Haynes, Jonassen star in big ODI win
RACHAEL Haynes’ maiden international century has helped Australia to a 17thstraight one-day international victory and secured the series against Sri Lanka in Brisbane.
Playing her 117th match across all three formats for Australia, Haynes’s emotional 118 piloted the hosts to 8-282 at Allan Border Field before Jess Jonassen (4-31) helped contain the visitors to 9-172 from their 50 overs.
In the process the off-spinner became the second-fastest woman to 100 ODI wickets – getting there in 67 innings – and just the fourth Australian woman to reach the milestone.
Debutante Heather Graham also grabbed a wicket in the 110-run victory as Meg Lanning’s side drew level with Belinda Clark’s dominant side of the late 1990s on 17-straight ODI triumphs.
Their last one-day defeat was in October 2017, against England in Coffs Harbour. Australia can claim the record outright with victory in the third and final clash between the sides in Brisbane tomorrow.
Opener Haynes laid the platform, controlling her riskfree innings expertly before falling in the 45th over. It was the NSW veteran’s first triplefigure score in green and gold, coming in her 56th ODI and after 56 T20s and five Tests.
Haynes had earlier shared in a 116-run partnership with Alyssa Healy (69 from 62) and 103-run stand with Meg Lanning (45 from 62).
The hosts couldn’t find top gear at the end of the innings though, losing 7-63 as the Sri Lankans pegged them back.
Sri Lanka started brightly but were slowed by leg-spinner Georgia Wareman (2-29 from 10 overs) before Jonassen claimed the key scalp of Chamari Athapaththu and ripped through the middle order.
Harshitha Madavi topscored for Sri Lanka with 39, while Achini Kulasuriya (3-50) was the pick of the bowlers for the visitors.