India vs Sri Lanka in India, Nov-Dec 2009

Sri Lanka in India Three Test, five ODI and Two T20 match series

Sri Lanka will be looking for the elusive test match and series win when they tour India for a Three Test, five ODI and Two T20 match series from November to December 2009. The team arrive in India on November 8th for the 55-day tour.

Cricket World Cup records Sri Lanka were two runs short of..

Retirements.. Retirements during / after World Cup

ICC Cricket World Cup 2007

ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 Records
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The Cricket World Cup is the world's third largest and most viewed sporting event, behind soccer's World Cup and the Summer Olympic Games. The 2007 World Cup will be televised in over 200 countries to a viewing audience estimated at more than two billion television viewers.
It is the first time the Cricket World Cup has been held in the Caribbean.
Trivia: The United States contingent lobbied strongly for matches to be staged at its newly built cricket ground in Lauderhill, Florida, but the ICC decided to award all matches to Caribbean nations.

2007 Cricket World Cup Finals

ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 Final

Final - Sat 28 April Kensington Oval, Barbados

Sri Lanka vs Australia Semi-Final 1 Winner vs Semi-Final 2 Winner

World Cup Final, AUS vs SL: Australia lift World Cup 2007

Australia lifted the World Cup trophy for a record third successive time after claiming victory over Sri Lanka in a rain-shortened final on Saturday.
Adam Gilchrist smashed 149, the highest individual score in a World Cup final to propel Australia to 281-4 from their allotted 38 overs before the champions restricted Sri Lanka to 215, thereby winning by a margin of 53 runs (D/L method). Sri Lanka, champions in 1996, were set a revised target of 269 off 36 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis system after rain halted play for 12 minutes during their run chase.

Reported Earlier:Australia made 281 for four in a rain-truncated 38 overs match against Sri Lanka in the 2007 Cricket World Cup final at the Kensington Oval, Barbados on Saturday.
Australia got off to a ballistic start as Adam Gilchrist came good with the bat and smashed his 15th ODI hundred off just 72 balls after skipper Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat. He put on 172 runs for the opening wicket with Matthew Hayden before the latter was dismissed by Lasith Malinga. Mahela Jayawardene held on to a good catch at cover to send back Hayden. He made just 38 off 55 deliveries while his partner plundered at the other end.
Gilchrist cut, pull and drove savagely. He was in such fine nick that even his mistimed shots cleared the ropes. He put on 52 runs with Ponting before a top edge landed in the palms of Chamara Silva. The much tormented Dilhara Fernando was the successful bowler. Gilchrist played 104 balls and hit 13 boundaries and eight sixes. The match started after an almost three-hour delay due to rain and has been reduced to a 38-over-a-side contest. Three bowlers will be allowed to bowl eight overs each, while two will be allowed seven each. The third power play will not come into effect.

Reported Earlier:Australia captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat first in the rain-delayed World Cup final at Barbados.

Reported Earlier: Early morning rain has delayed start of the 2007 Cricket World Cup final between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Kensington Oval, Barbados on Saturday.
Groundstaff pulled the covers on as rain clouds drifted over the ground from the east of the Caribbean island. Weather forecasts predicted showers and sunny periods over Bridgetown throughout the day.
Reigning champions Australia will be eyeing their third consecutive World Cup title, while the Lankans will be hoping to stop the Aussie juggernaut. The two teams had met in the 1996 finals where the Lankans had defeated the Aussies for their maiden World Cup title.

Australia team: M L Hayden, A C Gilchrist, R T Ponting, M J Clarke, A Symonds, M E K Hussey, S R Watson, G B Hogg, S W Tait, G D McGrath, N W Bracken

Sri Lanka team: S T Jayasuriya, W U Tharanga, K C Sangakkara, D P M D Jayawardene, L P C Silva, T M Dilshan, R P Arnold, W P U J C Vaas, C R D Fernando, S L Malinga, M Muralitharan

World Cup Final, Barbados: Australia 281 for 4 (38.0 overs) beat Sri Lanka 215 for 8 (36.0 overs) by 53 runs (D/L)

Australia vs Sri Lanka Final The Finals on Sat 28 April at Kensington Oval, Barbados is the last match of the ninth World Cup, with Australia seeking an unprecedented third successive title following title wins in 1999 and 2003.
Australia are unbeaten in their last 28 World Cup matches, including 21 wins under Ponting's captaincy.

