Sri Lanka must make history to reach VB Series finals

Sri Lanka will need to make history if it is to reach the finals of this season's VB Series when the competition resumes in Sydney on Thursday (9 January).

No side has ever qualified for the best-of-three finals series after losing its first three matches in an event that stretches back to 1979-80.

But that is exactly the task facing Sanath Jayasuriya and his side after defeats to England (twice) and Australia.

It means Thursday's match-up between Sri Lanka and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground takes on an even greater meaning for both sides.

If Australia can win it will almost certainly guarantee itself a place in the finals as that would give it four wins out of four; if Sri Lanka can win then it would give itself real hope of mounting a serious push for the finals itself.

Sri Lanka's cause is helped by two factors, the first of them to likely return of star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.

The off-spinner, Sri Lanka's leading wicket-taker in both forms of the game, has been recovering from a hernia operation and is expected to play some part in the second half of the VB Series.

The points system in place for this summer's VB Series may also help Sri Lanka climb the table rapidly if it can start winning.

The system, a standard International Cricket Council (ICC) playing condition for one-day international tournaments of three or four teams, is designed to promote attacking cricket, something Sri Lanka will have to do a lot of over the next three weeks.

A win with a bonus point gains six points for the victors and no points for the losers, whereas a win without a bonus point secures five points, while the losing side collects one point.

The bonus point is achieved when the winning side's run rate is 1.25 times that of its opponents, as is the case in the ING Cup.

It has already been achieved by both Australia (twice) and England (once) in this year's VB Series and it means the incentive is there to score heavily and quickly and to bowl the opposition out cheaply.

All three squads show changes from the ones that took part in the first five matches of the VB Series before Christmas.

Australia include Jimmy Maher and Andrew Symonds, two players that also form part of the World Cup squad.

Frontline bowlers Glenn McGrath (left side strain), Jason Gillespie (left elbow) and Shane Warne (dislocated right shoulder) are all sidelined by injury as the VB Series restarts, but that will give extra opportunities to pace bowlers Brett Lee and Andrew Bichel and left-arm wrist-spinner Brad Hogg.

Sri Lanka's squad shows four changes from the line-up that lost its first three matches with veteran batsmen Aravinda de Silva and Hashan Tillekeratne, top-order powerhouse Avishka Gunawardena and opening bowler Charitha Buddhika Fernando all slotting in, while there is also Muralitharan's likely return from injury.

The quartet replaces reserve wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana, off-spinning all-rounder Thilan Samaraweera and opening bowlers Sujeewa de Silva and Nuwan Zoysa.

England have a 16-man squad which includes Michael Vaughan, player of the series in the recent Orange Test match series against Australia and now fit enough to take his place in the one-day line-up after missing the pre-Christmas matches because of knee and shoulder trouble.

The squad is without left-arm spinner Ashley Giles (broken left wrist) and all-rounders Andrew Flintoff (hernia) and Craig White (side strain), all of whom have been named for the World Cup, although Giles and Flintoff may rejoin the squad at some stage.

The three squads are as follows (with player numbers in brackets):

Australia (for match v Sri Lanka, 9 January): Ricky Ponting (captain) (14), Adam Gilchrist (vice-captain) (18), Michael Bevan (12), Andrew Bichel (34), Matthew Hayden (28), Brad Hogg (31), Brett Lee (58), Darren Lehmann (25), Jimmy Maher (46), Damien Martyn (30), Andrew Symonds (39), Shane Watson (33).

Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (captain) (7), Marvan Atapattu (vice-captain) (46), Mahela Jayawardena (92), Kumar Sangakkara (84), Russel Arnold (69), Jehan Mubarak (11), Chaminda Vaas (22), Pulasthi Gunaratne (27), Prabath Nissanka (25), Dilhara Fernando (26), Muttiah Muralitharan (8), Aravinda de Silva (23), Hashan Tillekeratne (9), Avishka Gunawardena (66), Charitha Buddhika Fernando (20).

England: Nasser Hussain (captain) (3), James Anderson (40), Ian Blackwell (37), Andrew Caddick (2), Paul Collingwood (50), Stephen Harmison (28), Matthew Hoggard (22), Adam Hollioake (tbc), Ronnie Irani (15), James Kirtley (16), Nick Knight (1), Owais Shah (69), Jeremy Snape (17), Alec Stewart (4), Marcus Trescothick (23), Michael Vaughan (99).

The three competing sides also have massive financial rewards to play for.

The total prize pool for the VB Series is almost $180,000 with the side that tops the table after the 12 preliminary matches securing $70,000, while the second-placed side gets $40,000 and the third-placed team takes away $15,000.

The side that then wins the finals will get an additional $50,000.

For individuals there is also a financial incentive with the man of the match in each preliminary game collecting $1000, while the same award in any of the finals is worth $1250. All awards come with a Carlton & United Breweries trophy.

If the VB finals series goes to a third and deciding match, that game will be hosted by Adelaide for the first time, on January 27 and tickets are now on sale.

For matches in Melbourne, Brisbane and Hobart tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster7 on 1300 1361 22 or at www.ticketmaster7.com.au ; for Sydney matches tickets are available through Ticketek on (02) 92 66 48 00 or at www.ticketek.com.au ; and in Adelaide, tickets can be purchased through Venue*Tix on (08) 8223 77 88 or at www.venuetix.com.au

For those people unable to get to any matches live coverage is available on the Nine network, ABC Radio and on www.baggygreen.com.au the home of Australian cricket on the internet.

Tickets are still available for Thursday's VB Series match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The results of matches played so far are as follows:

13 December, Sydney - England (8-251) lost to Australia (3-252 (45)) by seven wickets

15 December, Melbourne - Australia (6-318) beat England (229 (48)) by 89 runs

17 December, Brisbane - England (292) beat Sri Lanka (6-249) by 43 runs

20 December, Perth - England (9-258) beat Sri Lanka (163 (43.4)) by 95 runs

22 December, Perth - Australia (5-305) beat Sri Lanka (163 (43)) by 142 runs