SRI LANKA BEATS AUSTRALIA BY 8 WICKETS UNDER D/L Method

By making the target of 152 runs under D/L method in reply to Australia’s 158 all out in 24.1 overs with 101 balls to spare and beating Australia convincingly by 8 wickets.
We earned the BONUS point also enabling the possibility of playing in  the finals early next month in the best of 3 finals, by keeping our hopes alive.
Today the 17th at the SCG (Sydney Cricket Ground) in Sydney, Australia, the hosts were made to be highly embarrassed when they conceded an easy 8 wicket win over them in a rain curtailed game which was restricted to 41 overs a side. The commentators views as an unpredictable Sri Lankan was disproved.
This was due to a 1 ½ hour interruption of play owing to rain. The target set under the D/L method was only 152 runs which the Sri Lankan batsmen achieved for the loss of two wickets, thus winning by 8 wickets. Owing to their high run rate Sri Lankan’s were awarded a bonus point as well. We had to win this vital game at any cost to be in contention for the best of three final to be played at the end of the preliminary matches. The Commonwealth Bank sponsored ‘Tri Series’ tournament in order to enter the best of 3 finals to be played in early March.
Mahela Jayewardena who was the skipper opened batting in place of Upul Tharanga who was dropped owing to his very poor form top scored with an unbeaten 61 runs while Kumar Sangakkara scored 30 runs. While he had made his 11th run he became the third Sri Lankan batsman to past the unique milestone of scoring 10,000 ODI runs, This was after Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jajewardena. Sangakkara however achieved this feat having played in a fewer number of ODI matches than the other two.
The ‘Man of the Match’ award as adjudicated was won surprisingly by Tissara Perera for taking two wickets and for his brilliant fielding which helped him  in running out a few Australian batsmen. The entire Score Board could be viewed BELOW: