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Five-time champions Australia injected some life into their moribund World Cup campaign with a comprehensive five-wicket victory against Sri Lanka.
With their backs to the wall after defeats by India and South Africa, Australia showed some urgency with the ball and bundled out Sri Lanka for 209 inside 44 overs with Adam Zampa leading the rout on figures of 4-47.
At 157-1 near the halfway stage, Sri Lanka looked poised to reach the 300 mark before the wheels came off their innings and they had to settle for a below-par total.
After strong winds delayed the start of their chase, Australia made heavy weather of a small target and slumped to 24-2.
Half-centuries by Mitchell Marsh (52) and Josh Inglis (58) put their chase back on track and Glenn Maxwell produced a breezy cameo of 31 not out to see them home with nearly 15 overs to spare.
Australia’s first win of the tournament lifted them from the bottom of the 10-team table to eighth place, above 1996 champions Sri Lanka, who remain winless after three matches.
“We didn’t say much before the game, but after two losses we wanted to get back to where we know we can be with our high standards,” Australia captain Pat Cummins said.
“Their openers started really well and we were staring down the barrel of a big score. But we stuck together, all our bowlers did their job and to finish it off for 209 was a great effort.”
Australia defeat Sri Lanka by five wickets: as it happened
05:08 PM BST
AUSTRALIA (215/5) BEAT SRI LANKA (209ao) BY FIVE WICKETS
Stoinis tries to go big first ball to Wellalage but doesn’t get anything on it. That’s not the case next up as he launches an enormous six straight back over the bowler’s head to get his team their first victory in this year’s World Cup. Comprehensive really. They win by five wickets with plenty of time left.
Some decent hitting towards the end and everyone but Warner and Smith making a meaningful contribution with the bat. Of those who batted, anyway.
05:04 PM BST
OVER 35: AUS 209/5 (Maxwell 31 Stoinis 14)
A single, a two and a wide in Madushanka’s first four balls in this over means Australia are just four runs away from victory. Both men will surely want to do it with a boundary… It’s not Stoinis this time as he takes a single. It was a handsome shot, driving a slower ball powerfully down to long off, but there is a man there. Maxwell chips a slower ball through point but for a single. One more single from Stoinis means it’s just one single needed and it will have to be off the next over.
04:59 PM BST
OVER 34: AUS 202/5 (Maxwell 29 Stoinis 10)
In comes Marcus Stoinis who proceeds to slog sweep his first ball for four, powerfully to the midwicket boundary. One bounce and then four. Right out of the middle, watched it right onto the bat and hit it flat and very, very powerfully. It’s two, two dots and then Stoinis finishes the over with another four – this time carving it through point, beating the man in close.
Just eight runs needed for Australia now. It might well happen in this over.
04:55 PM BST
WICKET! Inglis c Theekshana b Wellalage 58
It’s an attempted controlled shot, I think, but it’s slice and it’s an easy catch for Theekshana at point, though he didn’t take it first time. Inglis was caught out a bit by the deliberate lack of pace there. A fine inning from Inglis, whose 50 helped get his team to within sight of the finishing line.
FOW 192/5
04:53 PM BST
OVER 33: AUS 192/4 (Inglis 57 Maxwell 29)
Inglis gets another single as he ticks along to 57 off 57. Maxwell tries to go big again but fails. An uppercut towards third man lands safely though the fielder, Kumara, just decides not to attempt the catch. Not entirely sure why. Doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of the game but I am sure Madushanka would have liked a fourth wicket. Another big heave from Maxwell, who moves his front leg out of the way again, but he doesn’t get anything on it.
Just the three of Madushanka’s latest over. Good comeback.
04:48 PM BST
OVER 32: AUS 189/4 (Inglis 56 Maxwell 28)
Dot ball to Inglis. One run then to Inglis, who has taken a back seat since Maxwell came in, after taking the lead in the previous partnership. Maxwell then gets down on one leg and slog sweeps over deep midwicket for six! 22 off 12 for The Big Show now…
He tries to go again and gets caught in the midriff, I think, though that doesn’t stop Theekshana having a big old appeal. Midriff was perhaps a bit misleading… but it did hit him on the waistband. And he wasn’t crouching that much. And it would have surely gone down leg.
Anyway, it’s another six. Not a massive one this time but just about. Backward of square this time but that’s two sixes and a single in the over. Australia need just 21 runs to win this. But that will be drinks.
04:43 PM BST
OVER 31: AUS 176/4 (Inglis 55 Maxwell 16)
Madushanka gets a bit lucky or even unlucky. It’s a full toss that Maxwell drives straight back down the ground, it comes off the bowler’s foot and the batters think about a run but don’t take it. A short one next up, Maxwell has a heave at it and it flies off the top edge and behind the keeper for four runs. It shouldn’t have been four… there was some shoddy fielding from Lahiru Kumara who does everything he can to not dive.
Maxwell then blasts the next ball straight back down past and over the bowler’s head for four! Moves his front foot out of the way and clubs it. Bludgeoned, one might say. It’s four more next ball! Similar set-up, but this is a bit squarer as it is sent towards the midwicket boundary with a pull. Emphatic and Australia will look to have this wrapped up in the next few overs.
04:38 PM BST
OVER 30: AUS 163/4 (Inglis 54 Maxwell 4)
Maxwell has a big slash at one outside off from Theekshana. Not sure he entirely meant to catch it like he did, with a big open face, but maybe he did. Either way he gets four runs for it and is off the mark.
04:34 PM BST
OVER 29: AUS 158/4 (Inglis 53 Maxwell 0)
It’s time for The Big Show/Glenn Maxwell. He ducks a bouncer first ball and that is the end of the over.
04:32 PM BST
WICKET! Labuschagne c Karunarate b Madushanka 40
Dilshan Madushanka reutrns for his sixth over. He has the best figures of any Sri Lanka bowler so far with two wickets and going at well under three runs per over. Inglis chases after the ball on the off side again and it’s a bit of a slice but just for a single.
Labuschagne then falls next ball! He cloths a pull to midwicket and Australia are four down. It’s three wickets for Madushanka but that is too late to really affect the game. Got a bit cramped off a short-ish ball dug in and never really connected with it. Easy catch.
FOW 158/4
04:28 PM BST
OVER 28: AUS 157/3 (Labuschagne 40 Inglis 52)
Labuschagne sweeps the returning Wellalage for four, but those are the only runs of his eighth over. Too easy for Australia at the moment, but a target of 209 is rarely challenging these days.
04:25 PM BST
OVER 27: AUS 153/3 (Labuschagne 36 Inglis 52)
This partnership has surely killed off any hope remaining of a Sri Lanka win. The run rate is just 2.7 and they only need 63 runs. This partnership is into the 60s now at 5.57 runs per over so we’re probably not too far off a conclusion, really. A pretty unpolished SL performance continues with two unnecessary overthrows as the ball is slung in from mid-off at short range even though Labuschagne was very much miles in.
Inglis moves to 50 with a textbook shot as you are likely to see. It’s a half volley but he straight drives it powerfully down the ground for four. Showing the maker’s name to the bowler and holding the post. It’s a 50 off 46 balls and Josh Inglis has gone a long way towards getting Australia their first 2023 World Cup win.
04:20 PM BST
OVER 26: AUS 146/3 (Labuschagne 35 Inglis 46)
Labuschagne playing merely a supporting role as Inglis approaches a 50 and goes through the gears. Dhananjaya continues with his spin and fewer risks are taken. Looks like keeper Mendis has hurt himself somehow fielding the ball. Maybe jarred his shoulder as he was sliding for a ball that was rolling fairly gently towards backward point. He’s back behidn the stumps now and the over ends with a single.
04:17 PM BST
OVER 25: AUS 141/3 (Labuschagne 31 Inglis 45)
Yet another bowling change for Sri Lanka. They have to try something, in fairness. It’s Lahiru Kumara on for his third over. He digs one in and Inglis leans back, opens the face and lofts the ball down to the third man boundary for four. A deft touch and that brings up the 50 partnership for this pair.
Another pair of twos on balls four and five brings the required run rate down below three. Maybe now is the time Australia start thinking about improving their net run rate?One of them is a pull behind square, in the air and a bit top edgy. He gets away with it. Think they are going to take this on now.
Indeed Inglis does, with a pull that he does get hold of this time. It’s send long, long over the deep backward square leg boundary for six!
04:12 PM BST
OVER 24: AUS 127/3 (Labuschagne 31 Inglis 31)
Dhananjaya continues and Inglis moves into the thirties with a sweep. It is nearly a chance for Mendis behind the stumps and he perhaps almost gets a glove on it but it’s three runs. The outside edge is then beaten as Inglis plays across the line of the ball. He then nudges one onto the leg side for a single. Five off the over in total as Australia crawl surely to the total of 210.
04:08 PM BST
OVER 23: AUS 122/3 (Labuschagne 30 Inglis 27)
A reminder that Australia are currently without a win in this tournament so far. Admittedly they have had two tough games early on, so this win will at least get them on the board. A bit of chat about net run rate… theirs is currently poor and with four semi-final slots available only, it is worth considering and could be important. First priority has to be securing the victory and you don’t want to let Sri Lanka back into this game in any way.
Just as I write that Inglis plays aggressively with a hook over midwicket. Doesn’t get all of it and ends up with two runs. A wide and four other singles from the over.
04:04 PM BST
OVER 22: AUS 115/3 (Labuschagne 28 Inglis 23)
It’s more spin, this time from Dhananjaya de Silva with his off-breaks. Just three runs off his first over, round the wicket to the two right-handers whose partnership has reached 35 runs off 46 balls. Exactly what they need to do, really. Not an especially interesting game at this point, with Australia sauntering to victory and needing just 3.37 runs per over.
04:00 PM BST
OVER 21: AUS 112/3 (Labuschagne 26 Inglis 22)
Karunarate attempts a bumper but Labuschagne does not even need to think about playing it as it is well down the leg side and is called wide. Just the two singles other than that.
03:56 PM BST
OVER 20: AUS 109/3 (Labuschagne 25 Inglis 21)
Sri Lanka bowling fairly well here but not as well as they currently need to win this game. Australia just happy to get the singles: three of them in the middle of Wellalage’s seventh and Inglis is ticking along nicely with 21 off 23 so far.
The required run rate has fallen to under 3.5rpo. Should be a walk in the park.
03:53 PM BST
OVER 19: AUS 106/3 (Labuschagne 24 Inglis 19)
It’s a bowling change for Sri Lanka as Chamika Karunaratne comes on with his right-arm medium-fasts. Inglis gets another boundary – his third – latching onto a short and wide one from Karunaratne, slashing it over point for four. He gets a quick single off the final ball of the over to retain the strike.
03:48 PM BST
OVER 18: AUS 101/3 (Labuschagne 24 Inglis 14)
Wellalage continues to send in his left arm darts from wide of the crease, round the wicket. Labuschagne gets his drive out but finds the fielder in the covers with a firm crunch. He opens the face late on to get the single and bring up Australia’s 100… no too far off the half-way mark of this chase. Inglis is beaten in the flight but gets a single and keeps the strike with an outside edge. Never really in the aif for too long but he was stuck on the crease a bit there.
