Australia A won the 3rd ODI by 7 wickets [Source: @IbrahimBadees/x.com]
When it mattered the most, Australia A brought out their A-game and wrapped up the series 2-1 with a dominant 7-wicket win over Sri Lanka A in Darwin on Wednesday. Chasing 214, the Aussie batters made light work of the target, finishing it off with a whopping 105 balls to spare.
It was a clinical all-round show: sharp with the ball and ruthless with the bat. And just like that, the visitors were left licking their wounds after a promising start to the tour.
Let's take a look at AUS-A vs SL-A 3rd ODI highlights:
Sri Lanka A Falter Despite Decent Middle-Order Fight
After electing to bat first, Sri Lanka A had a horror start. Their skipper Lahiru Udara fell for a duck in the very first over and Lasith Croospulle soon followed. At 8/2, they were staring down the barrel.
But Kamil Mishara, Nuwanidu Fernando and Sahan Arachchige tried to steady the ship. Fernando’s 40 and Arachchige’s 47 added some meat to the innings. Sonal Dinusha chipped in with a handy 36 but it was never enough to truly worry the Aussies.
Jack Nisbet and Bryce Jackson were the pick of the bowlers, both scalping two wickets apiece and keeping things tight. Henry Thornton also struck twice, while the rest chipped in with tidy spells.
At the end of 50 overs, Sri Lanka A could only muster 213/9, a total that always looked 40-50 runs light on a good batting deck.
Sangha, Kellaway And Renshaw Shine Bright
The chase started cautiously with Nathan McSweeney departing early for 9. But Campbell Kellaway and Jason Sangha stitched together a solid stand. Kellaway was as calm, notching up 56 off 62 balls while Sangha took charge with a classy unbeaten 79 off 76.
And then came the fireworks. Skipper Matt Renshaw walked in and turned the heat up with a blazing 62 off just 36 deliveries. He dealt mostly in boundaries with eight fours and two sixes and took the game away from Sri Lanka in a flash.
By the time Renshaw departed, the game was already in the bag. Oliver Peake finished things off with Sangha at the other end as Australia A strolled to 215/3 in just 32.3 overs.
With this win, Australia A pocketed the series 2-1, bouncing back after that second ODI defeat. As for Sri Lanka A, they had their moments this tour, but never quite managed to string things together for long enough.
The two sides will now lock horns in a two match Test series, starting Sunday, July 13 at the same venue.