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LONDON: Sri Lanka threatened to upend Australia in the upset of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, but Mitchell Starc underlined, once again, his worth as a potent strike bowler to impact a collapse of five wickets for 32 runs.
Chasing 334 after Aaron Finch scored his 14th ODI century, Sri Lanka were given a rousing start of 115 in 15.3 overs between Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Perera, but once Starc yorked Perera for a fiery 52 the chase began to unravel. Karunaratne battled his way to a career-best 97, and once he was out Starc returned to grab three wickets in five deliveries to snuff out Sri Lanka’s fight.
Sri Lanka were bowled out for 247 in 45.5 overs to lose by 87 runs. Australia zoomed to the top of the points table.
Dimuth Karunaratne: It was a good wicket. There was some seam movement, but it was still a good batting track. We bowled well in the first 25 overs. Then, Finch and Smith batted really well, but we came back strongly at the death. We got a good start with the bat. We couldn’t capitalise and when the middle-order came in, they couldn’t capitalize either and really couldn’t handle the pressure. The Australians are top-class bowlers, but we have faced them before, and we were missing a game plan against them to be honest. We lost a couple of matches because of the rain. We need to win a couple of matches, and if we can do it, we can definitely be in the top 4. We have got to get to the semi-finals and then take it step by step until the final.
Aaron Finch: It was nice to get a couple of drives away. If my balance is on and get a few drives, that’s the key to my batting. A nice wicket. I’ve been working on keeping my balance from Ball 1 – not losing my balance. We lost a few wickets on the verge of taking the game on too much, but a couple of partnerships took us deep. Smith is really good at finding the gap and rotating the strike – looked up at the scorecard and saw he was on 25 – thought he was on 5. He just hits the ball in the gap, and that’s a great skill, especially in the beginning of the innings. It’s amazing when Maxi has a free rein like that, he can just go all out. Credit to Sri Lanka, they executed really well under pressure, otherwise I thought we were definitely getting to 350.IT’S A WRAP! Australia beat Sri Lanka by 87 runs to register their fourth win in World Cup 2019. Aaron Finch scored 153 and Mitchell Starc scalped four wickets.
Sri Lanka have lost the plot after Karunaratne’s fall and Australia have moved closer to a big win.
WICKET! Fourth wicket for Starc. The freefall of wickets continues for Sri Lanka. Kusal Mendis departs for 30.
OUT! Starc disturbs the timber as Milinda Siriwardana departs.
WICKET! Cummins bangs one short, Mathews tries to take him on but fails. Carey takes an easy catch.
FOUR! Short from Starc and Mathews just times it to perfection. The fielder at fine-leg did not really spot where the ball was! Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have moved past 200.
SIX! What a shot! Kusal Mendis has crunched that. Straight six off Starc!
So near yet so far. Dimuth Karunaratne misses his maiden ODI hundred:
HUGE wicket.
Dimuth Karunaratne falls three short of a maiden ODI hundred.
The momentum swings back in Australia's favour!
FOLLOW LIVE ⬇️https://t.co/7Gf1YRrFTu pic.twitter.com/iEN2dxf14h
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) June 15, 2019
WICKET! Big wicket! Richardson gets the big wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne as Maxwell takes an easy catch at point. The Sri Lankan skipper departs for 97.
SIX! Dances down the track and times it over log-off. Kusal Mendis moves to 17. Sri Lanka nearing 190.
SL 173/2 in 29 overs vs AUS: Karunaratne is keeping the Sri Lankan challenge alive. He has moved into 90s now as Sri Lanka have crossed 170-run mark. The match is on. Sri Lanka need 162 runs from 21 overs to win this one.
WICKET! GONE! First World Cup wicket for Lahiru Thirimanne. Cramped for room and he edges it to Carey.
FOUR! Width on offer and Thirimanne cashes in.
LIVE CRICKET SCORE AUS vs SL: Sri Lanka 141/1 after 22 overs, chasing 335, versus Australia: Dimuth Karunaratne is still in the middle as Sri Lanka are keeping Australia under pressure in chase. After a sensational opening stand between the Sri Lankan skipper and Kusal Perera, the Asian side are in this game.
FOUR! Karunaratne is keeping the scoreboard ticking. He moves past 70 now.
OUT! A breakthrough, finally! Starc disturbs the timber as Kusal Perera departs.
FIFTY! Kusal Perera brings up his half-century. Sri Lanka have moved past hundred. This has been a solid start in a big chase.
FIFTY! The Sri Lankan skipper is leading from the front! Dimuth Karunaratne hammers one through the leg-side. Sri Lanka nearing hundred.
And now Australia have wasted their review. Carey and Richardson seemed to have heard something, so Finch goes for a review. Unsuccessful.
FOUR! Stop them if you can! Short from Richardson. Perera hammers one over the mid-wicket. The SrI Lankan innings continues to entertain.
SIX! Sanath aint here but Kusal is! Six over the covers. Stand and deliver. Sri Lanka nearing 70.
FOUR! Raining fours here! Onto the pads and Karunaratne times one past the short fine-leg.
FOUR AND FIFTY! Jason Behrendorff pitches one up and Karunaratne attempts a cover drive. But inside edge takes the ball past the fine-leg boundary rope.
FOUR! Past the diving short fine-leg for four. Karunaratne moves past thirty.
FOUR! Edge but safe. Sri Lanka will need this luck and a lot more. Inside edge, misses the stumps and races past the boundary rope.
FOUR! Short from Cummins and Karunaratne pulls it through the mid-wicket.
AUS vs SL live score: Sri Lanka 31/0 after five overs, chasing 335, versus Australia: Sri Lanka have done well to score at a good pace. They will need to maintain this run-rate.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Match 20 of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 between Australia and Sri Lanka at Kennington Oval, London on Saturday.
After two washed out games, Sri Lanka will be desperate to come out all guns blazing but defending champion Australia’s depth will be hard to beat. Sri Lanka have not played a match at the World Cup since June 4, forced to split points with Bangladesh and Pakistan following two washed out games.
Sri Lanka, who won the tournament back in 1996, stands fifth with just one win — against minnows Afghanistan in a rain-hit match — from four games.
Defending champions Australia, on the other hand, have been simply unstoppable with their loss against India being the only blemish in an otherwise professional performance so far in the tournament.
The five-time winners are placed second with three wins from four games. With two fifties and a hundred, David Warner has been simply outstanding, helping Australia post 300-plus scores in the last two matches.
First Published on Last updated on June 15, 2019 10:52 PM UTC
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