03:44 PM BST
OVER 17: AUS 97/3 (Labuschagne 22 Inglis 12)
Knocking it around at three or four an over is all Australia need to do. So why not do that? That is exactly what they do off Theekshana’s latest with five singles off it. Fair to say that Australia really need a win here so no need to take unnecessary risks with such a small target.
03:42 PM BST
OVER 16: AUS 92/3 (Labuschagne 20 Inglis 10)
Wellalage continues with his fifth over and it’s fairly tidy. Inglis gets to double figures with an outside edge down to third man. A couple of dots to finish the over. Strange to see a bowler with a number one on his back. Sri Lanka rather need wickets a bit more than “tidy” overs, though they all help create pressure.
03:39 PM BST
OVER 15: AUS 89/3 (Labuschagne 18 Inglis 8)
That was drinks, a little early with the wicket. In comes Josh Inglis and he gets an outside edge first ball to Theekshana. Actually it was an under-edge, going back to a full ball. The next one is four and it’s a bit more convincing from Inglis. It’s a full toss and drive through mid off for four. The fielder should have done better there, in fact stopping it. It’s a dot ball to finish the over.
03:33 PM BST
WICKET! M Marsh run out (Karunaratne/Mendis) 52
Good afternoon. A handy and useful partnership for Australia between these too. With the loss of a couple of quick wickets a small total can look rather daunting…
But what’s this? It looks like the partnership could be over as Mitch Marsh is run out… it’s a great throw in from the deep from Karunaratne as they went for a second and Marsh is run out at the non-striker’s end.
They are checking. He’s out by a fair margin… and that is a blow for Australia.
FOW 81/3
03:31 PM BST
OVER 14: AUS 79/2 (Marsh 51 Labuschagne 17)
Wellalage continues and he is bolder than before with his flight and then rags one back into Marsh squaring him up and hitting his back pad but it pitched outside leg.
I now hand over to my colleague Luke Slater to wrap up the match.
03:28 PM BST
OVER 13: AUS 76/2 (Marsh 50 Labuschagne 15)
Theekshana almost sneaks his carrom ball through Marsh via an inside edge. Just the single off the over and Marsh uses his feet and a full stride to smother the spin.
03:25 PM BST
OVER 12: AUS 75/2 (Marsh 50 Labuschagne 14)
Wellalage switches ends and Marsh’s square cut for two and slashed single off another short ball take him to a 39-ball fifty. The left-arm spinner finally ventures to give the ball some air and fizzes one past Marsh’s edge as he is forced to play with a vertical bat. That has to be the approach.
03:22 PM BST
OVER 11: AUS 70/2 (Marsh 47 Labuschagne 12)
Theekshana replaces Wellalage and exerts more control than he managed in his earlier one-over spell but they manage to hit the sweepers and rotate the strike to the tune of four singles and a two.
03:20 PM BST
OVER 10: AUS 64/2 (Marsh 44 Labuschagne 7)
Madushanka looks pooped but his fifth over is still on the money and costs merely two dot singles as Labuschagne and the left-arm quick starve Marsh of the strike. That’s the end of the Powerplay.
03:19 PM BST
Those safety concerns from earlier
Were rather down-played on the coverage but now photographs and footage are emerging of the damage caused by the high winds:
Some members of the audience were badly injured. Almost, a stampede-like situation occurred during the last over of the srilankan innings. Warner, Marsh asked people to move away from lower stands
2/3 pic.twitter.com/sZbaG3QMca
— Arpit (@scarneck_arpit) October 16, 2023
03:15 PM BST
OVER 9: AUS 62/2 (Marsh 44 Labuschagne 7)
Costly over from Wellalage who drags three down, possibly because of the dew, and Marsh pulls two of them and cuts the third for four.
03:10 PM BST
OVER 8: AUS 50/2 (Marsh 32 Labuschagne 7)
Madushanka continues to bowl beautifully, shaping it both ways. Marsh throws his hands at a drive and a thick inside edge sends it screeching past off stump to short fine leg who stopped the boundary … indeed any run. Marsj keeps another inswinger out and then the inside edge earns him a single to long leg. Labuschagne ends the over with his first boundary, clipping a straight, floaty delivery off middle for four.
03:05 PM BST
OVER 7: AUS 45/2 (Marsh 31 Labuschagne 3)
Wellalage, the left-arm finger spinner who has bagged Marsh twice before in white-ball internationals, comes on and starts well, keeping them down to three singles with skiddy sliders and his darted stock ball.
03:03 PM BST
OVER 6: AUS 42/2 (Marsh 29 Labuschagne 2)
Marsh is given rare width by Madushanka and the right-hander smokes a square cut that flies to the boundary for four. First runs off the left-arm quick. The next ball is the big inswinger, which he wears on the knee but the ball did too much and then he chisels out the booming yorker for a single. Labuschagne also keeps out the yorker but only juts by jamming his bat down into the blockhole and take on the fielder’s arm to get back for two.
02:56 PM BST
OVER 5: AUS 35/2 (Marsh 24 Labuschagne 0)
No swing for the returning Kumara who is up at 90mph but Marsh is seeing it like a beach ball and carves a square cut for four, drives for two and then Marsh creams a cover drive for four more. Magnificent. Labuschagne tries to glance the last ball but misses it, wears it on the hip and immediately requests a review that reprieves him.
02:54 PM BST
NOT OUT
He didn’t. It was thighpad.
