Bracken keeps Sri Lanka in check

Nathan Bracken was the catalyst as Sri Lanka twice lost a clutch of untimely wickets on the way to a vulnerable 226 all out against Australia in the World Cup Super Eight match at Queen's Park.

Either side of a 140-run stand between Mahela Jayawardene (72) and Chamara Silva (64), three wickets fell for one run and then five more for just 17.

The upshot, after Jayawardene had chosen to bat first on a pitch sure to become progressively low and slow, was a working total which owed almost all its substance to the fourth-wicket pair - who nonetheless failed to finish the job.

Sri Lanka went from 26 for none to 27 for three in the space of 13 balls - before the captain and Silva stopped the rot and re-established the momentum so impressively. The stop-start innings suffered most significantly at the hands of Bracken and Brad Hogg, the former's figures of four for 19 contrasting markedly with his new-ball partner Shaun Tait's two for 68.

Sanath Jayasuriya (12) and Upul Tharanga (six) began promisingly before they both fell to the impressive Bracken either side of Sangakkara's questionable dismissal when his was unlucky to be adjudged lbw from first change Glenn's McGrath's third ball of the innings.

Jayawardene and Silva therefore came together on nought, and there was not a run off the bat for more than four overs until the number five off-drove McGrath for four to get off the mark from the 12th ball he faced.

A combination of back-up seam and spin had no joy for 31 overs as Jayawardene in particular played beautifully, a collection of resounding pulls culminating in the six off Tait which brought up the century stand - and his own 64-ball 50.

Sri Lanka had to lower their sights all over again, though, when Silva and his captain went in successive Hogg overs.

The left-arm wrist-spinner had Silva mis-sweeping into the hands of short fine-leg and then deceived Jayawardene with a special piece of bowling - a perfectly-pitched googly which turned enough to beat a bat angled towards leg and have its victim toppling over and neatly stumped by Adam Gilchrist.

The remaining wickets in a desultory last 10 overs were less memorable but prevented Sri Lanka's innings from realising its potential - despite a handy ninth-wicket stand of 34 between Malinga Bandara and Farveez Maharoof.