Sri Lanka match vs. Australia abandoned

Sri Lanka’s World Cup match against defending champion Australia was abandoned Saturday due to heavy rain.

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara hit an unbeaten 73 to take the tournament co-host to 146-3 before rain forced players off the pitch in the Group A match at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium.

However, there was no let up in the rain, forcing match officials to call off the game and declare a ‘no result’. With no reserve day allocated in case of bad weather, both teams earned a point each.

Australia now has five points in the group, after comfortably winning its two previous matches against Zimbabwe and New Zealand. Sri Lanka also has five after winning two matches — against Canada and Kenya — and losing to Pakistan in its three previous games.

Sangakkara hit his 61st one-day half-century to lift his side from an early slide in the match after winning the toss and batting first.

Sri Lanka lost its first two wickets by the time it reached 31 runs. But Sangakkara was involved in two crucial partnerships — 44 with Mahela Jayawardene and an unbeaten 71 with Thilan Samaraweera before the rain arrived in the 33rd over.

Fast bowler Shaun Tait struck in the fourth ball of his spell, tempting Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan to edge a ball to Cameron White at slip with just six runs on the board. Dilshan made four runs.

Upul Tharanga on six slashed hard at Brett Lee but Steve Smith, fielding at cover point, leapt for a sharp catch to leave the co-host vulnerable at 31-2.

Sangakkara and Jayawardene combined for a 44-run partnership and Smith came into the act again with another brilliant fielding effort to run out Jayawardene.

Jayawardene blocked a delivery from Shane Watson and went for a quick single but a slight hesitation caught him short of his crease when Smith’s throw from the covers clipped the bails at the non-striker’s end.

Sangakkara looked composed and mostly played with a straight bat driving through the covers, mid-on and mid-off with good timing. His unbroken 71-run partnership with Thilan Samaraweera (34 not out) looked promising.

Lee and Tait bowled five overs each and picked up one wicket each.

Sri Lanka went into the match with three specialist spinners — Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath — on a pitch helped spin bowling. Seamer Nuwan Kulasekara was left out.

Sri Lanka plays Zimbabwe in its next group match on March 10 in Pallekele, central Sri Lanka. Australia will play its next match against Kenya on March 13, in Bangalore, India.