02:54 PM BST
AUS review
Labuschagne c Mendis b Kumara Legside strangle. Labuschagne thinks he didn’t hit it.
02:49 PM BST
OVER 4: AUS 24/2 (Marsh 13 Labuschagne 0)
Madushanka is bowling beautifully and, after removing Warner, he hits Smith, first ball, in the box. They contemplate a review but wisely decide not to as it was way too high. The next ball swings in and Smith saves himself by jabbing his bat down in the nick of time. But he can’t keep out the final ball as Madushanka completes a double-wicket maiden.
02:47 PM BST
Wicket!
Smith lbw b Madushanka 0 Gets one to come back through the gate. Masterly swing bowling. Smith doesn’t review. ‘As plumb as plumb can be,’ says Sunil Gavaskar. FOW 24/2
02:43 PM BST
Wicket!
Warner lbw b Madushanka 11 It was clipping leg. Umpire’s call. Warner is livid and smashes his bat into the ground. He walks off spewing. Steve Smith didn’t seem to accept that ball-tracking was accurate in the last match. Is Warner doing the same? FOW 24/1
02:40 PM BST
AUS review
Warner lbw b Madushanka Kept low but was it heading down?
02:40 PM BST
OVER 3: AUS 24/0 (Marsh 13 Warner 11)
Sri Lanka pull Kumara out of the attack after that leaky opening over and replace him with the off-spin of Theekshana. Warner changes his bat, presumably for a heavier one for the spinner. Warner works a single down to long off and then Marsh beats a slowly sprawling mid-off with a back-foot punch that smokes away for four. Offered width, Marsh smears a square cut for four more.
02:37 PM BST
OVER 2: AUS 15/0 (Marsh 5 Warner 10)
Dilshan Madushanka, the left-arm quick, takes the other new ball. He is right on the money with the first three, nice and tight, cramping Marsh and earning him three dot balls. Marsh keeps saying ‘Watch the ball’ as an aide-memoire. He tries a cut but cannot beat point because he could not free his arms and then loses his bottom hand grip and claws a drive along the grass to mid-on. Madushanka pulls his length back and snakes one across Marsh’s drive to complete an impressive maiden.
02:32 PM BST
OVER 1: AUS 15/0 (Marsh 5 Warner 10)
Lahiru Kumara takes the first new ball and Mitch Marsh starts like a train, thumping a lofted drive over mid-off for four then hacks a cut into his foot and limps a tight single.
Warner takes on the bouncer and doesn’t properly collar it but it sails safe short of deep backward square. They run two and another when he chisels out a yorker to midwicket, easily beating a terrible throw.
Dropping to his left knee, Warner slog sweeps the last ball for a steepling six. Australia are pumped and determined to emphasis the changed momentum of their campaign with a crushing victory.
02:20 PM BST
The covers are coming off
They should be back out soon :
Have Sri Lanka thrown away such a good start after being 125 without loss?
In ODI cricket since 2010, when teams batting first have had an opening partnership between 120-130, the average total they have scored is 292, with a 60% chance of going on to win the match#CWC2023
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) October 16, 2023
02:02 PM BST
High winds
That have blow down some scaffolding parts and advertising awnings are delaying Australia’s reply. More news as soon as we get it.
01:38 PM BST
Innings break: AUS need 210 to win
Sri Lanka have helped to play Australia’s key men back into form, led by Cummins’ captaincy and using his Test length, Warner’s fabulous and brave second catch, and Zampa and Starc doing to the lower middle order and tail what they have been doing for years to turn 157 for one into 209 all out.
01:34 PM BST
Wicket!
Asalanka c Labuschagne b Maxwell 25 Slog sweep flies off the toe and comes down spiralling to long on and Labuschagne runs in to pouch it out of the whirlwind. FOW 209 all out
01:33 PM BST
OVER 43: SL 207/9 (Asalanka 23 Madushanka 0)
A strong, swirling wind blows some poles holding a banner on the roof fascia down and play is halted so the crowd can move under cover. Just a single and a wide (a ballooning bouncer) off Starc’s 10th over. Madushanka defends well for a No11. Starc ends with 10-0-43-2.
01:27 PM BST
OVER 42: SL 205/9 (Asalanka 22 Madushanka 0)
Cummins whips Zampa out of the attack with a five-for on the table. Maxwell rattles through his over, running back to his mark after each ball to try to help the run rate catch up. Asalanka takes the strike with a push to cover.
01:25 PM BST
OVER 41: SL 204/9 (Asalanka 21 Madushanka 0)
Asalanka is surprised by Starc’s kicking bounce off a good length and he edges it down to third man. He takes the single, first ball, trusting Kumara. His fellow left-hander Harrow drives off a thick inside edge for four, the ball screaming past leg stump and then ducks the bouncer. Starc cleans up Kumara with a hooping yorker and then a dust storm strikes the ground in a swirling wind.
Madushanka blocks the last ball, a low full toss from round the wicket as he went for the yorker again. There was a single there but Asalanka tells him to stay put.
01:21 PM BST
Wicket!
Kumara b Starc 4 Big inswinging yorker, Starc’s tail-end stump destroyer. Too good for Kumara … and others many. FOW 204/9
01:18 PM BST
OVER 40: SL 199/8 (Asalanka 20 Kumara 0)
Sri Lanka may be hazarding that Australia are yet to make 200 in the tournament but, if so, they are cutting it preposterously fine. Zampa, after a poor start in the first two games and in his first spell here, has roared back.
01:15 PM BST
Wicket!
