Five-star Wise too shrewd for Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka got their preparations for the VB Series off to a woeful start, losing by seven wickets to Victoria
Cricinfo staff
11-Jan-2006
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These are woeful times for Sri Lanka. Fresh from losing - no, being trounced in - two ODI series, they were served their latest humiliation by Victoria, who raced to a thumping seven-wicket win at the Central Reserve.
Heavy rain reduced the match to 40 overs, a game which transformed from sluggish - Sri Lanka subsided for 120 - to sloggish when Victoria romped home with more than 15 overs to spare.
Allan Wise bagged 5 for 25 from his eight overs in a thoroughly convincing performance. But if only the same could be said for Sri Lanka's batting. They slumped to 6 for 57 at one stage, with only a gritty knock from Kumar Sangakarra - who made 33 from 103 balls - giving their bowlers anything to work with.
Dilhara Fernando grabbed two wickets in what soon proved to be a hopeless cause as Michael Klinger careered his way to an unbeaten 51, with good support from Andrew McDonald, who made 45 not out, a knock which included the only two sixes of the match. Together they put on 77 in 82 balls and Sri Lanka were sunk.
