September 28 Saturday 2002
Sri Lanka thrashes world champion Australia to enter final

COLOMBO: Off-spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumara Dharmasena fashioned a convincing seven-wicket victory for Sri Lanka over Australia in the Champions Trophy semifinal on Friday.  Muralitharan claimed three wickets for 26 runs and Dharmasena bagged two for 30 as Sri Lanka's five-pronged spin attack sent world champion Australia crashing to 162 all out in 48.4 overs, its lowest ever score in 44 encounters between the two countries.

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya (R), Upul Chandana (L), Russel Arnold (2nd from R) and Aravinda de Silva (3rd from R) celebrate the run-out of Australia's Darren Lehmann during the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals on September 27, 2002

Chasing a modest total, Sri Lanka cut out all risks as it compiled 163 for three in 40 overs to earn a title showdown with India on Sunday. 

Skipper Sanath Jayasuriya struck six boundaries in his 51-ball 42, before Marvan Atapattu and Kumar Sangakkara shared a 75-run stand for the second wicket to spike Australia's chances of bouncing back. 

Atapattu top-scored with 51 off 113 balls and Sangakkara hit 48 from 62 balls.

"We knew that Australia's the best side in the world, but that didn't stop us from pulling off a shock win,'' a beaming Jayasuriya said after the match.

"Australian batsmen are not very good against spin, specially on our low-bounce, turning pitches. We played with a plan to exploit their weakness,'' he said.

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting was shattered. 

"We were outplayed,'' Ponting said. "The wicket started turning after a few overs, we lost five wickets in a row and were fighting a losing battle from there".

"The pitch turned too much for a one-day game, but we didn't lose due to the wicket. We batted badly.'' 

Sri Lanka's veteran off-spinner Aravinda de Silva and left-arm spinner Jayasuriya joined the team's two frontline slow bowlers to stop the Australian bastmen in their tracks.

De Silva's economic 10 overs conceded just 16 runs and earned him the Man of the Match award.

The Australian batsmen were baffled by the spin and bounce on a slow-turning track, and perished trying to hit their way out of trouble. Shane Warne, with 36 runs from 69 balls, was an unlikely top-scorer after the cream of the batting had crumbled.

Australia's previous lowest score in a 50-over match against Sri Lanka was 201 for seven in Melbourne in 1996.

Australia had got off to brisk start with openers Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden smashing 42 runs in the first five overs before skipper Jayasuriya introduced spin after just five overs of medium-pace. 

Off-spinner Dharmasena and de Silva then applied the breaks. 

Making an immediate impact, de Silva removed Hayden and Dharmasena dismissed Gilchrist in successive overs to reduce Australia to 49 for two. 

Skipper Ricky Ponting perished for three when left-arm medium-pacer Chaminda Vaas, brought back into the attack, trapped him leg before. 

The Australian middle-order crumbled as Darren Lehmann and Damien Martyn were both run out by direct hits as they tried to steal singles to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Dharmasena then outfoxed Michael Bevan who hit a ball down Arnold's throat at square-leg, leaving Australia in a fix at 97 for six. 

Muralitharan, whom the Australians expected to be their biggest threat, got into the wickets by having Shane Watson caught by Jayasuriya at short fine-leg. He dismissed Warne and Glenn McGrath off successive balls to wind up the innings.