Theekshana lbw b Zampa 0 Zampa Takes his fourth wicket and this one with the googly that kept a little low. He’s cleaning up the tail now, but we should not forget those two crucial top order wickets in two balls that turned the match and his form on their heads. FOW 199/8
01:15 PM BST
Wicket!
Theekshana lbw b Zampa 0 Zampa Takes his fourth wicket and this one with the googly that kept a little low. He’s cleaning up the tail now, but we should not forget those two crucial top order wickets in two balls that turned the match and his form on their heads. FOW 199/8
01:13 PM BST
SL review
Theekshana lbw b Zampa Sent upstairs on a wish and a prayer after being pinned by the googly.
01:13 PM BST
SL review
Theekshana lbw b Zampa Sent upstairs on a wish and a prayer after being pinned by the googly.
01:12 PM BST
OVER 39: SL 198/7 (Asalanka 19 Theekshana 0)
Hazlewood slides one down the legside and Theekshana watches it then looks at the umpire for the wide call which duly comes. All hope now rests with Asalanka but he can’t do it alone.
01:08 PM BST
OVER 38: SL 196/7 (Asalanka 19 Theekshana 0)
Asalanka breaks the manacles with a languid swing that dumps Zampa’s first ball into the seats at long off. Having gone large off the opening ball, they have enough in the bag to work the next three for singles. Well, that was the hypothesis anyway before Zampa trapped Chamika plumb.
01:05 PM BST
Wicket!
Karunaratne lbw b Zampa 2 Did him for pace with the flipper, pinning him in front of middle. FOW 196/7
01:03 PM BST
OVER 37: SL 187/6 (Asalanka 10 Karunaratne 1)
Good time for Hazlewood to come back and, after going for six an over hitherto, he leaks only one her as the vice-captain, Karunaratne, conscious of how many overs are left and what they are going to need to be able to defend successfully, plays cautiously. Chamika has a first-class hundred and a top score in ODIs of 75.
12:58 PM BST
OVER 36: SL 186/6 (Asalanka 9 Karunaratne 1)
Maxwell rattles through his eighth over, yielding two singles as Australia turn the screw. Karunaratne gets off the mark first ball when he works an off-break to square leg.
12:57 PM BST
OVER 35: SL 184/6 (Asalanka 8 Karunaratne 0)
Sri Lanka’s collapse continues … from 157 for one to 184 for six and some self-inflicted – Mendis’s shot, Dhananjaya’s too and Wellalage taking that daft run.
12:51 PM BST
Wicket!
Wellalage run out (Cummins) 2 The captain strikes again, this time with a bent arm and the wheels have come off for Sri Lanka. There was never a single on to mid-off. He did his best with his dive but should never have called his partner through. FOW 184/6
12:49 PM BST
OVER 34: SL 183/5 (Asalanka 7 Wellalage 2)
Very tight over with grip and rip off a good length by Maxwell, slinging it a bit from an arm that is 10 degrees off the perpendicular, finding a leading edge that loops safe into the offside. Just the three singles off the over.
12:46 PM BST
OVER 33: SL 180/5 (Asalanka 5 Wellalage 1)
Perhaps the ball skidded on a wee bit quicker because of the rain but I’m not sure. Dhananjaya’s feet were so far from the ball his bottom hand came off the bat. Wellalage gets off the mark with a cover drive for a single and Asalanka works a single off his toes down to backward square.
12:43 PM BST
Wicket!
Dhananjaya b Starc 7 Not a very good ball but a worse shot. Short from round the wicket, Dhananjaya attacked it with a stationary punch, his hands miles away from his feet, and dragged it on off the inside edge. FOW 178/5
12:40 PM BST
The players are out
And the hiatus was short enough not to have cost the match any overs.
12:32 PM BST
It has stopped raining
And the covers are coming off.
12:12 PM BST
Rain stops play: SL 178/4
On come the covers and David Warner gives them a hand.
There is only a 10 per cent chance of rain according to the Met Office which recedes to less than five per cent in a couple of hours so hopefully it’s only a passing shower.
Accuweather, by contrast, suggests a 56 ‘per cent probability of precipitation’ during the evening.
12:11 PM BST
OVER 32: SL 177/4 (Asalanka 3 Dhananjaya 7)
Having fought back well in his las two overs, Zampa starts with the kind of drag-down that littered his first spell and Dhananjaya cleaves it through point for four. Dhananjaya closes the face to cuff a drive down to long on for a single and Asalanka taps the low full toss to the same fielding position. Dhananjaya steps back to find the room to drive straight for a single and the left-handed Asalanka pinches the strike with w clip through midwicket off the back foot. Eight off the over, which is just the ticket after four quick wickets.
12:07 PM BST
OVER 31: SL 169/4 (Asalanka 1 Dhananjaya 1)
Mitchell Starc replaces Cummins and starts bang on the money, fast and straight, tiny but of shape, that keeps Sri Lanka’s two new batsmen down to a single each and also adds a wide.
12:01 PM BST
OVER 30: SL 166/4 (Asalanka 0 Dhananjaya 0)
Australia take four wickets for 41, Cummins and Zampa two apiece, to grab this match by the scruff of its collar but more importantly than that has been Warner’s catching.
12:00 PM BST
Wicket!
Samarawickrama lbw b Zampa 8 Bang! Bang! Zampa is late to the World Cup party but is helping himself to the punch and hitting the dancefloor, throwing shapes. Umpire’s call on the googly hitting leg stump but it counts. He is on a hat-trick, which, spoiler alert, he doesn’t convert. FOW 166/4
11:57 AM BST
SL review
Samarawickrama lbw b Zampa Pinned by the slider. Don’t think he hit it.
