Aaron Finch scored 153 while Mitchell Starc took 4 wickets as Australia beat Sri Lanka by 87 runs in ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
Sri Lanka vs Australia, World Cup 2019: Skipper Aaron Finch scored a majestic century as defending champions Australia inched closer to the semifinal berth with a crushing 87-run win over Sri Lanka in their World Cup on Saturday.
Finch forged two crucial partnerships -- 80 with his opening partner David Warner (26) and 173 with Steve Smith (73 off 59) for the third wicket -- in his 132-ball 153 knock. It was his 14th ODI hundred which was laced with 15 fours and five sixes, two of them gigantic. Glenn Maxwell then provided the late charge with an unbeaten 25-ball 46 as Australia posted a challenging 334 for 7.
Chasing the total, Sri Lanka were 115 for no loss at one stage but they squandered the superb start to be eventually dismissed for 247 in 45.5 overs. Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne (97) was the top-scorer for Sri Lanka, while his opening partner Kusal Perera (52) also scored a fifty. Mitchell Starc took four wickets, while Kane Richardson claimed three and Pat Cummins scalped two.
Sri Lanka vs Australia: Scorecard
Sri Lanka: 247 in 45.5 overs
Australia: 334/7 in 50 overs
This is Australia's fourth win in five matches, having beaten Afghanistan, the West Indies and Pakistan while losing to India in the 10-team tournament. Sri Lanka, who came into the match with one win from four games after their previous two matches were washed out, are however running out of time after suffering their second defeat.
Here's how it all happened:
1. 50 UP!
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Aaron Finch and David Warner gave Australia a perfect start in the first 10 overs.
Australia are off to a flying start at The Oval.
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) June 15, 2019
They're 53/0 after the first 10 overs.
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(Image: Reuters)
2. OUT! Warner
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David Warner departed after scoring 26 (48). Dhananjaya de Silva got the critical breakthrough for Sri Lanka.
3. HALF-CENTURY!
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The Aussie captain Aaron Finch kept leading the charge for Australia as he completed his well-deserved half-century. (Image: Reuters)
Leading from the front.
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) June 15, 2019
Aaron Finch brings up his half-century off 53 balls. He looks in excellent form.
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4. OUT! Khawaja
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Soon after Warner's departure, Dhananjaya de Silva picked up his second wicket of the day. This time he dismissed Khawaja for only 10 runs. (Image: Reuters)
5. 150 UP!
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Aaron Finch and Steve Smith have built a very effective partnership for the Aussies.
6. CENTURY!
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Aaron Finch is led his team from the front, as he completed his century against Sri Lanka. (Image: Reutuers)
7. 50 UP for Smith
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Steve Smith also completed another half-century for his side. He's batted brilliantly and played some beautiful strokes against the Sri Lankan bowlers.
8. 150! FINCH
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Aussie captain Aaron Finch soon completed his 150 off 130 balls as Australia looked like crossing the 350 run mark at The Oval. (Image: AFP)
9. OUT! FINCH
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Aaron Finch was finally dismissed after playing a knock of 153 runs. (Image: Reuters)
10. OUT! Smith
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Smith (73) were dismissed soon after. Australia kept on losing wickets at regular intervals but Glenn Maxwell's cameo of 46 runs off just 25 balls enabled Australia to go past the 330-run mark. (Image: Reuters)
11. Its all over
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In their allocated 50 overs, Australia managed to put up 334/7 thanks to brilliant innings from Aaron Finch and Steve Smith. (Image: Reuters)
12. 50 UP!
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Sri Lanka got off to a quickfire start as openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Perera played in an aggressive style from the very start. The duo enabled Sri Lanka to reach the score of 87 runs after the first ten overs. (Source: ICC Cricket Twitter.)
13. HALF-CENTURY!
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Karunaratne completed his well-deserved half-century. (Source: AFP)
14. Kushal Perera completes FIFTY
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Just moments after Karunaratne completed his half-century, Perera also followed into his footsteps to reach his 50.
15. Perera out
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Australia finally got the breakthrough via Mitchell Starc. He clean bowled Perera (52) in the 16th over, ending the 115-run partnership between Karunaratne and Perera. (Image: PTI)
16. Dimuth Karunaratne misses century
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Lahiru Thirimanne came out to bat next, and he along with Karunaratne stitched a 38-run stand, but their resistance was cut short by Jason Behrendorff as he scalped the wicket of Thirimanne (16) with Sri Lanka still requiring 182 runs for the win. Kusal Mendis and Karunaratne stitched a 33-run partnership, but as Sri Lanka was gaining an upper hand in the match, Australia once again clawed their way in the clash as Behrendorff dismissed set batsman Karunaratne (97) in the 33rd over. (Image: Reuters)
17. Australia win by 87 runs
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After Karunaratne's departure, Sri Lanka's chase derailed as Angelo Mathews (9), Milinda Siriwardana (3), and Thisara Perera (7) departed quickly, reducing Sri Lanka to 217 for six, still requiring 118 runs for the win. Mitchell Starc continued to bowl lethal deliveries and the Sri Lankan batsmen had no answers. Mendis' (30) dismissal proved the final nail in the coffin as Australia secured victory by 87 runs. (Image: Reuters)
