First match of the 1987/88 Benson and Hedges World Series Cup, Australia vs Sri Lanka at the MCG. I'll post the Sri Lankan innings later on, I've played the match but this took longer to write than I expected haha.
Here are today's teams
Allan Border has won the toss and elected to bat on a dry, hard surface which does have some cracks on it already but it should be wonderful to bat on.
And already there's a wicket! Geoff Marsh plays all around a delivery and sees both middle and leg stump uprooted out of the ground, bowled by Champaka Ramanayake for 4 runs.
Australia 1/6
Out to the crease is the local crowd favourite, Dean Jones.
And another one! David Boon is out plumb LBW, beaten for movement off the pitch and the ball would have crashed in to middle and off. Champaka Ramayake has Sri Lanka off to a dream start, Australia are in dissaray.
Australia 2/13 off 3.2 overs.
The 50 run partnership between Dean Jones (42 from 48 deliveries) and Mike Veletta (12 from 23 deliveries) is up, a lovely recovery from these two after an awful start.
And now Dean Jones brings up his personal half century, a brilliant knock so far full of positive intent, solid defense and strong running turning 1's in to 2's and 2's in to 3's. The crowd can sense a home town hundred to start the limited overs summer.
Australia bring up the hundred after 19.1 overs, a strong recovery from being 2/13. Both batsmen are well and truly set with Mike Veletta increasing his scoring rate after a slow start and Dean Jones looking set for a big innings, this could be a big total if Sri Lanka don't make a break through soon.
Another bowling change sees the highly rated batsman Aravinda de Silva come on to bowl some off spin to compliment his namesake Asoka de Silva bowling leg spin at the other end, a very interesting bowling tandem here.
Big appeal and he's given out! Darrell Hair raises the finger. First ball and Aravinda de Silva has the wicket of Dean Jones caught behind by Guy de Alwis for 60, a huge breakthrough for Sri Lanka that's exactly what they needed as this partnership was taking the game away from them. The crowd are bitterly disappointed as Dean Jones looked set for a ton but they applaud their local favourite as he walks off the field.
Australia 3/106
Out walks the captain to the crease, Allan Border.
HUGE APPEAL! The Sri Lankan's are certain that Allan Border is out, Steve Bucknor at square leg has called for the third umpire and we go to the television replay. Allan Border leaves a ball outside off stump but in doing so he's ever so slightly stepped out of his crease and with cat-like refles Guy de Alwis has the bails off in a flash and Allan Border is stumped for a golden duck. Amazing! There's no doubt about that as the third umpire signals the dismissal, Allan Border returns to the pavilion as fast he he came after being uncharacteristically casual and he's cursing himself after that, rightly so. Sri Lanka are ecstatic after 2 wickets in 2 balls, Australia reeling.
Australia 4/106
Steve Waugh comes out to face the hat-trick ball.
Tony Greig: "BigAppealAndTheUmpireRaisesHisFingerHe'sGivenHimFirstBallThat'sAHat-TrickAravindaDeSilvaHasAHat-Trick! Steve Waugh caught behind first ball pushing forward defensively and catches the outside edge to the wicket keeper de Alwis and Aravinda De Silva has 3 wickets in his first 3 balls this is incredible stuff here at the MCG. The Australian's have collapsed in a heap and they are in big trouble now." Classic Tony Greig commentary for the big occasions as always. Aravina De Silva has turned this game on its head, an imposing total of 250 has now gone down to 200 would be an excellent recovery. The Sri Lankan player who is expected to do the job for his team with the bat is unexpectedly doing it with the ball, an amazing first over.
Australia 5/106
Another huge appeal and another wicket for Aravinda de Silva, this time it's Mike Veletta walking back to the pavilion are edging a delivery behind to Guy de Alwis and he departs the crease for a well played 47 but you would feel that if Australia had any chance of resurrecting this innings to post a competitive total they needed Veletta to bat a while longer. The Australian's cannot play Aravinda de Silva he has them bamboozled and has completely turned this game upside down.
Australia 6/123
Big appeal and another one bites the dust, first ball. Tony Dodemaide is struck on the back pad right in front of the stumps off the bowling of De Silva except this time it's Asoka De Silva. Tony Dodemaide is not happy with the decision he believes there was a faint inside edge but nevertheless he is out and Australia have collapsed dreadfully after the dismissal of Dean Jones and they lost 5 wickets for 18 runs in that time. Sri Lanka will be looking to wrap this innings up quickly and chase a total under 150 runs which should be easily achieved on such a good batting strip.
Australia 7/124
Unbelievable! Another wicket without troubling the scorers. Peter Taylor is also given out LBW off the bowling of Asoka De Silva and yet again Australia have lost a wicket right after another wicket. This is dreadful batting.
Australia 8/124
A beautiful day here in Melbourne for cricket to start the summer. With Greg Dyer and Craig McDermott at the crease and Simon Davis to follow the Sri Lankan's will be looking to close this innings off very quickly. Australia could well be bowled inside 30 overs which would be highly embarrassing for them.
Hold the phones! Greg Dyer has played some magnificent shots has put on some very important runs for the Aussies. Reeling at 8/124 and seemingly headed for a total around 130, Dyer has managed a gem of an innings and amazingly he has the score creeping up to 200.
Another dismissal and another catch for Guy De Alwis behind the stumps. This time it's Craig McDermott who edges one behind and although he only scored 11 runs he more than played his hand by survivng time at the crease and allowing this wonderful fight back from Greg Dyer to resurrect the Australian innings. The Sri Lankan's were starting to get a little frustrated with that 49 run partnership for the 9th wicket. The Aussie's should be bowled out very soon and a total of around 175 is much better than a total of 125 although that would at least be 70-80 runs short on this pitch.
Australia 9/173
Greg Dyer brings up his 50, a brilliant innings that has made a contest of this match. A wonderful innings. If he can keep the strike away from Simon Davis Australia could reach 200 which would be a remarkable total after being 8/124.
They have done it. Thanks to Greg Dyer the Aussies have reached 200 after being down and out.
And that's the innings closed with Greg Dyer getting out on the long boundary off the last ball of the innings just 2 runs short of an incredible century. This has been a truly incredibly innings of limited overs cricket that has been played today so far and the Sri Lankan's will struggle to believe how they allowed a team that were 8/124 to get up to 228, 104 runs scored for the last 2 wickets with a brilliant innings from Greg Dyer of 98 from 104 deliveries. Australia now have a very decent total to bowl at and McDermott, Davis and Dodemaide should feel a lot more confident than they would have been earlier on and the confidence in the Sri Lankan dressing room is surely a little deflated after the final 20 overs of this innings.
Australia 10/228
Join us after the break for the Sri Lankan innings reply.
