As it happened | SLvAUS: Australia beat Sri Lanka by 87 runs

Australia beat Sri Lanka by 87 runs at the Oval on Saturday to move to the top of the World Cup table with four wins from five matches.

Captain Aaron Finch scored 153 in Australia's imposing total of 334 for seven and despite a good start, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 247, with paceman Mitchell Starc taking four wickets.

Wicket!

Final wicket gone, Nuwan Pradeep out. 

Australia win the match by 87 runs. 

45th Over

Kane Richardson comes back into attack. 

He gives 6 runs from this over. 

1 boundary and 1 single and 1 was extra. 

44th Over

2 runs from the over. 

Pat Cummins has been good with his line and length. 

43rd Over

Starc ends his bowling with a figure, 10-0-55-4. 

Certainly, no fifer for Starc this time. 

He gives just 1 run in 43rd over. 

42nd Over

A wicket maiden by Richardson. 

Australia are totally dominating the game now. 

Wicket!

Lasith Malinga out, it was a soft dismissal as he gives an easy catch to Usman Khawaja standing at the covers. 

Kane Richardson gets the wicket. 

Next batsman is Nuwan Pradeep. 

41st Over

A good over by Starc. 

It's his 9th over and he gives just one run. 

40th Over

Richardson's 7th over. 

He gives a total 7 runs. 

Wicket!

Kane Richardson sends Isuru Udana back to the pavilion. 

Udana scored 8 runs. 

Aaron Finch takes his catch. 

next batsman is Lasith Malinga. 

39th Over

Another good over by Starc. 

1 crucial wicket, giving 7 runs. 

Wicket!

Mitchell Starc strikes again...

Kusal Mendis departs after scoring 30 runs. 

He was caught behind. 

Next batsman is Isuru Udana. 

38th Over

5 runs from Jason Behrendorff's 9th over. 

37th Over

A much-needed over by Starc.

9 runs and 2 wickets from this over. 

The score after 37th over is 217/6. 

Wicket!

Starc strikes again in the same over to get one more wicket. 

Kusal Perera caught out by David Warner. 

Perera scored 7 runs. 

Next batsman is Dhananjaya de Silva. 

Wicket!

Mitchell Starc strikes with an inch-perfect yorker to take Siriwardana's wicket. 

He scored 3 runs. 

36th Over!

Total 4 runs Pat Cummins' 6th over. 

Wicket!

Angelo Mathews departs after scoring 9 runs off 11 balls. 

Pat Cummins to Mathews, caught behind. 

Next batsman is Milinda Siriwardana. 

35th Over

Mitchell Starc's 6th over. 

Total 11 runs from the over, 1 sixer, 1 boundary and 1 single. 

34th Over

Maxwell last over, he gives 3 runs from this over. 

His bowling figure in this match is 10-0-46-0. 

33rd Over

A good over by Kane Richardson, total 4 runs including 1 wicket. 

Sri Lanka 190/3 after 33 overs. 

Wicket!

Dimuth Karunaratne departs after playing a brilliant innings. 

He scored 97 runs. 

Kane Richardson to Karunaratne, caught out by Maxwell. 

Next batsman is Angelo Mathews. 

32nd Over

Glenn Maxwell's 9th over. 

Total 8 runs from the over. 

1 sixer and 2 singles. 

31st Over

Kane Richardson's 5th over. 

2 runs from the over. 

Wicket!

Lahiru Thirimanne out after scoring 16 runs. 

Jason Behrendorff takes his wicket. 

Next batsman is Kusal Mendis. 

After 24 overs, the score is 154/2. 

Wicket!

Australia finally get the breakthrough. 

Mitchell Starc strikes to get Perera's wicket. 

Kusal Perera departs after scoring 52 runs. 

Next batsman is Lahiru Thirimanne. 

After 16 overs, the score is 120/1. 

Sri Lanka have got the necessary start they needed in this massive run chase. 

After 12 overs, the score is 98/0. 

Sri Lanka are off to a steady start, as chasing 335 to win, they are 40/0 after 6 overs. 

First innings report:

 Aaron Finch's brilliant 153 lifted Australia to an imposing total of 334 for seven in their Cricket World Cup match against Sri Lanka. 

Captain Finch flayed the Sri Lanka attack all around the ground as the defending champions accelerated smoothly in the second half of their innings to set up a strong position from which to secure their fourth win of the tournament.

After Sri Lanka had won the toss, Finch and David Warner shared a solid opening partnership of 80 before Warner, on 26, was bowled by spinner Dhananjaya de Silva as he tried to cut a straight ball.

Usman Khawaja was caught low down at square leg by Isuru Udana off De Silva for 10, bringing former captain Steve Smith to the crease.

Finch launched De Silva for successive sixes and the right-hander lifted Milinda Siriwardana for another maximum to reach three figures off 97 deliveries.

Finch moved past 150 and must have had his sights on a double century when he skied Udana to extra cover to end a stand of 173 after hitting five sixes and 15 fours.

Smith was bowled by Lasith Malinga for 73 as Australia's momentum stalled briefly but despite a flurry of late wickets, Glenn Maxwell's quickfire unbeaten 46 ensured his team posted a very competitive total.

