Sri Lanka thrashed but draw with MCC
CHESTERFIELD, England, June 8 (Reuters) - The three-day tour match between the MCC and Sri Lanka ended in a draw on Saturday.

The only redeeming factor for Sri Lanka was an unbeaten 54 by Aravinda de Silva in Sri Lanka's first innings score of 127 all out.

Brazil hand China harsh World Cup lesson

SOGWIPO, South Korea, June 8 (Reuters) - Brazil chalked up their best win at the World Cup finals since 1986 as the four Rs - Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo - scored the goals that gave them a 4-0 victory over China on Saturday.

The four-times world champions survived a sticky opening before cruising to a 3-0 halftime lead with a spectacular Roberto Carlos free kick, a close-range goal by Rivaldo and a Ronaldinho penalty. Ronaldo scored the fourth early in the second half.

It was Brazil's biggest win at the finals since they beat Poland 4-0 in the second round in Mexico in 1986.

They lead group C with six points and will reach the last 16 if Turkey fail to beat Costa Rica on Sunday. Otherwise, they need a point against the Central Americans in their last group match on Thursday to progress to the second round.

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said he was aware of the gap in experience between the two countries but knew the Chinese team had improved a lot and began the match at a fast pace.

"We knew China would start the match by putting us under pressure, so we decided to wait until after the first 10-15 minutes and then we started to play our game and pass the ball.

"We were technically superior to China so we played our usual game and things went well. We know we are a better team because we are more experienced than China.
"We are improving and we know that our team is getting better match-by-match so I hope we can improve for the next game," he said looking ahead to the Costa Rica game.

China coach Bora Milutinovic said he was happier with China's performance against Brazil than after their opening match against Costa Rica, which they lost 2-0.
"Brazil are very good, but I'm happy with the performance of my players. Even against Brazil I'm more happy today with the determination but we didn't score. Our players learned a lot."

World Cup debutants China have no points from two games and need an unlikely combination of results to proceed. Although they played some neat football in midfield they were outclassed and appeared to lose composure when they reached the danger zone.

But China, missing key defenders Fan Zhiyi and Sun Jihai and backed by a noisy contingent of about 20,000 in the crowd, put Brazil under early pressure as they made a bold start.

But their dreams of adding to the list of World Cup upsets lasted only until the 15th minute when Roberto Carlos set Brazil on their way with one of his trademark booming free kicks.

The defender fired into the far corner from about 30 metres, the ball flashing past the Chinese wall and into the net before goalkeeper Jiang Jin could react.

Brazil slowly began to find their rhythm and Cafu had a shot saved by Jiang before Rivaldo made it 2-0 after 32 minutes, volleying in a Ronaldinho cross for his second goal of the tournament.

Captain Ma Mingyu had China's best first-half chance in the 37th minute but his shot deflected off a defender's head.

Ronaldinho scored Brazil's third from a penalty in first-half injury time after Chinese defender Li Weifeng pulled Ronaldo back.

The fourth came in the 55th minute when Cafu ran to the byline and put over a low cross for Ronaldo to score his second goal of the competition.

China's best spell followed as Ma was sent clear but could not control the ball and a minute later Zhao Junzhe hit the post from the edge of the penalty area.

Gilchrist urges Murali to tour Australia
BRISBANE, Australia, June 8 (Reuters) - Australia vice-captain Adam Gilchrist said on Saturday he hoped Sri Lanka bowler Muttiah Muralitharan would reconsider plans to skip his country's tour of Australia this year.

"That's a decision that he's got to make along with his support group," Gilchrist told a news conference in Brisbane following Australian press reports the bowler was reluctant to return to the country.

"But I'm sure the Australian team, the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) and the cricket fans here would love to see him out here again and he'd be most welcome," Gilchrist added.

"He's a very exciting cricketer and a great bloke and I'd be very disappointed and feel sorry if he didn't come."

Muralitharan, an off-spinner who has taken more than 400 test wickets, was no-balled for throwing during previous tours of Australia.

The Sri Lankan was reported in Australian newspapers to be anxious to avoid another controversial visit to the country on the eve of the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

Gilchrist himself thrust Muralitharan's name back in the headlines last month when he told an Australian Rules football pre-match luncheon in Melbourne that Muralitharan's bowling action was technically not within the rules of the game.

Sri Lanka are scheduled to play in a triangular one-day series against England and host nation Australia later this year. Sri Lanka are currently touring England and Muralitharan bowled for long periods during the second test which the touring side lost.

The ACB officially reprimanded Gilchrist for his comments on Muralitharan's action, which has been cleared by the International Cricket Council.

Australia will host a three-match one-day series against Pakistan starting on Wednesday in Melbourne. Both teams are in camp in Brisbane.

The first two matches of the series will be played indoors at Melbourne's Docklands Stadium on Wednesday and Saturday while the third game will be played in Brisbane on June 19.

"It's major part of our build-up," Gilchrist said on Saturday of the Pakistan series.

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