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Watch out for Sri Lankans, warns Australia A skipper
AFP
7 January 1999
MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan 7 (AFP) - Forget Sri Lanka's poor recent
form and expect the world one-day champions to be competitive in this
month's triangular international cricket series, Australia A skipper
Greg Blewett said Thursday.
Blewett, who has been recalled to the national limited-over team after
scoring more than 1,200 runs this season, will Friday lead Australian
second-stringers into the final game of the three-match warm-up series
against Sri Lanka at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The Sri Lankans' form has concerned their supporters following
elimination from tournaments in Sharjah and Bangladesh before being
humiliated in the opening game against Australia A in Perth last
Sunday.
But Blewett said he could see signs of Sri Lanka's best form during
their win over Australia in Adelaide on Tuesday which levelled the
series.
``They'll be very competitive in the Tri series,'' Blewett said
Thursday.
``It's going to be very even (between Australia, Sri Lanka and England)
because in one day cricket these days there isn't any side that stands
out apart from South Africa.''
The Sri Lankans have continued their approach that brought them so
much success in the World Cup with openers Sanath Jayasuriya and
Romesh Kaluwitharana attacking when the field is up inside the circle
in the first 15 overs.
Blewett said this tactic can make the Sri Lankans dangerously
unpredictable opponents.
``Certainly in the first 15 overs you always feel you can get a wicket
but at the same time you know you could go for six or seven runs an
over.''
While this tactic has not worked as successfully in recent times, Sri
Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga said Thursday his team would not be
changing their approach.
``We play a lot of attacking cricket and I don't think we should change
that, `` he said.
``We've had a couple of bad tours and we just want to get into form on
this tour but we came back really well in the last game.''
Friday's match will also herald the return to the MCG for
controversial off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who was no-balled by
umpire Darrell Hair for an illegal bowling action during the Boxing
Day Test on Sri Lanka's last tour in 1995.
Muralitharan was taunted endlessly by Adelaide fans on Tuesday who
called ``no-ball'' each time he took to the bowling crease but Ranatunga
said his star spinner was enjoying his return to Australia.
``He knows that sort of thing will go on here but he's not really
worried about it,'' Ranatunga said.
``When things go against him he just bowls better.''
Australia A: Greg Blewett (captain), Ryan Campbell, Gerard
Denton, Adam Dale, Michael DiVenuto, Ian Harvey, Brad Hodge, Shane
Lee, Damien Martyn, Matthew Nicholson, Andrew Symonds, Brad Young.
(12th man to be named).
Sri Lanka (from): Arjuna Ranatunga (captain), Marvan Attapattu,
Upal Chandana, Aravinda De Silva, Aviska Gunawardena, Sanath
Jayasuriya, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Roshan Mahanama, Muttiah
Muralitharan, Ruchira Perera, Hashan Tillakaratne, Chaminda Vaas,
Pramodya Wickremasinghe.
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