Xavier Doherty and Brett Lee took four wickets apiece as Australia
defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets in the fourth one-dayer on Saturday
to gain an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
 Left-arm spinner Doherty, who was named man of the match, finished with a career-best 4-28. © AFP |
Left-arm spinner Doherty, who was named man of the match, finished
with a career-best 4-28 and paceman Lee with 4-15 as Australia dismissed
Sri Lanka for 132 before achieving the modest target with 22 overs to
spare.
Opener Shaun Marsh (70) was Australia's batting star as he put on 97
for the third wicket with skipper Michael Clarke (38 not out) after
paceman Lasith Malinga removed Shane Watson and Ricky Ponting in the
same over.
Debutant leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna dismissed Marsh and the Hussey
brothers, Michael and David, in the space of four deliveries, but
Australia needed just 10 runs to win with five wickets in hand at that
stage.
Marsh, playing his first match of the series, hit one six and 11 fours in his impressive 80-ball knock.
Sri Lanka were earlier 95-3 following a 71-run stand for the third
wicket between Mahela Jayawardene (53) and Kumar Sangakkara (31), but
lost their last seven wickets for 37 runs in a dramatic collapse.
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 Prasanna.
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