Sri Lanka, whose last two matches were washed out, have struggled with the bat recently and will have to show a big improvement to pull off the highest successful World Cup run chase and notch up their second victory of the tournament.

Openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Perera have started the run chase. 

Mitchell Starc launches the bowling attack. 

Innings break

Aaron Finch's century helps Australia post 334/7 against Sri Lanka. 

Wicket!

Another wicket as Pat Cummins out. 

Just like Alex Carey's wicket, Udana sends Pat Cummins back to the pavilion, just that it was striker's end this time. 

Udana to Cummins, run out. 

Wicket!

Alex Carey out. 

A brilliant run out by Isuru Udana. 

Udana to Maxwell and Carey run out. 

Next batsman is Pat Cummins. 

Wicket!

Isuru Udana strikes again...

Shaun Marsh out after scoring 3 runs. 

Next batsman is Alex Carey. 

Wicket!

Smith bowled...

An inch-perfect yorker by Lasith Malinga sends back Steve Smith back to the pavilion. 

Smith scored 73 runs. 

Next batsman is Shaun Marsh. 

Wicket!

Aaron Finch out after scoring 153 runs. 

Isuru Udana gets the breakthrough. 

Next batsman is Glenn Maxwell. 

Steve Smith completes half-century. 

This partnership between Smith and Finch is probably taking the game away from Sri Lanka. 

Australia have crossed 200-run mark, after 36 overs, the score is 203/2. 

Century!

Aaron Finch completes a splendid century. 

It's his 14th One-Day International hundred. 

Australia are 159/2 after 30 overs. 

Wicket!

Usman Khawaja departs after scoring 10 runs. 

Dhananjaya de Silva strikes again. 

De Silva to Khawaja, caught out by Isuru Udana. 

Next batsman is Steve Smith. 

Fifty up for Aaron Finch

It's his 3rd half-century of this World Cup. 

Wicket!

Sri Lanka needed a breakthrough and they got one. 

Dhananjaya de Silva strikes to get David Warner's wicket. 

He scored 26 runs.

Next batsman is Usman Khawaja. 

Australia are 80/1 after 16.4 overs. 

It's time for Drinks Break!

Australia are 73/0 after 14 overs. 

Sri Lankan bowlers have clearly failed to take advantage of the conditions. 

They need to take wickets here. 

Dark clouds are seen at The Oval. 

The opening batsmen have given a stable start to the team. 

After 5 overs, the score is 20/0. 

Both the Australian openers, David Warner and Aaron Finch, are at the crease. 

Ace pacers Lasith Malinga will launch the bowling attack. 

Both the teams are out on the field to sing their national anthem. 

The match will start in five minutes. 

Sri Lankan skipper Dimuth Karunaratne said:

"It has been rainy, so the moisture will help seamers initially so we need to take advantage."

Australia skipper Aaron Finch said:

"We haven't done too well particularly with the bat. We have done well in patches in the tournament, but it hasn't come together for us. We need to be disciplined against the new ball."

Toss:

Sri Lanka win the toss and opt to bowl first against Australia. 

Sri Lanka made two changes, Pradeep Nuwan and Milinda Siriwardana come in the playing XI. 

For Australia, Nathan Coulter-Nile makes way for Jason Behrendorff.

Playing XI:

Australia: Aaron Finch(c), David Warner, Steven Smith, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson, Jason Behrendorff 

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne(c), Kusal Perera(w), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Milinda Siriwardana, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Pradeep

Conditions:

Clouds will make appearances every now and then but overall, it will be a bright and sunny day. 

Light rains can be expected too. 

Today is the last game of Cricket World Cup 2019 at this venue.

Squads:

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Avishka Fernando, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Jeevan Mendis, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera (wk), Thisara Perera, Nuwan Pradeep, Dhananjaya de Silva, Milinda Siriwardana, Lahiru Thirimanne, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay

Australia: Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson, Pat Cummins, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa, Nathan Lyon

Head-to-head

India ODI format, both the teams have played a total of 96 matches. Australia won 60 and Sri Lanla 32. 

Preview:

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.

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.  

With two fifties and a hundred, David Warner has been simply outstanding, helping Australia post 300-plus scores in the last two matches.

Skipper Aaron Finch too has two fifties to show in the last four innings. 

However, Australia have looked vulnerable against quality pace bowling -- they were reduced to 79 for five by West Indies.

Their middle order is brittle and squandered superb starts against Pakistan and India. Sri Lanka will look to exploit these weaknesses on Saturday.

Sri Lanka will hope that fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep, who had injured himself ahead of the Bristol game, returns Saturday to strengthen the bowling attack.

Veteran pacer Lasith Malinga is also likely to play Saturday and the onus would be on the pace duo to get wickets.

In the batting department, the Dimuth Karunaratne-led side has failed to last the full 50 overs against New Zealand and Afghanistan.

They lost five wickets for 14 runs against New Zealand and then seven wickets for 36 runs against Afghanistan.

The former champions will have to address their batting woes before they take on the likes of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, both of whom have taken nine wickets each so far.

Hello! And welcome to the Match 20 of the Cricket World Cup 2019 which is between Sri Lanka vs Australia at The Oval. 

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