• Adam Gilchrist (99, on 38) became the 39th batsman overall and eighth Australian to reach the landmark of 5000 runs. Gilchrist now has 5061 runs in 158 matches.
• Gilchrist became third Australian after Dean Jones and Matthew Hayden, and the 18th batsman overall to score a 99 in ODIs, He, however, became the first batsman in World Cup history to miss a century by one run.
• Gilchrist became the third keeper in ODIs to miss a hundred by one run after Zimbabwean Andy Flower (99 not out) against Australia at Harare in 1999 and Sri Lankan Romesh Kaluwitharana (99) against Zimbabwe also at Harare in 1999.
• Gilchrist became only the third batsman to be run-out on 99. South African Graeme Smith (v Sri Lanka at this ground in 2002) and Sri Lankan Santh Jayasuriya (v England at Adelaide in 2003) are the others to do so.
• This was Gilchrist’s highest score in World Cup cricket bettering the previous best of 63 against Bangladesh at Chester-le-Street in 1999.
• Ricky Ponting, on 85, completed his 1000 runs as Australia’s captain. He became fifth Australian after Allan Border (4439 runs from 178 matches), Steve Waugh (2585 from 106), Mark Taylor (2098 from 67) and Greg Chappell (1718 form 49) and 33rd player overall to aggregate 1000 runs as a captain. Incidentally Sri Lanka’s Arjuna Ranatunga – with 5606 runs from 193 matches- holds the record of most runs in a career as a captain.
• The hundred was Ponting’s three against Sri Lanka which takes him ahead of Adma Gilchrist who has two hundreds against Sri Lanka.
• The hundred was Ponting’s fourth as captain - maximum for Australia. He was earlier at level with Greg Chappell with three hundreds.
• Aravinda deSilva (92) recorded his ninth score in ninety. Incidentally he holds the world record of most nineties in a career – nine to be precise.
• deSilva (on 34) became the highest run-scorer for Sri Lanka in World Cup matches. He went ahead of Arjuna Ranatunga who had aggregated 969 runs from 30 matches to his credit.
• The partnership of 54 runs between deSilva and Dilhara Fernando was Sri Lanka’s best for the eighth wicket against Australia beating the previous best of 44 runs between Sanath Jayasuriya and Rumesh Ratnayake at Adelaide in 1990.
• The wicket of Hashan Tillekeratne was Glenn McGrath’s 31st in 19 matches against Sri Lanka making him the most successful bowler for Australia against Sri Lanka. He went past Shane Warne’s tally of 29 wickets (from 18 matches).

(Article: Copyright © 2003 Rajneesh Gupta)