Cricket World Cup: Australia it is then who, totally to form, will meet either India or Kenya in Sunday's World Cup final in Johannesburg. At St George's Park yesterday, their third visit in a month, they recovered from early traumas to overpower Sri Lanka by 48 runs in another low-scoring game - ultimately rain-affected and down to dear old Duckworth and Lewis.
This was not Sri Lanka's day from the moment they lost the toss. In a genuine blood-and-thunder knockout match they gave it their best shot in the field, bowling for the most part with skill and guile and, despite Andrew Symonds' brilliantly constructed unbeaten 91, gave themselves the glimmer of a chance in restricting Australia to 212 for seven.
Yesterday Brett Lee was devastating at the start, ripping out the prolific Marvan Atapattu with a yorker that registered 99.49mph (160.1kph) and setting off a procession that by the halfway stage of the innings had seen six further wickets fall and only 76 on the board.
Kumar Sangakkara and Chaminda Vaas resurrected some hope with an unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 47. But though they played sensibly they never carried enough conviction, and besides the storm clouds had begun to gather. By the time the rain began to fall Sri Lanka, unable to force the pace any harder, needed almost eight runs an over for the final 12 overs, a country mile behind the rate.
Vaas, with two wickets, and Aravinda de Silva had removed the Australian top order when Symonds came to the crease. But only once, on 33 and in the middle of a steadying 93-run partnership with Darren Lehmann, was he in trouble, when he stepped hesitantly from his crease to push at Sanath Jayasuriya's gentle left-arm spin, missed, but then saw Sangakkara behind the stumps whip off the bails without having gathered the ball first.
All hypothesis, of course, but it may have been the turning point of the match. His half-century came from 69 balls with five fours, reined in by his expansive standards, the next 41 eked out from a further 49 with only two more fours and a six clubbed over mid-on as the innings drew towards its climax.
To compete, Sri Lanka needed a strong start and resolution thereafter, and Jayasuriya had already flicked Lee over square leg for an astonishing six when the fast bowler made the breakthrough.
Yesterday, having given runs away at the start, Lee benefited from high-class catching, with Adam Gilchrist making light of a climbing catch off Hashan Tillekeratne and Ricky Ponting, at second slip and right in front of his face, clinging on to a missile given extra nip by Avishka Gunawardene's flick. At that stage his last 33 overs had brought 14 wickets, an astounding rate of striking.
Only De Silva, in what was to become his final international innings, could have saved the day.
But after two sumptuous fours his 37 years caught up as Sangakkara called a quick single from Andy Bichel's first ball only to see the bowler follow through, pick up with his left hand, transfer to his right, swivel and hurl down the stumps with De Silva short of the ground. Bowling, batting and now fielding, Bichel has been the Australian player of the tournament.
Guardian Service
