Adam Gilchrist lived up to his billing as the most dangerous batsman in the one-day game with a record 149 as Australia won an unprecedented third straight ICC CWC final on Saturday. Australia triumphed by 53 runs over Sri Lanka on the Duckworth/Lewis method at Kensington Oval in a game ruined as a spectacle by the weather. Gilchrist's innings, the highest in a final surpassing the 140 not out made by Australia captain Ricky Ponting against India in Johannesburg four years ago, was the centerpiece of the champions' 281 for four. But the game ended in confusion with Australia thinking the final was finished due to bad light after 33 overs of the Sri Lankan innings, in a match reduced by rain to 38 a side, only for play to resume in pitch darkness on a ground without floodlights. In all, Gilchrist, dropped on 31, faced just 104 balls with eight sixes and 13 fours as Australia set a daunting target in an innings reduced to 38 overs because of rain. Victory meant Australia had won their fourth ICC CWC, improving their own record, in the tournament's nine-edition history. In the process they extended their unbeaten run of games in the competition to 29 with 23 straight wins after their semi-final tie against South Africa in 1999. Sri Lanka, in reply, finished on 215 for eight after a second rain break reduced their target to 269 off 36 overs.
Glenn McGrath and Shaun Tait struck it rich as Australia stormed into a fourth successive ICC CWC final with a crushing seven-wicket win over South Africa here on Wednesday. South Africa were dismissed for 149, their lowest-ever ICC CWC total as Tait finished with 4-39 while man-of-the-match McGrath took 3-18. Australia then raced to the target with more than 18 overs to spare despite losing Adam Gilchrist and skipper Ricky Ponting early in the innings. Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene led his side into the ICC CWC final with a maiden tournament hundred as the 1996 champions beat New Zealand by 81 runs at Sabina Park on Tuesday. Jayawardene's 115 not out was the centerpiece of an imposing total of 289 for five and showed the value of a well-paced innings after he'd taken 48 balls to score his first boundary. Dropped on 70, in all he faced 109 balls with three sixes and 10 fours in his first century in 23 ICC CWC matches.