, outside off, turned back in

Sri Lanka 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st18ST JayasuriyaWU Tharanga
2nd0KC SangakkaraWU Tharanga
3rd39DPMD JayawardeneKC Sangakkara
4th17LPC SilvaKC Sangakkara
5th7TM DilshanLPC Silva
6th3TM DilshanCK Kapugedera
7th9WPUJC VaasTM Dilshan
8th12WPUJC VaasSL Malinga
9th9M MuralidaranWPUJC Vaas
10th11M MuralidaranMKDI Amerasinghe

Australian Tri Series (CB Series)

TeamMWLPTNRR
AUS852260.769
IND833170.121
SL82510-0.949