Australia overpower Sri Lanka for a World Cup hat-trick

Riding on Adam Gilchrist's stunning 104-ball 149, Australia quelled Sri Lanka's resistance to chalk out a 53-run win through a Duckworth-Lewis equation in the cricket World Cup final here and claim the title for the record third time in a row.

Australia thus became the only team in history to record a hat-trick of cricket World Cups and win the title for the fourth time out of nine.

Chasing a massive target of 282 in 38 overs, the Lions made a brave attempt through veteran Sanath Jayasuriya (63) and Kumara Sangakkara (54) with the duo putting up a 116-run second wicket stand off 106 balls.

A tragic-comic situation marred the end of the finals after umpires deemed the light too bad and called off the game with Sri Lanka, chasing 269 from 36 overs after Duckworth-Lewis recalculation, being on 206 for seven at the end of the 33rd over.

Even as the Australians began celebrating their hat-trick of title wins, hugging each other, an angry Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene rushed out of the dressing room to protest, apparently stating that his batsmen were prepared to bat in the near-darkness.

The stumps were rearranged and the Australians came out to the field, with the not out Sri Lankan batsmen Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga again emerging from the pavilions with the Lankans 63 runs behind target and three overs left.

It was an impossible target and Sri Lanka finally ended up on 215 for eight at the end of 36th over, causing a replay of celeberations among the Australians.

Even when Sangakkara left in the 20th over at the team score of 123 for two, Sri Lanka kept themselves in the game with 22 runs over the next three overs before bad light forced the players indoors.

When they emerged after 10 minutes, at the score 149 for three in 24.5 overs, the equation had been revised to 269 from 36 overs.

Australia pressed on their fast bowlers and it became doubly difficult for the Sri Lankan batsmen to sight the ball. Jayawardene (19) was a victim of poor light when he fell leg before to Shane Watson at the total 156 for four in the 26th over.

Chamara Silva (21) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (14) made some meaty blows but the light wasn't in their favour nor any help came from the Australians who brought on their faster bowlers from two ends.

Both departed in quick successsion, Dilshan falling to a run-out at the non-striker's end and Silva, charging down the track and being bowled by left-arm spin of Michael Clarke who, earlier, had claimed the vital wicket of Sanath Jayasuriya in a similar manner.

Jayasuriya faced 67 balls and hit nine fours in his knock of 63 while Sangakkara made his 54 from 52 balls with six fours and one six.

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