COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, 1 June 2003 — Muttiah Muralitharan is relishing the prospect of renewing a personal duel with West Indies’ captain Brian Lara during Sri Lanka’s five-week tour of the Caribbean.

Sri Lanka left Colombo yesterday with the off-spinner hopeful of winning the key battle against the Trinidadian left-hander.

Lara dominated the last Test series between the two sides in 2001, plundering 688 runs at 114.66, the second highest aggregate ever in a three-Test series.

But Muralitharan proved the matchwinner with 24 wickets at 22.33 as Sri Lanka completed a 3-0 whitewash, although he dismissed Lara only twice.

“He is a great player and this time I want to win the battle against him,” said Muralitharan. “It’s always a challenge to bowl to him as he reads the wrist better than anyone else and he is willing to play all round the wicket. Sri Lanka begin the tour with three One-Day Internationals in Barbados and St. Vincent, starting on June 7, before two tests in St Lucia and Jamaica.

The Sri Lankans failed to qualify for the final of a home tri-series earlier in the month but one-day skipper Marvan Atapattu is backing his top order to emerge from a prolonged slump in their batting form. He has urged his players to trust their natural instincts and play with the natural flair that helped them win the 1996 World Cup.

Hinds Century Guides

Windies to Victory

In St. Georges, Grenada, a dashing 125 by opener Wavell Hinds guided West Indies to a three-wicket upset win over world champions Australia on Friday.

West Indies, chasing Australia’s 252, won with two balls to spare to reduce the seven-match series deficit to 4-2.

Hinds forged an invaluable 114-run third-w cket stand with Ramnaresh Sarwan.

A three-wicket rally by pace bowlers Brett Lee, Andy Bichel and Jason Gillespie put the home side under pressure again in the closing overs but Hinds stayed to record his best one-day score and only his second century in 74 matches.

It was Australia’s second defeat in a row.

“Wavell played a fantastic innings but we never really nailed any partnerships,” said Australia captain Ricky Ponting.

Banned Jadeja Back in

Action After Court Ruling

In New Delhi, former India batsman Ajay Jadeja played his first competitive game in three years after a court hearing his appeal against a match-fixing ban permitted him to play domestic cricket.

Jadeja’s appearance in a local tournament yesterday alongside some other former India players drew hundreds of fans to the ground and a large number of domestic media.

“I am happy and relieved to be able to play again,” said Jadeja, who said he still hoped to make an India comeback.

Jadeja was banned for five years from all cricket by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in December 2000, along with three other players, following a police investigation into corruption in the game.

But Jadeja, 32, contested the punishment in the Delhi High Court which last Wednesday gave him permission to play domestic games until the case was decided.

In January, a court-appointed arbitrator overturned Jadeja’s ban and ruled that the India board’s internal probe was illegal.

The BCCI has filed its objections to the ruling with the next hearing set for July 8.