SL book date with India

Defeat champs Australia by 20 runs

London (PTI): A disciplined Sri Lanka set up a semifinal date with India in the ICC Champions Trophy after knocking out holders Australia by posting a 20-run win, with veteran Mahela Jayawardene caressing his way to an unbeaten 84-run knock here.

Jaywardene made his runs off 81 balls to propel Sri Lanka to 253 for eight in their 50 overs last night, leaving Australia with a near impossible task of chasing down the target in 29.1 overs to ensure a semifinal berth at the Kennington Oval.

Australia couldn't achieve the target in the required overs and were eventually all out for 233 in 42.3 overs. During the course of his innings, the elegant Jayawardene crossed 11,000 runs in this form of the game, the eighth cricketer to do so. In Sri Lanka's bowling department, Nuwan Kulasekara was the pick of the lot as he finished with impressive figures of three for 42 in his nine overs.

Going into the match, Sri Lanka's recent success against Australia provided them the psychological edge � in the last 10 ODIs played between the two sides, Sri Lanka have won six while they drew the ODI series 2-2 earlier this year.

scorecard

Sri Lanka 253/8 in 50 overs Australia: Watson b Kulasekara 5, Hughes c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 13, Maxwell b Malinga 32, Bailey run out 4, Voges c Eranga b Herath 49, Marsh b Mathews 4, Wade c Dilshan b Kulasekara 31, Faulkner c Sangakkara b Herath 17, Johnson c Kulasekara b Eranga 4, McKay c & b Dilshan 30, Doherty not out 15; Extras: (LB-11, W-17, NB-1) 29, Total: (all out in 42.3 overs) 233; Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-45, 3-59, 4-69, 5-80, 6-127, 7-163, 8-168, 9-192; Bowling: Eranga 8-1-40-1, Kulasekara 9-0-42-3, Malinga 9-0-60-1, Herath 10-0-48-2, Mathews 3-0-21-1, Dilshan 3.3-0-11-1.