Sri Lanka stun Australia

A world-record ninth-wicket stand of 132 between all-rounder Angelo Mathews and paceman Lasith Malinga earned Sri Lanka a famous one-wicket victory in the first one-day international against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Chasing Australia's 239 for eight under lights in cool, drizzly conditions, the tourists were hopelessly placed at 107 for eight in the 26th over.

But the nerveless Mathews, who is unable to bowl in this series because of injury, smashed an unbeaten 77 from 84 deliveries with no hint of panic and barely a false shot. He received magnificent support from the unlikely Malinga, whose tempered 56 included two towering sixes off Xavier Doherty and John Hastings.

Malinga did not quite make it to the finish, running himself out when the scores were level. The honour of hitting the winning run went to Muttiah Muralitharan with more than five overs to spare and one wicket in hand.

The result took the gloss off what was otherwise a dream ODI debut for left-arm spinner Doherty, who claimed four for 46 - including three wickets in his first two overs. The 27-year-old also conjured a spectacular run out as the tourists lost four wickets for 13 - and all momentum - in the crucial middle stages of the contest.

That was before the unforgettable heroics of Mathews and Malinga. Their stand was an all-time best for the ninth wicket in ODIs, surpassing the 126 achieved by Kapil Dev and Syed Kirmani against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup.

Earlier, Michael Hussey held Australia's innings together with an unbeaten 71 to defy exciting young paceman Thisara Perera, who claimed five for 46 from eight overs.

Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, opening the batting with Shane Watson, made 49 after Michael Clarke, stand-in captain in the absence of Ricky Ponting who was on compassionate leave to attend the funeral of his grandmother in Launceston, had won the toss and elected to bat first.

But Mathews and Malinga combined to condemn Australia to a unlikely defeat.