Ponting hundred carries Australia to nine-wicket win

Ricky Ponting scored his 11th one-day and Matthew Hayden scored an unbeaten half century as Australia romped to an emphatic nine-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in their triangular one-day international match on Tuesday.

Replying to Sri Lanka's disappointing 214 for eight, Ponting and Hayden added 178 in 28.3 overs for the second wicket after the early loss of Adam Gilchrist (26), taking Australia to the victory target with 15.3 overs to spare.

The run-a-ball partnership was a record against Sri Lanka by Australia, surpassing the 157 scored by Steve Smith and Wayne Phillips way back in 1985.

Skipper Ponting, previously out of sorts in the tournament, regained his best form, playing shots all-round the wicket as he sped to a hundred in just 94 balls and finished with 106 from 97 balls having hit 14 fours and one six.

Hayden played with less freedom, only launching a full-blown assault on Sri Lanka's lacklustre bowlers once his captain had reached three figures. The tall left-hander finished with 80 from 87 balls, hitting one four and four sixes.

Sri Lanka, without the services of their injured star bowler Muttiah Muralitharan, and rested fast bowler Dilhara Fernando, went into the game with just three specialist bowlers.

Chaminda Vaas apart, who claimed the early wicket of Gilchrist, they took a hammering with the inexperienced Prabath Nissanka and Chamila Gamage conceding 84 runs in 10.3 overs.

Earlier in the day, a brisk start by the Sri Lankan openers had been followed by a mid-innings collapse that saw four wickets fall for 36 runs.

That left the tourists someway short of a defendable total against the Australians on such a fine batting strip.

The only joy for the Sri Lankans, who are currently involved in a distracting payment dispute with the Sri Lankan cricket board, was Aravinda de Silva passing 9000 one-day runs.

The 37-year-old right-hander, playing his 298th one-day international in a career that has spanned 19 years, became the third man to reach the milestone after Sachin Tendulkar (11,546) and Mohammad Azharuddin (9378)

De Silva, who will retire from international cricket after the World Cup, was forced to work very hard for his 44 from 73 balls, failing to hit a single boundary.

Avishka Gunawardene, Jayasuriya's replacement, top scored with 45 from 72 deliveries, hitting four boundaries, adding 64 runs in 14.3 overs with Atapattu (26), who was leading Sri Lanka for the third time in an ODI.

But Australia's bowlers, backed up good fielding, clawed their way back into the game from the time that Atapattu flicked a catch into the hands of Brad Hogg at square leg.

Wrist-spinner Hogg, set to be replaced by leg-spinner Shane Warne during the triangular series final against England starting Thursday, bowled the key spell, taking three wickets for 37 runs in his ten overs.

Gunwardene was trapped lbw whilst trying to sweep, Kumar Sangakkara (42) was caught in the deep as he aimed his third six and Mahela Jayawardene was deceived by a googly to be stumped for a second ball duck.

When Arnold (14), who added 31 runs with De Silva for the fifth wicket, was bowled by Brad Williams and Chaminda Vaas surrendered his wicket with a lackadaisical piece of running, Sri Lanka's innings ground to a virtual standstill on 170 for five.

De Silva added 31 runs with Mubarak before being caught in the penultimate over, and Tillakaratne and Mubarak scrambled 12 runs from the final over, but it was all too little too late.