Published: Jul 19, 2016, 12:34 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 30, 2016, 07:09 PM (IST)
Hello and welcome to CricketCountry’s live cricket blog of the Australia’s first and only tour game match ahead of their three-Test series against Sri Lanka, starting from July 26. Australia will play Sri Lanka XI at P Sara Oval. Both the teams will play this match seriously as this gives a chance to the players from both teams to get into the grooves and make a statement before their national selectors to a place in the Playing XI. Australia would, most importantly, want to play spin well as this would hold them in good stead for the entire tour in the sub-continent.
Live Cricket Score & Updates| Australians 431/9 | Jackson Bird 9(17), Steve O’Keefe 62(112): STUMPS! Towards the end, Australia lost 2 more wickets, Starc and Lyon were dismissed in quick succession. Both the wickets were picked by Jayasuriya. At the end of Day 2, Australia led Sri Lanka XI by 202 runs with 1 wicket to spare. OUT! Mitchell Starc c & b Shehan Jayasuriya 45(48), OUT! Nathan Lyon b Shehan Jayasuriya 8(14)
Live Cricket Score & Updates| Australians 338/7 | Mitchell Starc 3, Steve O’Keefe 30 | Mitchell Starc comes in next. OUT! Nevill departs after a fighting knock of 25. Not at all bad for a bowler. Positive cricket from O’Keefe, who smashes his fifth boundary, which takes him up to 30. O’Keefe seems home at this ground, as he scores his fourth boundary.
Nevill lbw Shanaka 25
Live Cricket Score & Updates| Australians 316/6 | Peter Nevill 17, Steve O’Keefe 19 | End of 93 overs, Australia are 316 for 6, with a overall lead of 86. Two boundaries in quick succession, one from Nevill and another from O’Keefe. Nevill takes a single, and it brings up 300 for Australia. The lead is now 71. Second boundary of the innings for O’Keefe. Three runs of the first over after Tea. We are back underway for the final session.
Live Cricket Score & Updates| Australians 292/6 | Peter Nevill 5, Steve O’Keefe 7 | And it’s TEA! Seems like he is been given freedom to play his game, as he scores his first boundary. O’Keefe comes to the middle, and with confidence on his part after the fifer he took while bowling. OUT! Marsh departs after showing promise.
Marsh st Sarathchandra b Jayasuriya 25
Live Cricket Score & Updates| Australians 278/5 | Peter Nevill 1, Mitchell Marsh 22 | Two more boundaries for Marsh, as he looks to score quickly. On the other end, Nevill seems to be struggling to deal with the Sri Lankan XI bowlers. Another boundary from Marsh, moves him quickly up to 10. Marsh gets on the act with a boundary. Wicketkeeper Peter Nevill comes in next. OUT! The set Voges is bowled by Jayasuriya. The younger Marsh comes in next.
Voges b Jayasuriya 43
Live Cricket Score & Updates| Australians 254/4 | Adam Voges 35 | OUT! Smith is dismissed for 57. Clearly the batsmen are changing gear now, as Smith gets another boundary. And now Voges gets on the act with his second boundary. Boundary for Smith brings up his half-century. Fourth boundary of innings for captain Smith. Smith gets a double, and with that, Australia take a lead of 1 run. Dilhara Fernando to bowl the 69th over. If some of you don’t know, it’s his Birthday today! The veteran has turned 37, and is still around. ALSO READ: Happy Birthday Dilhara Fernando!
Smith lbw de Silva 57
Live Cricket Score & Updates| Australians 221/3 | Steven Smith 36, Adam Voges 30 | Both the batsmen are slowly chipping in with runs, and closing in on the opposition total. Voges manages to score his first boundary of Shanaka’s bowling. Voges takes a single, which also brings up the 200 for Australia. Three overs since the restart, and the batsmen have added four runs. We are back underway with the two batsmen at the crease.
Live Cricket Score & Updates| Australians 193/3 | Steven Smith 26, Adam Voges 12 | The Sri Lanka XI have had a good first session on Day 2. They were able to dismiss Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja. Australian skipper Steven Smith and Adam Voges are at the crease, and hoping to find their feet in these conditions. Smith has looked good for his 26. He already has 3 boundaries to his name. At the other hand, Voges is batting at 12, and will look to continue his sensational batting form in Test cricket. Vimukthi Perera dismissed Burns for 72, and Nisala Tharaka removed Khawaja for 31. Shehan Jayasuriya hasn’t been able to add to the wicket of Marsh, who was bowled by the spinner for 47 yesterday.
The Sri Lanka XI were dismissed for 229 in less than 60 overs. Steve O’Keefe was the star with the ball for Australians, grabbing a fifer. The Australian batsmen did well to end the Day 1 proceedings at 125 for 1, with Shaun Marsh the only one to get dismissed.
The onus will be on David Warner’s fitness, Mitchell Starc’s form with the red ball and their batting composition. Mitchell Marsh and Usman Khawaja would like to make a mark in this game before the Tests against hosts, Sri Lanka.
The first Test will start from July 26 at Pallekele. The second Test is slated to begin from August 8 while the third and the final Test of the series will begin on August 13.
Squads:
Australia: Shaun Marsh, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (c), Adam Voges, Mitch Marsh, Peter Nevill (wk), Mitchell Starc, Stephen O’Keefe, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird, Nathan Coulter-Nile (12th man to be named).
Sri Lanka Cricket Board XI: Madawa Warnapura, Osanda Fernando, Manoj Sarathchandra (wk), Asela Gunarathna, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milinda Siriwardana (c), Dasun Shanaka, Chathuranga Silva, Nisala Tharaka, Vimukthi Perera, Dilhara Fernando. Stand-by players: Lasith Embuldeniya, Chamika Karunarathna
