Sri Lanka v Australia

At R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, February 25, 2004 (day/night). Australia won by five wickets. Toss: Sri Lanka.

When Bevan fell in the 38th over, the capacity crowd erupted, expecting drama and hoping for a home win. But Symonds and Clarke made sure they got neither, with a cool-headed match winning stand of 68. Earlier, Gillespie forced Sri Lanka's top three batsmen to fend fatally, and the score crawled to 54 for four in the 21st over. Only a diligent 80 from Jayawardene and dashing innings from the lower order changed the total from desperate to defensible. Australia's start was almost as bad, with Vaas striking twice in the third over. Martyn and Ponting, in vigorous form en route to his third successive fifty, put on 129, before three quick wickets meant the crowd got going. But so did Symonds and Clarke. For the second match running, Muralitharan went wicketless, supporting Ponting's claim that several Australians could spot his doosra.

Man of the Match: J. N. Gillespie.