MELBOURNE — All-rounder Dan Christian captured a hat-trick as Australia dismissed Sri Lanka for 238 off the last ball in their tri one-day series international at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday.
Medium-pacer Christian became only the fourth Australian to claim an ODI hat-trick in his career-best 5-31 off nine overs.
Sri Lanka, needing to beat Australia to reach the best-of-three match finals, lost momentum when Christian struck in the 44th over, removing Thisara Perera (5), Sachithra Senanayake (0) and Nuwan Kulasekara (0) with consecutive deliveries.
Perera fell to a spectacular juggling catch by Mike Hussey on the boundary rope at deep mid-wicket, while Senanayake and Kulasekara were lbw for ducks, although replays suggested the Kulasekara dismissal was dubious with the ball missing leg-stump. Christian also captured the wickets of Angelo Mathews (5) and last man Lasith Malinga (2) to slow the Sri Lanka run-rate after they were 186 for four in the 39th over and heading for a score of 250-plus.
James Pattinson, playing his first match for Australia since a stress injury in his left foot which had sidelined him since early January, was also among the wickets with 4-51 off 10 overs.
Australia began well dismissing both openers Mahela Jayawardene (5) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (9) for just 17 runs before Kumar Sangakkara and youngster Dinesh Chandimal restored the innings with a stand of 123 for the third wicket.
The experienced Sangakkara, playing in his 319th ODI, look set for a big score before he miscued Pattinson to deep square leg where he was caught by Peter Forrest for 64 off 93 balls.
Chandimal took over as the leading run-scorer of the tri series with 383 after his 75 off 84 balls. He tried to hit down the ground but holed out to Clint McKay at mid-off to give Pattinson his third wicket in the 39th over.
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Lahiru Thirimanne posted a half-century before he was bowled by Pattinson in the penultimate over for 51 off 59 balls.
But Christian and Pattinson contained Sri Lanka’s innings taking nine wickets between them.
Australia rested Brett Lee (foot) and skipper Michael Clarke (back/hamstring), while Sri Lanka recalled offspinner Senanayake for injured paceman Farveez Maharoof. —Reuters
