Watch the highlights of Australia vs Sri Lanka 20th Match Benson & Hedges World Cup 1992 - Benson & Hedges World Cup tournament of the 20th ODI match played between Sri Lanka and Australia at Adelaide Oval on 07th March 1992.
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| Tom Moody plays a shot © ICC / Digital Cricket TV |
Economical bowling figures by Mike Whitney, Craig McDermott and Peter Taylor before openers Tom Moody and Geoff Marsh leads to Australia convincing seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka and keep their hopes alive in a low-scoring game of the 20th match of a Benson and Hedges World Cup.
Sri Lanka scored 189-9 in 50 overs with top scorer by Aravinda de Silva cracked a 62 off 83-balls including two boundaries.
Athula Samarasekera struck 34 off 63-balls including 3-fours, Arjuna Ranatunga scored 23 off 52-balls without a boundary and Sanath Jayasuriya hit 15 off 29-balls contained a four.
Australia best bowler by Peter Taylor captured 2-wickets, Mike Whitney, Craig McDermott and Allan Border each took one-wickets.
Australia chase down the target of 190 for 3 in 44 overs with top scorer by Geoff Marsh cracked a 60 off 113-balls including 3-fours & a six.
Tom Moody struck 57 off 86-balls including 4-fours, David Boon hit 27 off 36-balls included 2-sixes and Mark Waugh scored 26 off 27-balls contained a four.
Sri Lanka best bowler by Pramodya Wickramasinghe captured 2-wickets for 29-runs in 10-overs including three maidens with economy rate of 2.90 and Ruwan Kalpage took one-wickets.
Tom Moody named Player of the match for his match-winning brilliant 57 off 86-balls including 4-fours.
This match reported by The Canberra Times Staff (Third Party Reference from The Canberra Times)
Determined opening batsman Geoff Marsh justified Allan Border's faith in him by ushering Australia to a seven-wicket victory in its World Cup cricket survival test against Sri Lanka at Adelaide Oval.
Dropped for the last match with England but recalled for this make-or-break game, Marsh top-scored with 60 off 113 balls as Australia posted 3-190 off 44 overs in response to Sri Lanka's 9-189 from 50 overs.
Marsh had slow Cup scores of 19, 25 and eight before this match, but Border gambled on his hardworking deputy heading the order instead of Mark Taylor and it paid off, albeit against an unfancied attack.
After a cumbersome start. Marsh climbed out of his cocoon to launch the defending. champion towards a win which keeps it in the semi-final hunt. Australia, which has four points from five games, must still win its last three matches, beginning with the day-night clash against Pakistan in Perth on Wednesday.
The tight battle for the top four positions could hinge on the complex run-rate system. Like many captains, Border is not sure how exactly the system works and was just pleased that Australia boosted its percentage.
"It is important, the run rate, although it can't overtake the importance of winning games." he said. "We've still got to take each game as it comes and win every game."
Today's winning platform was an opening stand of 120 in 30.4 overs from Marsh and fellow Western Australian Tom Moody.
Marsh took 15 balls to get off the mark and earned an ironic cheer from the crowd when he did so guiding pace bowler Champaka Ramanayake to third man in the sixth over.
Marsh and Moody took a while to get going with Sri Lanka relying on defensive fields to protect its moderate attack. But after being 0-16 from eight overs, Australia was 0-54 seven overs later, with Marsh in particular showing improved confidence.
Eventual man-of-the-match Moody also struck the ball authoritatively and fashioned 57 off 86 balls before being caught at midwicket.
Marsh departed three overs later, unluckily smashing a full toss from off-spinner Ruwan Kalpage to Don Anurasiri at long on, and walked off to a standing ovation from the crowd and team mates.
Mark Waugh, who was brought in with Marsh at the expense of Mark Taylor and Bruce Reid, treated the bowling with contempt in a quickfire 26, which featured two huge sixes. David Boon (27 not out) and Dean Jones (12 not out) finished the job off with Jones hitting a massive onside six off Ramanayake that should receive honourable mention in the Adelaide Oval big-hit list.
Although usually keen to bat first, Border sent Sri Lanka in after winning the toss on a slowish wicket. And despite keeping Sri Lanka to a modest total, Border was not overly thrilled with the bowling.
Steve Waugh opened with Craig McDermott, but the first bowling success was when Mike Whitney trapped Asanka Gurusinha lbw for five in the 10th over to leave Sri Lanka 2-28.
After recovering to 3-123 in the 35th over, Sri Lanka lost its last seven wickets for 66 runs in 15.1 overs.
Skipper Aravinda De Silva top-scored with 62 off 83 balls, but later bemoaned the fact his side failed to make 240.
The Australians gave their key batsmen some chances with opener Athula Samasekera dropped on seven en route to 34. and Arjuna Ranatunga missed on eight and 12 during his 23.
Offspinner Peter Taylor did well snaring 2-34 off 10 overs and the other bowlers had fair figures, including Border with 1-40 off 10 overs.
Placed third before this match with five points from four games, Sri Lanka also has some tough encounters ahead and today travels to Ballarat where it faces England on Sunday.
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