Finch and Warner hit Sri Lankans out of park
AUSTRALIA ended a threematch annihilation of Sri Lanka with a six-hitting record for captain Aaron Finch and a warning to world No.1 Pakistan who are next on the home team’s hit list.
David Warner remained undefeated for a third time as he collected his third halfcentury of a lopsided series as the Aussies continued a T20 international resurgence at the MCG last night.
Next is a showdown with a Pakistan-side coming off a 3-0 loss to the Sri Lankans last month.
The Australian batting lineup finally got something of a test with three wickets falling, the most of the series, before Warner (57 not out) and Ashton Turner (22 not out) guided the home team past Sri Lanka’s 142 with 16 balls and seven wickets to spare.
Aussie captain Finch bombed three maximums to take his career tally to 85, passing Shane Watson’s national record of 84.
The hitting display epitomised his team’s dominance of an opponent not yet qualified for the main draw of next year’s T20 World Cup.
Warner was named man of the series in which Sri Lanka took just six wickets in three games.
Warner was dropped on 12. When he was 42 the ball hit the stumps after ricocheting off his body, but the bails didn’t come off. He said he was “struggling for rhythm” too. But he still didn’t go out.
The Aussie opener had the perfect first home series since his 12-month ban, knocking out a century and two 50s.
He outscored Sri Lanka on his own in the first game, and finished the series with 217 runs, passing 2000 in T20 internationals, and picked up two man of the match awards.