Sri Lanka was the last team to win the title before Australia, in 1996, beating the Aussies in the final. Australia also won the title in 1987.

Echoing the popular sentiments in the streets, Times of India noted "billions of fans from Kingston to Karachi and Manchester to Mumbai who support their own teams or anyone that plays against Australia" would be delighted if Pontings' boys lose.

World Cup Final, AUS vs SL: Battlelines drawn; Will Jayasuriya shine?

Australian war-horse Glenn McGrath has declared that he will have one final crack at his old rival Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka as the two face off in the World Cup final on Saturday at Barbados.

McGrath, the tournaments leading wicket-taker with 25 scalps believes Jayasuriya will not enjoy the steep bounce of the Barbados pitch. The great Australian paceman, 37, is set to finish his career as the outstanding bowler of the tournament, and in tormenting South Africa with the new ball in Wednesday's semi-final, broke the record for the most wickets in a single World Cup. His battle with Jayasuriya, the marauding opener with the potential to take the game away from any attack, looms as a crucial duel in the final.
The Australians have always believed Jayasuriya is vulnerable to fast, short-pitched bowling, and his arm was broken by a rising Brett Lee delivery at the 2003 World Cup. Though the express pace of Shaun Tait might seem more dangerous, McGrath said his sharp bounce had troubled Jayasuriya in the past, and he was looking forward to reprising their long rivalry at Kensington Oval, which has the fastest and bounciest pitch in the Caribbean.

Hard hitting Adam Gilchrist had a disappointing World Cup so far, making just two fifties from 10 innings, with a top score of 59 not out. He turns 36 this November, and this will be his last World Cup in all probability.

Meanwhile, Jayasuriyas wife Sandra and three young children were due to leave later Thursday for London en route to Barbados, a family friend told AFP.
Sri Lankas President Mahinda Rajapakse also made a previously unscheduled visit to Barbados on Thursday to witness his country play Australia in the finals.

Australia v Sri Lanka head-to-head record

Australia v Sri Lanka head-to-head record ahead of the World Cup final at Kensington Oval on Saturday:
Total meetings: 64 | Australia wins: 42 | Sri Lanka wins: 20 | Tied: 0 | No Result: 2

Last 20 meetings

27/09/2002: Colombo Sri Lanka won by 7 wkts
22/12/2002: Perth Australia won by 142 runs
09/01/2003: Sydney Sri Lanka won by 79 runs
15/01/2003: Brisbane Australia won by 4 wkts
21/01/2003: Melbourne Australia won by 9 wkts
07/03/2003: Centurion Australia won by 96 runs
18/03/2003: Port Elizabeth Australia won by 48 runs
20/02/2004: Dambulla Australia won by 84 runs
22/02/2004: Dambulla Sri Lanka won by 1 run
25/02/2004: Colombo Australia won by 5 wkts
27/02/2004: Colombo Australia won by 40 runs
29/02/2004: Colombo Sri Lanka won by 3 wkts
13/01/2006: Melbourne Australia won by 116 runs
22/01/2006: Sydney Sri Lanka won by 51 runs
26/01/2006: Adelaide Australia won by 5 wkts
29/01/2006: Perth Australia won by 6 wkts
10/02/2006: Adelaide Sri Lanka won by 22 runs
12/02/2006: Sydney Australia won by 167 runs
14/02/2006: Brisbane Australia won by 9 wkts
16/04/2007: St George's Australia won by 7 wkts

Australia vs Sri Lanka in CWC 2007 Super 8s

Match 19, Grenada: Australia 232 for 3 (42.4 overs) beat Sri Lanka 226 all out (49.4 overs) by 7 wickets
Sri Lanka innings: 226 all out in 49.4 overs; Jayawardene 72, Silva 64 & Bracken 19/4
Australia innings: 232 for 3 in 42.4 overs; Ponting 66*, Symonds 63*, Hayden 41

Australia and Sri Lanka Teams for the final

Sri Lanka (from): Upul Tharanga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Chamara Silva, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Russel Arnold, Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando.
Sri Lanka have three survivors from the 1996 team Jayasuriya, spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas.

