Watch the highlights of Australia vs Sri Lanka 11th Match Benson & Hedges World Series Cup 1988 - Benson & Hedges World Series Cup one-day international tournament of the 11th ODI match played between Sri Lanka and Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney in 19th January 1988.
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| Mike Veletta plays a shot © Channel 9 / Cricket Australia / YouTube |
Career-best bowling figures from Steve Waugh and Mike Whitney before Mike Veletta's unbeaten half-century and Tony Dodemaide's crucial 30 sets up to Australia pulled off a thrilling three-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in a last-over thriller of the 11th match of a Benson and Hedges World Series Cup.
Sri Lanka scored 188-9 in 50 overs with top scorer by Aravinda de Silva struck 79 off 100-balls including 7-fours.
Asanka Gurusinha scored 37 off consuming 101-balls including one-six & a four and Arjuna Ranatunga 16.
Australia best bowler by Steve Waugh claimed a career-best 4-wickets for 33-runs in 10-overs, Mike Whitney captured a career-best 4-wickets for 34-runs in 10-overs including two maidens and Tony Dodemaide took one-wicket.
Australia chased 189-7 in 49.3 overs with top scorer by Mike Veletta scored a unbeaten 68 off 91-balls including a boundary.
Tony Dodemaide struck 30 off 46-balls including 2-fours, Steve Waugh 16 and David Boon 15.
Sri Lanka best bowler by Champaka Ramanayake picked up 3-wickets for 35-runs in 10-overs, Aravinda de Silva, Ravi Ratnayeke, Arjuna Ranatunga and Graeme Labrooy each took one-wickets.
Mike Veletta named Player of the match for his match-winning superb unbeaten 68 off 91-balls including a boundary.
This match reported by Patrick Smithers (Third Party Reference from The Age)
Sri Lanka, the minnow of international cricket, nearly toppled World Cup champion Australia in a thrilling one-day match at the SCG.
The Sri Lankans, already omitted from the finals of the World Series Cup, bowed out of the competition with a typically spirited performance, coming within a few balls of causing a major upset.
Australia was saved from an ig nominious defeat by Mike Veletta, who hit the winning runs down the ground with three deliveries remaining to give his side victory by three wickets.
The diminutive Veletta thwarted the Sri Lankans with an unbeaten 68 from 91 balls, a cool-headed innings during which he unobtrusively picked up runs at a deceptive rate and struck only one boundary.
The last time Australia lost to Sri Lanka was three years ago to the day, 19 January 1985, in a WSC fixture in Melbourne. When it had Australia 6/100 in the 34th over last night, that triumph seemed destined to be repeated.
But a 73-run stand between Veletta and determined all-rounder Tony Dodemaide ended the dreams of Sydney's Sri Lankan community, which was dancing in the outer in anticipation at an unlikely result.
Sri Lanka's strength this summer has been its batting and unbridled enthusiasm, so a disappointing total of 9/188 against an Australian attack that lacked a frontline strike bowler did nothing to indicate that it would at last be competitive.
A paltry total like that could not be defended by enthusiasm alone. But the Sri Lankans showed they had more to offer in the field than exuberance with a disciplined bowling effort and some sensational fielding.
The catch which dismissed opener Geoff Marsh, a diving save from an airborne Asanka Gurusinha who intercepted a lightning drive in the covers, was inspirational. Aravinda de Silva topped off his fine batting performance with a brilliant caught and bowled, diving to his right, to remove captain Allan Border And the Sri Lankan attack, which has rarely looked unfriendly, was nagging enough to cause a disturbing collapse among the Australian top order. Medium pacer Champaka Ramanayake was deadly accurate and received some fine support.
With four overs remaining, Australia needed to score at more than a run a ball, but 11 run off Ravi Ratnayeke swayed the bat ance in the home side's favor.
With Australia and New Zea land to play off for the World Series Cup, the selectors decided to shuffle the bowlers around in a bid to have a look at all the candidates before the first final in Melbourne on Friday.
Craig McDermott and Simon Davis were left out to make room for off-spinner Tim May, whose bowling arm was in danger of becoming rusty so little has it had to do this summer, and left-arm quickie Michael Whitney.
But the Sri Lankans were in such a hurry to move into top gear that their innings never really made it out of first. While there is no doubt about their ability to hit fluent attacking shots, they have not refined the art of running between the wickets and milking an attack, such an important part of the one-day game.
Both the openers were dismissed cheaply by Whitney, Brendon Kuruppu having his off-stump knocked out. of the ground and Roshan Mahanama well trapped by Border at first slip. Sanath Kaluperuma followed soon after, bowled by Waugh in his international debut for a laborious four from 24 deliveries.
At 3/39 in the 17th over Sri Lanka was in desperate trouble and looking for a savior. It was left to Aravinda de Silva, with some assistance from the left-handed Asanka Gurusinha, to steady the innings.
The pair provided a vital 74 runs for the fourth wicket, a partnership dominated by the reliable de Silva who raced to 79 from 100 deliveries with some enterprising hitting, the highest score made by a Sri Lankan in its eight one-day matches this summer.
Peter Taylor suffered more than anyone else at the hands of de Silva and, in fact, was the only Australian bowler yesterday not to increase his credit rating with the Australian selectors.
The 47 from Taylor's 10 overs was exorbitant when compared with the rest of the bowling, which was tight and steady in the extreme. May was particularly impressive, conceding only 22 runs as he fired in his miserly, flat off-spinners.
After watching the action from the dressing room for much of the summer, May must now have a chance of being selected for the first of the finals. And Whitney, who by no means has a monopoly on his place in the side, did his prospects no harm with an excellent 4/34.
The left-arm bowler's figures would have been even more impressive if not for the 12 runs hit off him when he was brought back for a solitary over late in the innings. That over also saw a dropped catch a sitter which popped out of Greg Dyer's gloves after he ran halfway to fine leg in a bid to snare a top edge from de Silva.
Sri Lanka, which plays Australia in a Test match in Perth in February, can be happy with its progress. It has already beaten New Zealand in a World Series Cup game, in Hobart last week.
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