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
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
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.
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
Bracken looking for his fifth wicket now
Ricky Ponting says Australia will carry their momentum into Sunday's game against India in Melbourne
Stats highlights from the third ODI of the CB Series, between Australia and Sri Lanka, in Sydney
The left-handed gun fight between Adam Gilchrist and Sanath Jayasuriya didn't explode in conditions that were not ideal for the flashy strokeplay
Nathan Bracken believes he is not at his peak despite collecting his bestODI figures in Australia's 128-run thrashing of Sri Lanka
Match home for the third match of the CB series between Australia and Sri Lanka in Sydney, February 8, 2008