Australia: Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Michael Hussey, Shane Watson, Brad Hogg, Nathan Bracken, Shaun Tait, Glenn McGrath.
Australian cricketers have remained unbeaten in the ongoing World Cup 2007.

Bucknor to umpire fifth straight World Cup final

West Indies umpire Steve Bucknor will officiate in his fifth successive cricket World Cup final, between Australia and Sri Lanka, along with Aleem Dar of Pakistan here Saturday. The International Cricket Council (ICC) also announced that former New Zealand captain Jeff Crowe would be the match referee at the Kensington Oval.
The third umpire will be Rudi Koertzen of South Africa and the reserve umpire will be New Zealander Brent Bowden.

Bucknor, 60, had earlier stood in the title deciding match of the 1992, 1996, 1999 and 2003 tournaments. The only officials who come close to that mark are Harold "Dickie" Bird (1975, 1979 and 1983) and David Shepherd (1996, 1999 and 2003), who both stood in three finals.

Bucknor, 60, had earlier stood in the title deciding match of the 1992, 1996, 1999 and 2003 tournaments. The only officials who come close to that mark are Harold "Dickie" Bird (1975, 1979 and 1983) and David Shepherd (1996, 1999 and 2003), who both stood in three finals.

Australia, Sri Lanka in Previous World Cup finals

Cricket World Cup 1975 (Lords, England)
Result : West Indies beat Australia.
West Indies scored 291 runs in 60 overs for 8 wickets.
Australia lost by 17 runs; Scored 274 in 58.4 overs all out.

Cricket World Cup 1987 (Calcutta, India)
Result : Australia beat England.
Australia won by 7 runs; Scored 253 in 50 overs for 5 Wickets.
England scored 246 in 50 overs for 8 wickets.

Cricket World Cup 1996 (Lahore Pakistan)
Result : Sri Lanka beat Australia.
Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets; Scored 245 in 46.2 overs for 3 wickets.
Australia scored 241 in 50 overs for 7 wickets.

Cricket World Cup 1999 (Lords, England)
Result : Australia beat Pakistan.
Australia won by 8 wickets; Scored 133 in 20.1 for 2 wickets
Pakistan scored 132 in 39 overs all out.

Cricket World Cup 2003 (The Wanderers, Johannesburg)
Result : Australia beat India
Australia won by 125 runs; Scored 359 for 2 wickets.
India scored 234 in 39.2 overs all out.

Semi-Final Line up

Semi Final 1 - Tue 24 April Sabina Park, Jamaica	Semi Final 2 - Wed 25 April Beausejour Stadium, St Lucia
SL vs NZ Super Eight 2nd vs Super Eight 3rd	AUS vs RSA Super Eight 1st vs Super Eight 4th

Second Semi Final, AUS vs SA: Australia ousts South Africa

Australia thrashed South Africa in the World Cup semi-final in St Lucia and will now meet Sri Lanka in a re-match of the 1996 final on Saturday. Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke led an unflustered run chase as Australia won by seven wickets in the 32nd over. Clarke finished unbeaten on 60, and Andrew Symonds hit the winning runs with a drive through mid-wicket for four to cap another near-perfect performance from Australia.

For Australia, Shaun Tait took 4-39, while Glenn McGrath (3-18) grabbed three early scalps to go to 25 for the tournament, a record haul in a single World Cup. Herschelle Gibbs (39) and Justin Kemp (49) put on 60 for the sixth wicket.

