da cassino online： Sri Lanka booked themselves a berth in the final of the LG Abanstriangular series after Zimbabwe were spun to a 59 run defeat at PremadasaInternational Stadium
Charlie Austin12-Dec-2001Sri Lanka booked themselves a berth in the final of the LG Abanstriangular series after Zimbabwe were spun to a 59 run defeat at PremadasaInternational Stadium.After claiming two wins and two useful bonus point Sri Lanka now have ten points, which guarantees their qualification even if they lose in Kandy at the weekend.Sri Lanka, in a depressingly empty stadium, won with some ease after a robust performance from their batsmen that saw them post a challenging 273 target, and a controlled effort from their medley of spinners, five of whom were employed on a wearing re-used surface.The highest total successfully chased at Premadasa in its 47 game history isonly 243 and Zimbabwe never looked likely winners, even after a spiritedopening stand between Grant Flower and Dion Ebrahim.Ebrahim followed two consecutive golden ducks with an attractive 32 andGrant Flower scored an industrious 45 as the pair added 69 for the firstwicket.But the introduction of Muttiah Muralitharan in the 14th over of the inningsswung the game towards Sri Lanka: Ebrahim was bowled third ball as he triedto hot-step down the wicket and Flower was controversially caught at slip(off his thigh) to leave Zimbabwe facing a steadily rising run rate in themiddle overs.Andy Flower was Zimbabwe’s only realistic hope. He showed why with aslog-sweep for six off Muralitharan, but then fell in the next over tryingto reverse sweep one of Jayasuriya’s low-armed darts (103 for three).Captain Stuart Carlisle and Craig Wishart tried to keep pace with the runrate but the Sri Lankan’s are a well-oiled one-day unit in such spin-friendlyconditions. Forcing the pace was fiendishly difficult and their 42 run standcame to an end when Wishart was caught and bowled by Russel Arnold (145 forfour).Four overs later Carlisle slammed a catch at the glue-like hands of UpulChandana, recalled to the side after a 12-month absence, to be dismissed for39 (159 for five).Zimbabwe were left needing 102 runs off the final ten overs. Muralitharanthe cleaned up Heath Streak for 24, who biffed four boundaries and TatendaTaibu, who recorded his third consecutive duck to finish with four wickets.His fellow twirly mean then moved in for the kill.Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka lost two early wickets having won the toss, asSanath Jayasuriya was caught behind second ball wafting at a wide deliveryfrom Heath Streak and Marvan Atapattu mistimed a back foot drive to becaught at cover.But Gunwardene and Jayawardene first consolidated and then wrestled back theinitiative in a 166 run stand in 198 balls to lay the foundations for SriLanka’s imposing total.Gunwardene, dropped on nine in the slips, was more reserved than normal, buthaving reached his seventh half-century off 76 balls, he started to swaggerand bludgeon thereafter, before he top-edged a pull and was caught at mid-onfor 90 (191 for three).Jayawardene, too, enjoyed some fortune, twice being dropped – first byFlower behind the stumps on 27 and then on 92 at backward point. Those twolapses apart, however, he batted serenely, milking the slower bowlers withease in the first part of his innings and then raising the tempo later witha series of well executed improvisations.But, much to the horror of his girlfriend, looking on anxiously from thegrandstand, he fell just short of his sixth one-day century when theenigmatic Henry Olonga slipped a straight ball through his defenses (215 forfour).Russel Arnold then skillfully managed the final dash with a 32 run cameothat ensured Sri Lanka scored 75 runs in the final ten overs despite theloss of four wickets.The tournament now moves to the hill-country where Sri Lanka will take onWest Indies on Saturday.