da bet7k： Sri Lanka got their preparations for the VB Series off to a woeful start, losing by seven wickets to Victoria
Cricinfo staff11-Jan-2006
Scorecard
Kumar Sangakkara topscored for Sri Lanka … with a modest 33 © AFP
These are woeful times for Sri Lanka. Fresh from losing – no, being trounced in – two ODI series, they were served their latest humiliation by Victoria, who raced to a thumping seven-wicket win at the Central Reserve.Heavy rain reduced the match to 40 overs, a game which transformed from sluggish – Sri Lanka subsided for 120 – to sloggish when Victoria romped home with more than 15 overs to spare.Allan Wise bagged 5 for 25 from his eight overs in a thoroughly convincing performance. But if only the same could be said for Sri Lanka’s batting. They slumped to 6 for 57 at one stage, with only a gritty knock from Kumar Sangakarra – who made 33 from 103 balls – giving their bowlers anything to work with.Dilhara Fernando grabbed two wickets in what soon proved to be a hopeless cause as Michael Klinger careered his way to an unbeaten 51, with good support from Andrew McDonald, who made 45 not out, a knock which included the only two sixes of the match. Together they put on 77 in 82 balls and Sri Lanka were sunk.