Sri Lankan spinners toyed with the Australian batsmen and bowled out the world champions for a paltry 162 in the second semifinal of the Champions Trophy cricket tournament here today. The five Sri Lankan spinners bowled 40 of the 49 overs and claimed seven wickets between them with champion off- spinner Muthiah Muralitharan expectedly being the most successful of them with three scalps.

In a line-up boasting of such destructive batsmen as Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Michael Bevan, it was leg-spinner Shane Warne who emerged as the top-scorer for Australia. Warne made 36 and added a valuable 46 runs for the eighth wicket with Brett Lee after Australia, who had elected to bat, crashed to 107 for seven in the 33rd over.

Gilchrist, who made 31 runs, and Hayden (13) put on 48 runs in the first six overs in characteristic flamboyant fashion before Aravinda de Silva arrived in an unlikely role of a strike bowler in the seventh over itself. De Silva conceded just nine runs in his first nine overs and also dismissed danger man Hayden in his first over to put the brakes on the Australian scoring. Hayden came charging down to the bowler but missed the line and was clean bowled after making 13 runs. De Silva finished with figures of 1 for 16 off 10 overs. 

That was the start of a surprising decline for Australia who suffered a collapse and lost wickets at regular intervals. Gilchrist followed his partner in the pavilion just two balls later, being caught by Marvan Atapattu off Kumar Dharmasena in the seventh over.

Chaminda Vaas then trapped captain Ricky Ponting leg before wicket to reduce Australia to 56 for three. Just one run was added before new man Darren Lehmann was run out without scoring. The unexpected course of the match forced Australian batsmen on the defensive. Damien Martyn and Bevan slowly took the score to 96 in the 25th over before Martyn was the second man to be run out. He made 28 runs off 47 balls.

Bevan followed just one run later, caught by Russel Arnold off Dharmasena. Six down for 97 at the half-way stage, Australia were clearly looking down the barrel. Muralitharan gave them another jolt by sending back Shane Watson before Warne and Lee started their resistance.

The duo batted for 14 overs while adding 46 runs before Lee was clean bowled by a quicker delivery from Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya. Warne lofted Muralitharan for a boundary before the bowler sent back both him and Glenn McGrath off successive balls in the 49th over. 

Scorecard