Harpreet Seehra
Elite
Lasith Malinga became the first man to take three one-day international hat-tricks as Sri Lanka secured a consolation victory in the final ODI in Colombo. Australia might have won the series 3-2 but with the first Test just over a week away, it was important for Sri Lanka to finish on a high, and they did that through Malinga with the ball, and then Mahela Jayawardene and Chamara Silva with the bat.
Chasing 212, the hosts lost three early wickets but from then on were in cruise control either side of a rain delay. Jayawardene all but saw them home with a patient 71, before departing with 17 runs still to get when he skied a catch off Xavier Doherty. Silva batted superbly in his 63, but the victory was all down to Sri Lanka's bowling performance, and specifically Malinga's hat-trick and the tail-end collapse that he instigated.
It could be argued that Malinga has taken four ODI hat-tricks, after his double hat-trick - four wickets in four balls - against South Africa at the 2007 World Cup. He picked up three in three deliveries against Kenya at this year's World Cup, and it would have been a brave person to tip against him adding to his tally when Doherty walked out to face the hat-trick ball this time.
Malinga began the sequence with a fast yorker that got through Mitchell Johnson's defences and bowled him for 1, and followed up with a low full toss that rapped John Hastings on the pad. Doherty took guard, and must have anticipated another accurate yorker, which was indeed delivered, but he still couldn't get bat on ball.
Chasing 212, the hosts lost three early wickets but from then on were in cruise control either side of a rain delay. Jayawardene all but saw them home with a patient 71, before departing with 17 runs still to get when he skied a catch off Xavier Doherty. Silva batted superbly in his 63, but the victory was all down to Sri Lanka's bowling performance, and specifically Malinga's hat-trick and the tail-end collapse that he instigated.
It could be argued that Malinga has taken four ODI hat-tricks, after his double hat-trick - four wickets in four balls - against South Africa at the 2007 World Cup. He picked up three in three deliveries against Kenya at this year's World Cup, and it would have been a brave person to tip against him adding to his tally when Doherty walked out to face the hat-trick ball this time.
Malinga began the sequence with a fast yorker that got through Mitchell Johnson's defences and bowled him for 1, and followed up with a low full toss that rapped John Hastings on the pad. Doherty took guard, and must have anticipated another accurate yorker, which was indeed delivered, but he still couldn't get bat on ball.
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