11:56 AM BST
OVER 29: SL 166/3 (Samarawickrama 8 Asalanka 0)
Australia are looking decidedly more chipper now. Warner is a superb fielder. Samarawickrama steals a very tight single off Cummins after drinks, beating Maxwell’s direct hit from mid-off. Cummins appeals belligerently for a legside strangle of Asalanka, Inglis taking a good catch, but it was thighpad and he didn’t review.
11:50 AM BST
OVER 28: SL 165/3 (Samarawickrama 7 Asalanka 0)
After a couple of singles as Zampa struggles to find consistent length, the leg-spinner loops a full one up on off stump and Samarawickrama pierces the gap between long off and extra-cover with an elegant drive. One dot ball to Mendis with his best leg-break of the day is enough for the captain to decide to risk a slog sweep, from which he holes out. Mojo back or batsman self-destruction? I think the latter.
11:46 AM BST
Wicket!
Mendis c Warner b Zampa 9 Slog sweeps, loses his grip so he doesn’t close the face and spoons it to cow corner where Warner hares 25m and takes a superb catch, his knee gouging out a huge divot as he landed. FOW 165/3
11:44 AM BST
OVER 27: SL 158/2 (Mendis 8 Samarawickrama 1)
Bowling his Test length and cranking up the pace to 89 mph has worked for Cummins and I think he caught Perera on the crease and extracted just enough movement off an impeccably presented seam to gate the well-set opener.
Having two right-handers new to the crease, Cummins invites Zampa to see if he can find his mojo aftera torrid start to the World Cup and this match.
11:38 AM BST
Wicket!
Perera b Cummins 78 Round the wicket, back of a length, angling in to hit the top of off. Perera played down the wrong line. Good nut. FOW 157/2
11:38 AM BST
OVER 26: SL 156/1 (Perera 78 Mendis 7)
Maxwell continues at the paltry cost of four singles, all four in an arc between fine leg and square leg.
It’s official:
After a wait of more than a century, our beloved sport is back on the Olympic stage at @LA28. This marks the dawn of a new era for cricket as it will be a golden opportunity to foster inclusivity and showcase new talent from emerging cricketing nations. A start of something truly… https://t.co/Y4o2Zp5gl7
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) October 16, 2023
11:36 AM BST
OVER 25: SL 152/1 (Perera 76 Mendis 5)
Cummins replaces Hazlewood after a leaky two-over spell. Zampa is currently off the field for an unspecified reason. Australia’s captain pitches his slow ball up and Perera reads it and smacks it over mid-off for four. Not off the middle but such is the quality of the English willow it torpedoes a trail to the boundary.
The left-hander chops a single down to the point sweeper. He loves that area between third man and the keeper and can find it with a horizontal bat, seemingly at ease.
Zampa is coming back on to the field now. Halfway and Sri Lanka are making hay.
11:30 AM BST
OVER 24: SL 145/1 (Perera 70 Mendis 4)
Mendis works two singles off his legs, Perera also clips one off the pegs before playing a gorgeous late cut, filleting point for four despite Warner’s impala legs haring after it from cover sweeper.
11:27 AM BST
OVER 23: SL 137/1 (Perera 64 Mendis 2)
Hazlewood tries to test Perera on the pull and is carted for successive fours by the pocket rocket left-hander. Perera has a swish at another pull and misses then swats the slow short one for a single and Mendis cuts his for one.
Some people think ODIs are a dying format but where else would you find a straight line of cricketers containing two Joshes and two Kusals? #CWC23
— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) October 16, 2023
11:22 AM BST
OVER 22: SL 127/1 (Perera 55 Mendis 1)
Cummins brings himself back on and by virtue of Warner’s athleticism and safe, safe hands finally splits the opening pair. The game seemed to be drifting away from Australia but Warner’s catch should invigorate a flagging side.
Time for Kusals x 2, with Mendis of that ilk joining Perera.
11:18 AM BST
Wicket!
Nissanka c Warner b Cummins 61 Pulled the previous ball for four but Cummins followed it up with a quicker short one and it took the top edge on the pull and Warner made great ground from cow corner to take a fine catch, diving forward to gather. FOW 125/1
11:17 AM BST
OVER 21: SL 121/0 (Nissanka 57 Perera 54)
Double change as Hazlewood returns for Stoinis, Cummins riffling through his options. He gives Nissanka width, back of a length, outside off and Nissanka crashes a cut for four then pulls the straighter short one for a single. Hazlewood’s slower ball dies a death outside Perera’s off, shooting through, which does not bode well for later.
11:13 AM BST
OVER 20: SL 114/0 (Nissanka 50 Perera 54)
Fifty for Nissanka too, his off 58 balls, when he whisks his second single of Maxwell’s returning over through square leg. Most of these Australia players, barring Inglis and Labuschagne, are IPL millionaires. Why are they playing so poorly in India?
11:09 AM BST
OVER 19: SL 110/0 (Nissanka 48 Perera 52)
Fifty for Perera off 57 balls, picking Stoinis’ cutter and threshing it between mid-on and the bowler for four. After Perera works a single off his pads, Stoinis tests Nissanka as he did his partner in his preceding over with a full-pace bouncer. Nissanka takes it on and emerges unscathed when the ball ramps over his bat and vaults the keeper for a couple of byes.
11:05 AM BST
OVER 18: SL 102/0 (Nissanka 47 Perera 47)
Nissanka opens his stance to drill a single down to long off and Perera, facing his first ball since being sconned, cloths a drive off the googly over cover for two. Zampa’s legside wide allows Sri Lanka to reach three figures and Perera ends the over carting a long hop through midwicket for two. He missed out there.