Second Semi Final, Match 25, St Lucia: Australia 153-3 beat South Africa 149 by seven wickets

Second Semi Final, AUS vs SA: South Africa get second shot at Australia

South Africa will be hoping it's a case of second time lucky when they go up against the all-conquering Australians in the second semi-final today
Australia has beaten all its major rivals on the way to the World Cup semi-final. Now South Africa gets a second chance. Beaten by 83 runs in the group phase, South Africa will become the latest nation to try to stop a rampant Australia team from winning the title for an unprecedented third time in a row. At stake is a final place against New Zealand or Sri Lanka, who locked horns in Jamaica yesterday.
McGrath and opening batsman Matthew Hayden are the leading bowler and batsman respectively so far in the World Cup. McGrath will retire at the end of the tournament, ending the career of one of the world's greatest bowlers. Hayden, discarded as a one-day player six months ago, is in awesome form in the Caribbean. In eight innings he has scored 580 runs, averaging a massive 82.85 with three centuries. He also tops the Super 8s batting statistics, with 390 runs from five innings. One of the centuries, in 66 balls, was made against South Africa in the group stages as Australia amassed 376 for an easy victory.
But South Africa will be no pushovers if the team combines its undoubted talent. Smith and A.B. de Villiers have established a good working relationship as openers and even resembled the destructive Australians as they bludgeoned their way to victory against England.

Australia team (from): Ricky Ponting (captain), Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Michael Hussey, Shane Watson, Brad Hogg, Nathan Bracken, Shaun Tait, Glenn McGrath.
South Africa team (from): Graeme Smith (captain), AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, Ashwell Prince, Justin Kemp, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Andre Nel, Robin Peterson, Makhaya Ntini, Charl Langeveldt, Loots Bosman.

First Semi Final, SL vs NZ: Murali spins Sri Lanka into World Cup final

Captain Mahela Jayawardenes maiden World Cup hundred (115)coupled with a mesmerising four for 31 by off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan powered Sri Lanka to an emphatic 81-run victory against New Zealand in the first semi-final at Jamaica on Tuesday.
A tremendous performance by the ever-reliant Muralitharan, who was on a hat-trick at one stage, ensured that the Kiwis, who were 105-2, lost momentum and within a blink of an eye, collapsed to 116-7. Tillakaratne Dilshans dismissal of Scott Styris (37) proved to be the turning point as the Black Caps simply succumbed to the occasion and lost way quickly.
The downward spiral left only a feeling of shock which then turned to gloom as was evident from skipper Stephen Fleming's posture in the dressing room. For Sri Lanka the victory ensured that they became the first team to reach the finals and would await the winner of the second semi-final between South Africa and Australia on April 25.

New Zealand team: P G Fulton, S P Fleming, R L Taylor, S B Styris, C D McMillan, J D P Oram, B B McCullum, D L Vettori, J E C Franklin, S E Bond, J S Patel
Sri Lanka team: W U Tharanga, S T Jayasuriya, K C Sangakkara, D P M D Jayawardene, L P C Silva, T M Dilshan, R P Arnold, W P U J C Vaas, S L Malinga, M Muralitharan, C R D Fernando

World Cup First Semi Final, Jamaica: Sri Lanka 289 for 5 beat New Zealand 208 all out by 81 runs

First Semi Final, SL vs NZ: Bond and Oram set to return for semi-finals

Fast bowler Shane Bond and giant all-rounder Jacob Oram are scheduled to return to the New Zealand side for Tuesday`s World Cup semi-final against Sri Lanka in Jamaica.
Bond, who missed his team`s 215-run hammering by Australia on Saturday with a stomach complaint, did not train on Saturday but Oram batted in the nets at the Grenada National Stadium. Oram, who was rested because of a bruised right heel, did not bowl but told reporters he would test his heel after the team arrived in Jamaica on Monday.
Their return has become a matter of urgency for the Kiwis after the mauling by Australia, the biggest one-day defeat in New Zealand history. Adroitly as Stephen Fleming juggled his slender bowling resources, nothing could disguise how much he missed Bond`s pace and skills and Oram`s bounce and accuracy.

New Zealand team (from): S Fleming (capt), P Fulton, R Taylor, S Styris, C McMillan, J Oram, B McCullum, D Vettori, J Franklin, S Bond, J Patel, H Marshall, M Gillespie, C Martin, M Mason.
Sri Lanka team (from): M Jayawardene (capt), S Jayasuriya, U Tharanga, K Sangakkara, C Silva, T Dilshan, R Arnold, C Vaas, F Maharoof, L Malinga, M Muralitharan, D Fernando, M Atapattu, N Kulasekera, M Bandara.