Sri Lanka take series with 26-run win

Sri Lanka displayed their bowling strength ahead of the 2011 World Cup when they rested three key bowlers and yet ended up beating West Indies by 26 runs in the third and final one-day international to take the series 2-0.

Muttiah Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara were missing from their line-up but their back-up bowling unit comprising Dilhara Fernando, Ajantha Mendis and Thisara Perera did extremely well to defend a total of 277 for 9 by bowling West Indies out for 251 in 49 overs.

West Indies got off to a bad start, losing openers Chris Gayle and Adrian Barath for ducks before recovering through a 125-run stand between Darren Bravo, who hit an attractive 79 of 91 balls with nine fours and one six, and Ramnaresh Sarwan, who scored 51 off 66 balls.

Once the partnership was broken, West Indies struggled to maintain the required run-rate despite contributions of 32 from Dwayne Bravo and 49 from Carlton Baugh. Sri Lanka's pace-cum-spin attack came back strongly to make frequent inroads into the batting, with Ajantha Mendis eventually wrapping the innings up with a spell of three wickets for nine runs off 10 balls during the batting Powerplay. He finished with figures of 4 for 46.

Sri Lanka, invited to bat first on the same pitch where the first two matches were played, reached 277 for 9 in their 50 overs, with all their top-order batsmen getting into form but none going on to make a three-figure score.

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara's 75 off 105 balls was the top score with Mahela Jayawardene making the second highest score with 44. The pair added 95 for the third wicket off 114 balls, after openers Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan had given them a rollicking start by posting 54 off 50 balls.

Dilshan smashed two fours and a six in his 28-ball 30, before edging a catch behind the wicket attempting to cut a ball too close to his body. Tharanga, who scored a century in the second ODI, helped Sangakkara raise the total to 92 before inside-edging a ball from Sulieman Benn onto his stumps with his score on 30. Sangakkara was given a reprieve at 34 when he lofted Nikita Miller to deep midwicket where Barath made a lot of ground but spilled the catch and the ball crossed the boundary. The miss proved to be costly because Sangakkara took the attack to the bowlers and looked good for a century before he played all over a Benn delivery and was bowled.

Sri Lanka failed to make much headway in the batting Powerplay, which they took at 177-2 in the 37th over. They lost the two in-form batsmen: Jayawardene for 44 top-edging a pull and Sangakkara.

The departure of the top four batsmen at 205 saw the Sri Lanka run-rate slump. The brittle middle order failed to capitalise on the platform laid by the early batsmen as Sri Lanka lost five wickets for 39 runs. Thilana Samaraweera, Chamara Kapugedera and Perera all went cheaply as Benn worked himself towards his best ODI bowling figures, finishing with four wickets for 38.

The innings was given late momentum by Angelo Mathews, who slammed a quick 36 not out off 22 balls to help Sri Lanka cross the 275-run mark.

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Ryder's blazing ton sets up consolation win

Jesse Ryder overcame his recent running woes and twitter travails to rattle an 82-ball hundred, and set up a consolation win, as Pakistan went a touch overboard with dead-rubber experimentation. Ryder's belligerence set up a solid base for New Zealand, before Pakistan's questionable choice of slog-over bowlers allowed Nathan McCullum and Scott Styris plunder 72 off the last five. It left Pakistan chasing 312, a target that proved too steep despite a couple of brief flutters.

Ryder had been chastised earlier in the week for expressing his anger through a tweet following his run-out in a domestic game, but today he focused his fury on the opposition. Pakistan's fast-bowling machinery has worked in perfect synchrony through the series, with the exception of Sohail Tanvir, and the trend continued today.

Tanvir's first four overs yielded 25, in addition to accounting for Brendon McCullum, but Ryder spanked him out of the attack with three bombastic sixes in his fifth. Tanvir over-pitched, Ryder went down on a knee to jab him beyond square leg; he dropped short and Ryder pulled over wide long-on. Tanvir then landed a slower ball on a length, and it was smoked down the ground. The template had been set for the innings: every time New Zealand needed release, they ran into Tanvir's inviting lengths and friendly pace, which they duly plundered for 78 runs in eight overs of mayhem.

The rest of the cast fared only marginally better. Mohammad Hafeez was driven inside out for a four and a six in the bowling Powerplay. Ryder raced past fifty by dragging Umar Gul to midwicket, and then cracked him square and hooked him beyond fine-leg. Martin Guptill held his own at the other end, focussing on feeding Ryder with the strike in a stand worth 123.

With the field restrictions lifted, Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq reined New Zealand in. From 108 for 1 in the 16th over, New Zealand could add only 33 in 9.3 overs before Guptill holed out. Razzaq promptly threw another punch, getting Ross Taylor to nick a subtle legcutter behind.

A niggle forced Ryder to ask for a runner, but he ensured Brendon did not have much running to do, heaving Razzaq over fine leg, and swiping Shoaib Akhtar in the same direction. He brought up his ton with a glance in the 33rd over. However, with his mobility clearly hampered by the injury, he targeted the boundary exclusively, and was caught in the deep.

Wary of their longish tail, New Zealand chose to conserve resources for the late surge. Tanvir's return in the 43rd over signalled the end of the ceasefire, as Nathan tickled him to fine leg, before dumping Hafeez over long-on. Styris gorged as well, threading Tanvir through the covers as New Zealand warmed up for a tumultuous finish.

