The last game of the summer, and the big finish we’ve all been hoping for: Australian take on Sri Lanka in the deciding final of the one day series at the Adelaide Oval. We’ll bring you the live scores and commentary of the action starting at 2:20pm AEDT (1:50pm local) on Thursday.
Australia have looked sharp but mix their form with period of flat play, where they seem fragile at the end of a long summer.
Sri Lanka have taken full advantage when this has happened, and looked much better this entire series than their opponents. The head-to-head statistic is 4-2 in favour of the visitors, and tells no lies about the gulf between the two sides that will take field in the third final on Thursday.
The visitors had gone into the first final with a lot of confidence under their belt but without two of those who had inspired such feeling in the camp – Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews. As a result they conceded aplenty and for the first time in the tournament looked like going down without a fight.
Upul Tharanga changed that around with a gritty half-century and Nuwan Kulasekara almost won Sri Lanka the game with a lusty 43-ball 73.
Australia weren’t so lucky in the second final though. Despite centuries from Dave Warner and Michael Clarke, they managed only 271 and on a placid track, it seemed slightly below-par as Warner saw more than 60 dot balls in his unusually slow century.
Sri Lanka’s reply made a mockery of the target as Tillakaratne Dilshan smacked the third hundred of the match to guide Sri Lanka to a finals-levelling win.
The hosts will now be without their captain Michael Clarke, who has damaged his hamstring, while Dave Warner remains a suspect with his groin strain. Add a broken foot for Brett Lee to the mix and we are looking at a wounded Australian side.
George Bailey, who recently made his T20I debut for the national side, could be in line for his ODI game if Warner misses out. In-form Peter Forrest should return to the 11 for Clarke.
Sri Lanka have preferred chasing scores in this tournament but on a pitch that was already on the slower side and one that will also be used again for this game, it could be a wise idea to bat first.
There could also be a chance of Sri Lanka playing an extra spinner, Sachitra Senanayake, in place of a batsman but a lot could depend on whether the management deems it necessary to take in an extra batsman instead.
The fans will hope that two teams will look to call upon every remaining ounce of strength at the fag end of such a long series and deliver another exciting thriller. That, after all, has been the theme of the series whenever these two teams have played in this tournament.
We will bring you the coverage throughout this third final of the CB series between Australia and Sri Lanka from Adelaide and hope to receive your opinions as the action unfolds.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Many thanks for the sterling job you've done guiding us through a very, very long summer of cricket in Australia :)
mgshaikh
Guest
final match was good.. congratulation Aus team..... miss chance to win this final sri lanka .....
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
So that is it from me, it has been an absolute pleasure bringing you the live coverage of these games, the CB series and the T20Is and the Test matches before this! One of us, Geoff or I will be back with the live coverage of Australia's tour of the West Indies that begins from March 16.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Yep, so as expected, McKay gets the man-of-the-match award for his all-round show tonight. And I wasn't too off the mark with Dilshan either, he is the CB series man-of-the-tournament for his all-round performances throughout the tournament. Hats off to Dilshan for the way he's gone about the business after Sri Lanka's pathetic run under him in the last six months. He has come back well after giving up on the captaincy.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Valiant is how I would describe the effort, of team and supporter both.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
My guess is that Clint McKay will be the man-of-the-match for his five-wicket haul, while Tillakaratne Dilshan has a good chance of winning the Player of the Tournament award. Wait on for the awards though.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
A word on the Lankan performance, they were the underdogs going into the tournament but they surprised everyone with their stellar performance. They won three of the four games they played against Australia to enter the final and were within touching distance in all three finals to take home the title. Unfortunately for them, their batting failed them at the worst possible moment in the tournament.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Well-fought by Australia right through out, even after scoring 231, as McKay and the rest of the medium-pacers made life miserable for the Lankan batsmen. At 1/47 in the seventh over, Sri Lanka looked to be going in the right direction with their chase but once Kumar Sangakkara was dismissed for a sublime 19, the rest of the top-order gave way rather meekly. There was some resilience in the middle-order from Lahiru Thirimanne and Upul Tharanga but once the latter edged it to the keeper, Sri Lanka were left to do a lot more than their lower-order could. McKay scalped five wickets, ending his 9.5 overs on 5/28. Lee was expensive but picked up three wickets as well, while Watson ended with figures of 2/13 in 7 overs.
Roarsome
Guest
Unlucky for Sri Lanka, they have been the best side all Summer. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
OUT! And that is the end of that then for the game! Yorker-length ball, Malinga would have been proud of it, and it sneaks through the defences. Australia win by 16 runs to win the CB series!
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
And he follows it up with another slower ball! Gone are the days when the fast bowler would retaliate to a boundary with a bouncer or something. Dot ball results. 17 off 8.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Four! Finally a boundary as Malinga swivels his entire body with the shot. Slower, short ball and it bisects the leg-side field. 17 needed from 9.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Another dot to Malinga. Slower ball. No run. 21 off 10.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
McKay to bowl, thwacked it through the covers but for a single. They are only bowling the slower ones to Maharoof. 21 needed from 11.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
A single refused off the last ball which means that Sri Lanka need to get 22 from the last two overs. Not impossible but bordering on the improbable here.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
...instead it is only a single. 22 needed from 13.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
23 needed from 14 with a single to Malinga. Need a six. At least a four.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Yorker to Malinga and he misses it completely. The ball misses the stumps too. Dot ball. 24 from 15.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Only a single off the second ball of the Watson over. This will bring Malinga on strike, 24 from 16 needed.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Watson continues and breaks the Maharoof bat! Pitched right up to the batsman and he tries to smack it back. The ball chips off the bottom of the batsman's bat and Maharoof is lucky it does not seep through it to hit the stump!