Sri Lanka spin themselves into LG final

Sri Lanka booked themselves a berth in the final of the LG Abans triangular series after Zimbabwe were spun to a 59 run defeat at Premadasa International Stadium.

After claiming two wins and two useful bonus point Sri Lanka now have ten points, which guarantees their qualification even if they lose in Kandy at the weekend.

Sri Lanka, in a depressingly empty stadium, won with some ease after a robust performance from their batsmen that saw them post a challenging 273 target, and a controlled effort from their medley of spinners, five of whom were employed on a wearing re-used surface.

The highest total successfully chased at Premadasa in its 47 game history is only 243 and Zimbabwe never looked likely winners, even after a spirited opening stand between Grant Flower and Dion Ebrahim.

Ebrahim followed two consecutive golden ducks with an attractive 32 and Grant Flower scored an industrious 45 as the pair added 69 for the first wicket.

But the introduction of Muttiah Muralitharan in the 14th over of the innings swung the game towards Sri Lanka: Ebrahim was bowled third ball as he tried to hot-step down the wicket and Flower was controversially caught at slip (off his thigh) to leave Zimbabwe facing a steadily rising run rate in the middle overs.

Andy Flower was Zimbabwe's only realistic hope. He showed why with a slog-sweep for six off Muralitharan, but then fell in the next over trying to reverse sweep one of Jayasuriya's low-armed darts (103 for three).

Captain Stuart Carlisle and Craig Wishart tried to keep pace with the run rate but the Sri Lankan's are a well-oiled one-day unit in such spin-friendly conditions. Forcing the pace was fiendishly difficult and their 42 run stand came to an end when Wishart was caught and bowled by Russel Arnold (145 for four).

Four overs later Carlisle slammed a catch at the glue-like hands of Upul Chandana, recalled to the side after a 12-month absence, to be dismissed for 39 (159 for five).

Zimbabwe were left needing 102 runs off the final ten overs. Muralitharan the cleaned up Heath Streak for 24, who biffed four boundaries and Tatenda Taibu, who recorded his third consecutive duck to finish with four wickets. His fellow twirly mean then moved in for the kill.

Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka lost two early wickets having won the toss, as Sanath Jayasuriya was caught behind second ball wafting at a wide delivery from Heath Streak and Marvan Atapattu mistimed a back foot drive to be caught at cover.

But Gunwardene and Jayawardene first consolidated and then wrestled back the initiative in a 166 run stand in 198 balls to lay the foundations for Sri Lanka's imposing total.

Gunwardene, dropped on nine in the slips, was more reserved than normal, but having reached his seventh half-century off 76 balls, he started to swagger and bludgeon thereafter, before he top-edged a pull and was caught at mid-on for 90 (191 for three).

Jayawardene, too, enjoyed some fortune, twice being dropped - first by Flower behind the stumps on 27 and then on 92 at backward point. Those two lapses apart, however, he batted serenely, milking the slower bowlers with ease in the first part of his innings and then raising the tempo later with a series of well executed improvisations.

But, much to the horror of his girlfriend, looking on anxiously from the grandstand, he fell just short of his sixth one-day century when the enigmatic Henry Olonga slipped a straight ball through his defenses (215 for four).

Russel Arnold then skillfully managed the final dash with a 32 run cameo that ensured Sri Lanka scored 75 runs in the final ten overs despite the loss of four wickets.

The tournament now moves to the hill-country where Sri Lanka will take on West Indies on Saturday.