Australia v Sri Lanka

At Centurion, March 7, 2003. Australia won by 96 runs. Toss: Australia.

This was supposed to be South Africa's big day in the battle of the group winners, but history had turned a different corner and Sri Lanka were the sacrificial lambs instead. They had been the last team to beat the Australians - back in January - but by the 20th over Australia were already in the distance, 131 for one and cruising into the future; this win was enough to see them into the semi-finals. Sri Lanka had to cope with a conveyor-belt of run-a-ball partnerships - 75, 106 and 112 for the first three wickets. Gilchrist pounded 14 fours and two sixes before walking back distraught, only the third man run out for 99 in one-day internationals (after Graeme Smith of South Africa and Jayasuriya), all three involving Sri Lanka and in the last five months. It wasn't even his run. But Ponting did get his hundred, moving from 52 to 101 in 30 balls. Sangakkara, who should have run him out on 35, could only watch. Lee took out Sri Lanka's talisman Jayasuriya - chipping his thumb, then bruising his forearm - in his first over. Sri Lanka lost four wickets in the forties and, though de Silva did enough to wreck Lee's figures, there was no contest.

Man of the Match: R. T. Ponting. Attendance: 14,273.