Aus become the first team to concede two century opening partnerships in the #CWC23
— Ric Finlay (@RicFinlay) October 16, 2023
10:58 AM BST
OVER 17: SL 96/0 (Nissanka 46 Perera 43)
On comes Stoinis on his IPL home ground and rolls his fingers down a bouncer that Nissanka pulls hard and flays through midwicket. Labuschagne leaps up and tips it over the bar. Would have been a blinder had he held it. They run two.
Stoinis’ full-pace bouncer scuds straight on to the front of Perera’s helmet, just to the left of the badge. He is up on his feet but seems discombobulated and just above his left eyebrow, shaking his head and rubbing his forehead. Australia rally round him until the physio comes on to help. After tests, he is given the OK to carry on.
10:53 AM BST
OVER 16: SL 91/0 (Nissanka 42 Perera 42)
The last thing Australia need is for their main spinner to lose his form but Zampa must be a major worry. He starts by spraying a wide down leg, gives up two with a gimme on the pads and then Perera slog sweeps him for four through midwicket, bisecting the two sweepers.
There’s a check for a run out at the end of the over, propelled by the vehemence of Labuschagne’s appeal when his shy hit the striker’s stumps. But Perera was home, having abandoned the run early, by miles. Somewhere in the Dales Accrington’s finest son is bellowing: ‘Get on with game.’
10:43 AM BST
OVER 15: SL 84/0 (Nissanka 42 Perera 36)
These two are batting well, working decent balls around and thumping the bad ones. There aren’t any of those in the first five balls of Starc’s fifth over, save for a legside wide, but Maxwell’s smart dive keeps the full toss he serves up to finish the over from smoking to the mid-on boundary.
Time for a drink.
10:39 AM BST
OVER 14: SL 79/0 (Nissanka 40 Perera 34)
Adam Zampa replaces Maxwell and the leggie starts with a long hop that Nissanka pulls hard for four. He ahs taken only six ODI wickets in 2023 and is going at 7.5 an over. Zampa goes for the flipper, overpitches and Nissanka nails a drive through mid-on for four more. He finishes a shonky opening over with a hard-turning googly that kept low but Nissanka picked it and jumped back to whip it through mid on for a single.
10:32 AM BST
OVER 13: SL 70/0 (Nissanka 31 Perera 34)
Cummins takes himself off after three overs and brings back Starc who sprays one on to Perera’s pads and the left-hander tickles it fine for four then whips another in front of square for a single. Starc, traditionally the stump destroyer, issues another warning to the non-striker after pulling out of his delivery stride for the third time. Run him out if you think he’s cheating and then focus on the bloke who’s facing.
10:27 AM BST
OVER 12: SL 63/0 (Nissanka 29 Perera 29)
Maxwell drags one down and Perera carves a cut that was destined for the rope until Warner ran it down and clawed it back from the boundary. They run two and they milk singles straight down the ground either side of another huge MAxwell appeal. This time the ball really was heading down.
10:24 AM BST
OVER 11: SL 57/0 (Nissanka 27 Perera 25)
Nissanka hops on to the back foot to exploit Cummins’ width from back of a length and hammers a cut for four through backward point. The Australia captain tries him out with a short one on the body, cramping him and he takes on the pull … spooning it jammily wide of short midwicket.
10:21 AM BST
OVER 10: SL 51/0 (Nissanka 22 Perera 24)
Perera drops to one knee and sweeps, top-edging it over the keeper for a streaky four. Maxwell looks thoroughly disgusted which may have fuelled his sustained, imploring appeal when pinning the left-hander … but In Joel Wilson’s view the ball didn’t turn back in enough and was always shaping down. He was on his haunches ululating … Inglis and Cummins weren’t interested in sending it upstairs.
Burned by wasting one off the first ball, they held fire here. Wrongly … it would have hit leg stump. Maxwell was right.
10:17 AM BST
OVER 9: SL 47/0 (Nissanka 22 Perera 20)
No doubt that Cummins is bowling more of his Test length today and it is serving him well, jarring the splice from back of length but he needs a tighter line to the left-handed Perera who flicks a single through square leg. Nissanka opens the face and glides a single down to third man then pings two off his toes.
Anyone imagine saying 25 years ago, ‘In the future India will be the best fielding side in world cricket’?
10:13 AM BST
OVER 8: SL 42/0 (Nissanka 19 Perera 19)
Inglis drops Nissanka off Maxwell’s off-break. It came fast as he stood up but he didn’t get his hands in place properly and it hit the tip of one finger and cannoned into his thigh. Just a wide and two singles off the rest of the over.
10:08 AM BST
OVER 7: SL 39/0 (Nissanka 18 Perera 18)
Breaking news: T20 cricket will be in the LA 2028 Olympics.
Here’s Pat Cummins. After two matches and recent white-ball toils, some consider the best red-ball bowler in the world a liability in the shorter game and not worth his place any more despite his captaincy. First he serves one up on Perera’s pads and the left-hander skelps it fine for four. Cummins then swings one past the leg stump, conceding a wide but tightens up to finish the over with four dot balls, hitting a much harder length. Perera had a big swipe at one but found only fresh air.
Cummins turns to Maxwell for the next over. Early spin.
10:03 AM BST
OVER 6: SL 34/0 (Nissanka 18 Perera 14)
Hazlewood always seems to be better to me when bowling back of a length and here he strays too full on to Nissanka’s pads and he works him away for three. Judging by his look he was annoyed with himself so bangs the next one in and Perera is on to the pull in a Yosemite Sam blur, swatting it for four with appreciable violence.