Gul was looted for a six and a four in the 46th over - the first of the final Powerplay - and Nathan played the field smartly to carve boundaries over the infield off Afridi in the 47th. After fluffing a straightforward run-out chance earlier, and conceding 14 runs in his over, Afridi pressed Tanvir and Hafeez into operation. The result - Styris and Nathan plundered nine fours and three sixes and breezed to half-centuries as the innings ended in a blaze of big hits.

Pakistan's chase began with the same lack of intensity that characterised their bowling. Ahmed Shehzad survived after edging a Kyle Mills outswinger in the first over of the innings, but combusted in his next over, top-edging an ambitious pull. Hafeez was beginning to look ominous when he clipped Hamish Bennett straight to deep square-leg. Younis Khan struggled against the impressive Bennett, who got a delivery to thud into his box, cracking his protector and leaving him gasping. Younis eventually edged Bennett behind, Brendon taking a diving catch to his right.

Kamran Akmal chose to knuckle down against seam and wait for the weaker bowlers. It was a good plan, since New Zealand were playing Luke Woodcock and Nathan on a pitch that didn't aid spin. Having moved to 26 off 39 balls by the 18th over, Kamran sped to his half-century with aggressive hits against the spinners.

The game changed when Asad Shafiq exited to a needless mix-up, after a stand of 74. Kamran kept attacking, launching Styris for his third six, but James Franklin removed him and Umar Akmal in an energetic spell as the chase sputtered. Afridi displayed rare restraint, while Tanvir slugged a few blows to keep Pakistan interested. They added 58 for the eight wicket and, with a batting Powerplay to come, New Zealand were becoming anxious for a wicket.

It came in freak fashion, as Tim Southee ran down the track on his follow-through to catch Tanvir short of the crease, with his bat getting stuck in the turf before he could slide it in. It was the sort of moment that had eluded New Zealand through the series, and when it came it was greeted with relief.

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Voges helps Australia take series 6-1

Australia rounded off their international summer in style with a commanding 57-run victory in Perth. It wasn't a high-quality match, with the exception of the batting from Adam Voges and David Hussey, as a long season drew to a close with two patched-up sides on show. However, Australia's depth came to the fore again as Voges hit a career-best 80 before England's mentally-finished top order was blown away to end hopes of a face-saving win.

Nothing will compensate for the crushing loss in the Ashes series, but Australia's resurgent one-day form has suggested a fourth consecutive World Cup title isn't out of reach, especially if key players return from injury. Even taking into account England's own injury problems and declining form, the home side's performances have boded well in the absence of Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey and Nathan Hauritz - all key figures in the one-day side.

During the Test matches, Australia's reserves did not appear up to international standard, but the team has not retained its No.1 one-day ranking by luck. Their pace attack is rapid, if wayward at times - they matched England's wide tally of 19 - while the lack of a matchwinning spinner isn't so harshly felt. Meanwhile, the batting is packed with stroke-makers.

Two were on show here after the top order wobbled to 4 for 102 before Hussey and Voges added 95 in 13 overs. This could be a one-off opportunity for Voges but if an injury replacement is needed for the World Cup, and Shaun Marsh doesn't recover, he might have put his name ahead of Callum Ferguson, who edged James Anderson to slip for 15.

Once Australia had posted a competitive total it was always unlikely that the visitors would be able to dig deep enough to make it a contest with the prospect of their flight home tomorrow evening. Mentally, a number of the players have long since been in those aircraft seats.

Andrew Strauss has plenty of reasons to be feeling weary after arriving in Australia on October 29 and it was a tired shot that ended his series when he was very late against Shaun Tait. The bat had barely come down when the ball knocked back the off stump. Steve Davies, back opening after the reshuffle caused by Eoin Morgan's injury, was unconvincing in his short stay until flapping at Doug Bollinger to complete an unhappy few weeks.

Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen briefly consolidated but there was never any great sense of permanency even from the in-form Trott. He was drawn into a flat-footed drive against Johnson which sent a thick edge to first slip, then Pietersen's uncertain stay ended with a drive to backward point. Even taking into account the looseness of England's batting this was the good Mitchell Johnson and he added a third when Ian Bell carved down to third man.

At 5 for 64 the game was over. Matt Prior played some handsome drives before giving Jason Krejza his maiden one-day wicket to end another unfulfilled innings and Michael Yardy battled hard to reduce the margin of defeat with his highest ODI score. But it had ceased to matter in the wider context.

England's makeshift bowling attack had done a decent job through the first half of the innings as the quicks started well and Yardy picked up two, but in a familiar pattern the work of the front line bowlers was squandered. Hussey and Voges took advantage with some positive strokeplay as they dispatched the loose deliveries on offer. Hussey had been given a life on 4 when Luke Wright dropped a return chance that should have been held and reached his fifty from 44 balls, which included a pulled six off Yardy.

With his boundary-clearing ability and a Powerplay to come he could have cut loose during the final 10 overs, but was squared up by Liam Plunkett and got a leading edge to backward point. Plunkett ended with 2 for 49, which was an impressive effort considering that he only arrived in the country three days ago following a 40-hour journey from the Caribbean.

Voges, though, remained to reach fifty off 45 deliveries, regularly showing his strength square of the wicket and rapid running. Although the boundaries dried up he placed the ball well to ensure 34 came off the last three overs, but Australia were helped by England's waywardness. That was symptomatic of a team not fully focussed and the batting effort was further evidence that minds were elsewhere. If they want to perform at the World Cup there isn't much time to refocus, but Australia can leave for the subcontinent this week in good spirits.

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