Xavier Doherty and Brett Lee grabbed four wickets apiece as Australia dismissed Sri Lanka for 132 in the fourth One-Day International on Saturday.
Published: Aug 20, 2011, 05:57 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 20, 2011, 05:57 PM (IST)
Brett Lee scalped four wickets for 15 © Getty Images
Colombo: Aug 20, 2011
Xavier Doherty and Brett Lee grabbed four wickets apiece as Australia dismissed Sri Lanka for 132 in the fourth One-Day International on Saturday.
Left-arm spinner Doherty finished with a career-best 4-28 and paceman Lee with 4-15 to boost their team’s hopes of clinching the five-match series. Australia currently lead 2-1.
Sri Lanka were 95-3 following a 71-run stand for the third wicket between Mahela Jayawardene (53) and Kumar Sangakkara (31) before losing their last seven wickets for 37 runs.
Skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan (12) was the other batsman to reach double figures in Sri Lanka’s dismal performance on a slow wicket.
Jayawardene, dropped on 34 by wicket-keeper Brad Haddin off paceman Mitchell Johnson, hit just four boundaries in his patient 102-ball knock before falling to Lee in the 39th over. Lee and Doug Bollinger did not allow Sri Lanka to make a solid start after the hosts elected to bat as they struck in their opening spells, removing Dilshan and Upul Tharanga (eight).
Sangakkara, hit on the helmet by a Bollinger bouncer off the first ball he faced, steadied the innings with Jayawardene before Doherty bagged three wickets in two overs.
The Australian spinner broke the partnership when he dismissed Sangakkara, caught by Lee at long-on while attempting a big shot. He then trapped Chamara Silva leg-before in the same over.
Doherty got his third wicket when he had Angelo Mathews stumped for six runs in his next over before accounting for debutant Seekkuge Prasanna.
Australia replaced Steven Smith with Shaun Marsh for the only change from the side that lost the last match by 78 runs on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka brought in spinner Prasanna and fit-again Mathews in place of Jeevan Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal. (AFP)
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 132 all out in 38.4 overs (Mahela Jayawardene 53, Kumar Sangakkara 31; Brett Lee 4 for 15, Xavier Doherty 4 for 28) vs Australia