10:00 AM BST
OVER 5: SL 26/0 (Nissanka 15 Perera 9)
Nissanka drills an off drive past the bowler for four. Starc again stops in his delivery stride to give Kusal Perera the evil eye for backing up too far … but in this case he wasn’t. Russel Arnold, in the commentary box, thinks it betrays a scrambled mind to be distracted by what’s going on at the non-striker’s rather than at the other end. He is, of course, Sri Lankan which may shape his thoughts but Starc has been hot on this for years. I’m one of the few people who think Mankads are fair game after a warning. I don’t know why Starc just doesn’t try one now. They’ll learn if he does and is successful. Nothing else works.
09:54 AM BST
OVER 4: SL 21/0 (Nissanka 10 Perera 9)
That’s terrific from Perera, scything a square cut for four when Hazlewood errs wide and, next ball, creams a drive past mid-off for another when the bowler errs too full. Out comes second slip. Hazlewood tests him out on the short ball and he tries to take it on but the ball doesn’t bounce as expected and scuttles under the bottom edge of his whirring, horizontal bat.
Two-paced this soon? Seems to me it is a bit early in the tournament to be playing on a used pitch.
09:49 AM BST
OVER 3: SL 13/0 (Nissanka 10 Perera 1)
Perera gets off the mark off his eighth ball by clipping a single off his toes and Nissanka, the right-hander, far more fluent than his mollydooker partner, works two more off the pegs past the umpire. Perera is very much a stand and deliver opener. (He’s a dandy highwayman ..)
09:44 AM BST
OVER 2: SL 10/0 (Nissanka 8 Perera 0)
Hazlewood and Starc are such a good opening partnership – seam and swing. Hazlewood jags the first ball away from the left-handed Perera who lets it go by then gets up the other end with a leg-bye, missing a midwicket flick with his bat. Australia, who spilled six catches against South Africa on this ground, are demonstrably, consciously, fielding with more vim and there’s a lot more noise. Carey isn’t very vocal behind the stumps. Inglis is a little louder, though not in the Haddin class. Then again, who is?
09:40 AM BST
OVER 1: SL 9/0 (Nissanka 8 Perera 0)
Starc starts by swinging it both ways to the right-handed Nissanka, going up for a leg-before shout that hit the inside edge and rather rashly sending it upstairs then pitching on off and middle and taking it away from the outside edge.
Starc warns Kusal Perera that he is backing up to far and is making himself a Mankad candidate. He told the umpire after one ball and now lets the non-striker knows he is on borrowed time if he does it again. Starc hoops one down the legside for a wide, swings the next on to the pads that Nissanka tickles fine for four. Trying to keep it off the pads Starc pushes an inducker further across on to off stump but it curves on to middle and Nissanka whisks it through square leg for four more.
09:33 AM BST
NOT OUT
Inside edge. So Australia burn a review with 49.5 overs left. Desperation DRS.
09:32 AM BST
AUS review
Nissanka lbw b Starc First ball, hooping inswinger. Heading down? Think umpire’s call at best.
09:31 AM BST
And …
Play! Mitchell Starc has one of the new balls.
09:27 AM BST
The teams are out for the national anthems
The few gardy souls in the stands and the players belt them out.
09:15 AM BST
There has been some rain around
But it’s the same pitch that was used on Thursday for Australia’s defeat by South Africa so should still take turn and will skid on for the quicks.
What has the World Cup shown us so far … that India fans love watching India rather than cricket per se, the large crowd at Feroz Shah Kotla yesterday notwithstanding.
09:09 AM BST
Australia unchanged, Sri Lanka make two
Australia David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
Sri Lanka Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (capt/wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhanajaya de Silva, Chamika Karunaratne, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Lahiru Kumara.
09:03 AM BST
Sri Lanka have won the toss
And will bat first.
08:59 AM BST
Preview: Cornered Tigers time for both sides
Good morning and welcome to coverage of Australia vs Sri Lanka from Lucknow, a meeting of winless sides desperate to get their campaigns moving forward after chastening starts. As Australia and England fans engage in tit for tat days of euphoric schadenfreude, it is important to remember that Australia have been beaten (yes, heavily) by India and South Africa, Sri Lanka by South Africa and Pakistan, better ranked sides than England’s conquerors, New Zealand and Afghanistan.
Both Sri Lanka, winners in 1996, and Australia, world champions in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2015, will, like England, take some solace from Pakistan’s dreadful start in 1992 until they made like cornered tigers (L, W, NR, L, L, W. W, W, W, W) and Australia’s in 1999 (L, L, W, W, W, W, W, T, W) to encourage themselves that early defeats can be overcome. Sri Lanka, at least, have made runs (326 against South Africa, 344 vs Pakistan) but have demonstrated the imbalance in strength between the two disciplines by allowing South Africa to make 428 and Pakistan 345 with 10 balls to spare.
Australia, by contrast, have bowled pretty well though they lack a top-class spinner, but their batting (199 and 177, both all out) has illustrated how thin their resources are, relying again on Test stalwarts such as Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne in the same side, adopting an approach that, like the England football team used to do at World Cups, that was in vogue a couple of tournaments earlier.
Still, with Travis Head approaching a return following his broken hand and the batsman-keeper position changed after one match, the culmination of Alex Carey’s dramatic loss of form since the Lord’s Test, they are trying to adapt on their feet. Australia, having played South Africa at Lucknow on Thursday, ought to be able to find their fluency against spin second time around but one slip and their goose will be well and truly cooked.
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