Sri Lanka v Australia showdown abandoned

COLOMBO, (Reuters) – Australia’s World Cup showdown  with co-hosts Sri Lanka was abandoned after a huge downpour today.
The Group A match was intriguingly poised when the skies  opened after huge black clouds had hovered overhead, Sri Lanka  on 146 for three after 32.5 overs having won the toss.
Captain Kumar Sangakkara (73 not out) and Thilan Samaraweera  (34 not out) were sharing an unbroken fourth wicket partnership  of 71 runs when the players had to run off the field.
Several huge puddles could be seen swiftly forming after the  skies opened at just after 1700 local time (1130 GMT) and with  the rain not relenting three hours later, officials called off  the match.
With no result possible, the teams will be awarded one point  each.
“It was shaping up to be a helluva match but here we are  watching it monsoon down,” one of the umpires, Ian Gould, said.

LONG-AWAITED
The long-awaited game had looked to be tilted in favour of  Australia early on as Tillakaratne Dilshan (4) was caught at  slip in Shaun Tait’s first over after a brief battle of wills  between the two was won by the Australian paceman.
Sri Lanka were in further trouble when opener Upul Tharanga  (6) was brilliantly caught by an air-borne Steve Smith off Brett  Lee and Mahela Jayawardene departed for 23 after being run out  with the score on 75.
But Sangakkara battled brilliantly to guide his side towards  a competitive total with an impressive 73 from 102 balls  including seven fours.
Australia, who have won the last three tournaments, have not  lost a match in the World Cup since 1999, a run of 31 games.
The deluge brought back memories of the last time the teams  met in the World Cup when rain in Bridgetown, Barbados suspended  the 2007 final.
On that occasion, Sri Lanka returned to bat in the gathering  gloom before losing a match forever remembered for its false  ending as the umpires halted play in the twilight before  returning to the middle for the game’s last rites after  Australia had started their team’s celebrations prematurely.