Ponting guides Australians to easy warm-up win

Ricky Ponting guided the Australians to a comfortable warm-up win against a Sri Lanka President's XI at Moratuwa. Chasing 284, the Australians cruised home by five wickets with nearly six overs to spare, as three batsmen, Ponting, Damien Martyn and Andrew Symonds, retired.

Matthew Hayden got things going with 35 off 27 balls, Adam Gilchrist hit a quickfire 43, and Ponting, who retired on 57 off 58 balls, all set the platform. Martyn then made enough to retire unbeaten on 42, while Symonds also walked in unbeaten after belting the ball through the window of the press box in his 47 off 35 balls, including three fours and two sixes.

Michael Clarke and Simon Katich finished the job off having earlier bowled well as the Australians otherwise struggled to restrict the President's XI to 283 for 8 on a small ground with a fast outfield.

Katich took 1 for 35 off seven overs, while Clarke had 0 for 12 from four to be the most economical of the nine bowlers used. Katich was impressive with his left-arm wrist spinners, getting some sharp turn, and he was rewarded with the wicket of top-scorer Jehan Mubarak for 56.

However, there was no place for Michael Bevan in the starting line-up, and his hopes of pushing for an immediate recall to the side suffered a blow. Bevan, who cracked a rib during the VB Series in Australia last month, was declared fit to tour just a day before the team was named.

A regular in the Australian middle order with 227 one-day internationals, Bevan would normally expect to force his way straight back into the team, but the form of the young allrounders, Clarke and Katich, could count against him for the opening one-dayer at Dambulla on Friday.

Bevan, 33, was the only Australian player to have no role in today's practice game, in which the teams agreed to use 13 players. The Australians stretched that to 14 when Brad Haddin replaced Gilchrist in the 23rd over.

With Ponting indicating Australia would try to field their best batting line-up for this match in order for them to get used to the conditions, Bevan's prospects are not bright for a recall. While he sat on the sidelines, his team-mates helped themselves to the runs against an average attack.

Australia now head to the highland town of Dambulla for two one-day matches against Sri Lanka, starting with the day-nighter on Friday.