Australian batsman Damien Martyn will miss Tuesday's World Cup semi-final after breaking a finger in Saturday's win against Kenya.

Martyn hurt his finger while fielding during the five-wicket win at Durban, and an X-ray on Monday confirmed the break.

Coach John Buchanan said: "He's out of tomorrow's game and he will be reviewed in the next couple of days, depending on the side's progress."

31-year-old Martyn is averaging 47 in the World Cup, with three half-centuries in seven innings in the tournament.

He's proved to be a steady influence in the Australian middle-order, and is often used as the foil for his more dashing colleagues.

His absence may mean a recall for Jimmy Maher, the only reserve specialist batsman in the squad, although the selectors may opt to play two allrounders in Andrew Symonds and Ian Harvey.

The Sri Lankans were the last side to beat Australia in one-day internationals – they won in the VB Series in Sydney in January – but were comprehensively beaten in their earlier meeting in the World Cup at Centurion two weeks ago.

17 Mar, 2003