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Muralitharan milestone Resurgent Sri Lanka beats England by 31 runsPosted: Monday January 13, 2003 2:54 PM
SYDNEY (Reuters) -- Sri Lanka's resurgence in the triangular one-day series continued on Monday with a 31-run win over England as off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan became only the fourth player to claim 300 wickets in one-day internationals. Sri Lanka scored 284 for seven in their 50 overs before dismissing England for 253 in 49.2 overs. Muralitharan took 1-36 from his 10 overs, bowling tailender Jimmy Anderson for one as England again failed to build on a century opening stand. Sri Lanka's win, their second in succession after starting the series with three straight losses, keeps them in contention for the finals with 12 points. Australia have 22 from five games with England on 14 from six. Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya won the toss and batted, hitting his second successive century as Sri Lanka smashed 284 for seven. It was the left-hander's 15th century in his 277th one-day international and he put on 144 for the second wicket with Hashan Tillakaratne, who made 44. Marvan Atapattu was out for a sixth-ball duck in the first over of the match. It was in sharp contrast to his 101 in an opening partnership of 237 with Jayasuriya against Australia in Sydney four days ago when Sri Lanka won by 79 runs. Following his 122 against Australia, Jayasuriya reached his hundred off 94 balls and was out for 106 in 110 balls including 15 fours and one big six over point off Stephen Harmison. Wayward again The lanky paceman was again wayward with nine wides in his 0-59 from nine overs including 14 off his first over although Sri Lanka had to negotiate two tight spells from Andy Caddick, who took 2-29. The Somerset fast bowler had Atapattu caught at slip in the first over and returning to dismiss de Silva in the 47th over for 51 from 59 balls. Nick Knight (42) and Marcus Trescothick, who was run out for 85, made 115 for England's first wicket, their second successive century stand. But England then lost five wickets for 64 including a piece of schoolboy cricket from Alec Stewart (six) and Owais Shah who were both stranded mid-pitch after Shah sent the veteran back from an attempted single. Shah made 39 before he became one of slow bowler de Silva's four victims. The 37-year-old's 4-30 was his career-best but he was pipped by his captain for the man of the match award. Sri Lanka now face World Cup champions Australia in Brisbane on Wednesday with some confidence after victories over both triangular series opponents in the past week. While Muralitharan was at times unplayable on Monday, de Silva, who made a century in Sri Lanka's World Cup final win over Australia in 1996, is also a key weapon. He was on a hat trick when he had Shah caught at deep mid-wicket and Ronnie Irani caught and bowled for two in the 44th over at 227 for eight. Muralitharan grabs 300th one-day wicketSYDNEY (Reuters) -- Sri Lanka off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan became only the fourth bowler in history to claim 300 wickets in both tests and one-day internationals when he bowled England's Jimmy Anderson on Monday. The 30-year-old was playing his 202nd one-day match. He also has 437 scalps in 78 tests. The only other bowlers to achieve the double are Pakistan frontline seamers Waskim Akram and Waqar Younis and Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble whose one-day tallies respectively are 490, 409 and 302. Muralitharan finished with a tidy 1-36 from his 10 overs as Sri Lanka scored 284 for seven and then dismissed England for 253 in 49.2 overs to win by 31 runs. The often reserved Muralitharan raised both arms in triumph and flashed a broad grin after getting through Anderson's defences for one at 234 for nine in the 47th over. Unavailable for Sri Lanka's first three matches of the triangular series in Australia, Muralitharan returned from a hernia operation to take 2-44 in a 79-run win over the home side in Sydney four days ago. "We've been losing a few matches (three straight defeats) without him and he comes back and we win two - so you'd be lying if you said he wasn't something of a catalyst," Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore told reporters. Muralitharan was rated by cricket 'bible' Wisden last month as the best bowler in test cricket history and seventh-best in one-day internationals, with Akram the top bowler and Viv Richards the top batsman. His bowling action led to him being called for throwing during tours to Australia in 1995-96 and 1998-99 but it has since been cleared by the International Cricket Council. Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya, who has made successive centuries in the past two games, said last week his off spinner was just as important to the team as 1999 World Cup hero Shane Warne to Australia. Sri Lanka's win keeps them in contention for the finals with 12 points. Australia have 22 from five games with England on 14 from six. Sri Lanka can face Australia in Brisbane on Wednesday with some confidence after victories over both series opponents in the past week.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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