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Statistical Highlights 7th and final match: Australia v Sri Lanka at Colombo (Premadasa) on 31-8-99 (d/n).

Mohandas Menon

• This match was the 1491st in Limited over internationals (LOI) history.
• This match was Australia's 440th & Sri Lanka's 307th in LOIs.
• This match was the 43rd meeting between the two sides.
• Steve Waugh, appearing in his 273rd match, now equals the Australian record of Allan Border of maximum matches in LOIs. Only Azharuddin (323 matches), Salim Malik (283) and Wasim Akram (275) have appeared in more LOI matches
. • Steve Waugh was also appearing in his 24th LOI match against Sri Lanka which surpasses the previous record tally of 23 matches held by Allan Border.
• Mark Waugh, during his innings of 32, became the highest run getter for Australia against Sri Lanka. In 23 matches, he now has an aggregate of 906 runs (avg 41.18). He surpassed the previous record of Dean Jones who had 879 runs (avg 109.88) in 17 matches.
• Michael Bevan, LOI cricket's most consistent batsman, recorded his third "duck" of his career in 119 matches and 105 innings. For the first time in his career he was dismissed of the first ball. His previous two "ducks" which came against South Africa at Durban on 5-4-1997 and England at Sydney on 5-2-1999 - were of the fourth balls he faced.
• Both Sanath Jayasuriya and Muthiah Muralitharan continue to remain the joint top wicket-takers for Sri Lanka with 163 wickets. The former was appearing in his 188th match, while the later in his 120th match.
• However Jayasuriya's two wickets in the match makes him the highest wicket-taker at this venue with 29 wickets surpassing the previous wicket aggregate of 27 by Ruwan Kalpage.
• Muralitharan's two wickets in the match takes his tally to 46 in 38 matches - the maximum by any Sri Lankan bowler in a day-night LOI match. The previous record was held by Chaminda Vaas who had 45 wickets in 41 matches.
• Romesh Kaluwitharana's unbeaten 95 was the second highest individual score by a keeper against Australia. Only the late Ken Wadsworth (104) of New Zealand had scored more at Christchrurch on 31-3-1974. Kaluwitharana's score however was the highest ever by a keeper in Sri Lanka. The previous highest was the 78 by Zimbabwean Andy Flower against India at Colombo (SSC) on 1-9-1996.
• Incidentally, Kaluwitharana's score was the sixth highest by a keeper in a day-night encounter. It was also the highest by a Sri Lankan keeper. The previous highest was the 77 by Kalu himself at Melbourne on 9-1-1996 also against Australia.
• The partnership of 110 between Kaluwitharana and Russel Arnold was Sri Lanka best for the 2nd wicket against Australia at home surpassing the previous best of 101 between Chandika Hathurasinghe and Ashanka Gurusinha at this same venue on 5-9-1992. However Sri Lanka's best against Australia for this wicket still remains as 116 between Kaluwitharana and Marvan Atapattu at Hobart (Bellerive) on 21-1-1999.
• Australia's total of 202 was its second lowest against Sri Lanka. The lowest still remains as 184 when Australia had lost in the final of the Singer Cup in September 1996.
• The victory margin of 8 wickets was also the best in terms of wickets for Sri Lanka against Australia in LOIs.
• It also equals Sri Lanka's best margin of victory in any final of a tournament. Sri Lanka had beaten India by the same margin during the Asia Cup final at this same venue on 26-7-1997. However, on that occasion Sri Lanka had won with 79 balls to spare while it now beat Australia with 63 balls to spare.
• It was Sri Lanka's ninth tournament victory (involving three or more teams). Sri Lanka had won its maiden title way back in April 1986 with the second Asia Cup. Sri Lanka's last tournament victory had came in August last year when it won the Emirates Cup in England.
• This defeat brought an end to Australia's unbeaten streak of 11 consecutive matches, which began on 27-5-1999 against Bangladesh at Chester-le-Street. This also means that England's record of 12 matches without defeat from 23-5-1991 to 12-3-1992 remains intact.
• Australia, however, holds the distinction of having won four matches in a row after winning the World Cup. No other team as "World champions" have had a better win sequence than Australia. Incidentally, India had previously the best such sequence when it won two in a row after winning the 1983 World Cup.
• The man-of-the-match award was Kaluwitharana's fifth of his career in 122 matches. He equals the tally of Englishman Alec Stewart and Zimbabwean Andy Flower to win such awards as keepers. However Australian Adam Gilchrist is ahead among keepers with six awards.