Clarke shines as Australia overcome brave Mathews to beat Sri Lanka by five runs

Australia beat Sri Lanka by five runs in the third tri-series one-day international at the WACA Ground on Friday. Sent in to bat by Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene, Australia made 231 from 49.1 overs. In reply, Sri Lanka was dismissed for 226 in 49.5 overs, falling just short after needing 18 runs to win from the final over. Man-of-the-match Michael Clarke top scored for the home side with 57 from 88 balls, while Sri Lanka’s five frontline bowlers all claimed two wickets each and were backed by some superb fielding. Earlier, Sri Lanka’s on-song bowlers restricted Australia to 231. Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene won the toss and elected to bowl and was rewarded with a disciplined performance from his attack, skittling the home side out in the 50th over. Australian captain Michael Clarke top scored with 57, while David Warner (34), Michael Hussey (23), brother David Hussey (27) and Dan Christian (33) all made starts, but none was able to make a significant contribution. Michael Hussey could consider himself a little unlucky, as he was brilliantly caught and bowled by Nuwan Kulasekara (2-39). The Sri Lankans made a perfect start by removing opener Matthew Wade (1) and former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting (1) cheaply as the home side stumbled early to 26-2. From there on, wickets fell regularly, Christian and Clarke’s 56-run sixth-wicket stand the best of a patchy innings. Clarke tried to steady the listing ship, facing 88 deliveries and hitting four boundaries, but in the 41st over he was caught at mid-wicket by the Sri Lankan skipper from the bowling of Angelo Mathews (2-37). India are the other side in the series.                                                                                                                  From gulftoday