Australia top Group C with win over Sri Lanka

• Under 19 Cricket World Cup

Australia came through Group C with an unbeaten record when they defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets with seven balls to spare in the final group match of the ICC Under19 Cricket World Cup played at Bloemfontein yesterday.

Sri Lanka winning the toss and batting first were dismissed for 208 off 49.5 overs with Dinura Kalupahana making a top score of 64 off 78 balls (6 fours, 3 sixes).

Australia replied with 211-4 off 48.5 overs after losing three wickets for nine runs at one stage to the spinners who kept Sri Lanka in the game until the penultimate over.

Australia got off to a flying start with their openers posting 71 off 79 balls. Harry Dixon contributed an aggressive 49 off 41 balls (5 fours, 2 sixes) before Sri Lanka struck through spinners Vishwa Lahiru and Malsha Tharupathi.

However, Player of the Match Ryan Hicks (77* off 104 balls, 7 fours) and Tom Campbell (33* off 41 balls, 3 fours) carried Australia to victory with an unbroken 82 runs partnership off 109 balls.

Sri Lanka’s top order failed to deliver once again as they lost their first three wickets for 54 runs. It was left to the middle order to restore some stability to the batting and give them a total which was still far short of at least 20-30 runs.

Seamer Callum Vidler who made early inroads into the Lankan batting finished with 3/28 supported by new ball partner Mahli Beardmen 2/30 and the spinners.

Australia, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe qualified from Group C into the next stage, the Super Sixes. They will play two of the three teams that qualified from Group D – South Africa, England and West Indies.

Sri Lanka’s first match of the Super Sixes Group 1 was against West Indies at Kimberley on 30 January followed by the match against South Africa at Potchefstroom on 2 February. 

Scores: Sri Lanka (U19) 208 (49.5) (Ravishan de Silva 30, Dinura Kalupahana 64, Sharujan Shanmuganathan 21, Extras 24, Callum Vidler 3/28, Mahli Beardman 2/30, Tom Campbell 2/47)

Australia (U19) 211-4 (48.5) (Harry Dixon 49, Sam Konstas 23, Ryan Hicks 77*, Tom Campbell 33*, Vishwa Lahiru 2/24)