KEY POINTS:
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Adam Gilchrist smashed a record-breaking 149 to push Australia's total to a massive 4-281 in their 38-over innings of the rain-reduced World Cup final against Sri Lanka today.
Gilchrist's maiden World Cup hundred fell nine runs short of Matthew Hayden's Australian World Cup record score of 158, set earlier in the tournament.
The 35-year-old Gilchrist equalled captain Ricky Ponting's record of most sixes in a World Cup innings and beat Ponting's 140 not out in 2003 against India in Johannesburg for the highest score in a World Cup final.
Hayden made 38 today, taking a back seat to Gilchrist in an opening stand of 172.
Ponting (37) and Shane Watson (3) fell in the final four overs as Andrew Symonds (23 not out) and Michael Clarke (8 not out) completed the innings.
The Kensington Oval pitch provided even bounce for the batsmen and little assistance for the seam bowlers.
Today's effort was Australia's eighth half-century opening stand in 11 matches in the World Cup, seven of which came from the Gilchrist-Hayden pairing.
Ponting won the toss but play was delayed for two hours and 45 minutes because of morning rain.
Lasith Malinga (2-49) claimed the wickets of Hayden and Watson.
The lightning-quick right-armer produced a brilliant opening spell of four overs for six runs, but Australia soon started plundering the attack with paceman Dilhara Fernando (1-74 off eight overs) and spinner Tillakaratne Dilshan (0-23 off two overs) heavily punished.
Gilchrist reached his century off 72 balls with eight fours and six sixes, his first hundred in one-day internationals since the third final in Brisbane against Sri Lanka in 2005-06.
Dropped on 31 by the bowler Fernando in a return catch attempt, the left-hander gave another chance on 100 when wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara spilled a low diving chance.
Hayden's departure in the 23rd over, caught at cover off Malinga, ended his remarkable tournament in which the 35-year-old Queenslander hit 659 runs at 73.22 including three centuries.
Gilchrist added 52 for the second wicket with Ponting before a miscued pull shot was caught at mid-wicket off Fernando. Gilchrist hit 13 fours and eight sixes.
- AAP
