John Hastings claimed six wickets before Aaron Finch and George Bailey’s attacking half-centuries powered Australia to a series clinching six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the fourth One-Day International in Dambulla on Wednesday (August 31).
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Earlier Hastings career-best bowling figures of 6-45 helped bowl out Sri Lanka for 212 after electing to bat first despite Dhananjaya de Silvas fighting 76.
Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews limps as he runs between wickets against Australia with an leg injury during their fourth one day global cricket match in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016.
Australia will now play an inconsequential fifth ODI against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on September 4.
“Really disappointed with the way we played, didn’t click as a batting unit through the series”.
“It’s always awesome to have one of your players go off like that and for me it is more of a watching tour to be honest”, Warner said. “We like to entertain the crowd”.
“That was nice but there’s never any pre-planning that I’m going to go out and tee off, so to speak”. Australia seemed to be in a hurry when they came out to bat because Aaron Finch blasted a 19-ball 55 to ensure that they had the flawless start.
Australia’s captain David Warner said the win was very very pleasing.
“That’s how we play”.
Melbourne: Cricket Australia will pore over its high performance systems in a “meaty” review following the 3-0 test series whitewash to Sri Lanka, chief executive James Sutherland has said.
He said: “We copped a pretty good and a pretty fair bake after the second game in Colombo, everyone did – batters, bowlers, fielders”. But these two went on to score some delightful shots which looked unconvincing but yet were convincing enough for their team to cross 200 which looked very unlikely at one stage.
Warner was also frustrated after he was led to believe the fourth one-dayer would be played on a greener wicket on the other side of the square, before discovering on match-eve it would be played on the same dry surface as the third one-dayer.
There should have been – Dilruwan bowled Head for 13 off a no-ball – but Bailey eased his tempo, Head assisted, and their 100-run partnership put Australia on the brink of victory.
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The Aussies, who can wrap up the five-match series with victory, have made two changes to their side.
