AUSSIES THRASH SRI LANKA AHEAD OF ENGLAND CLASH
AUSTRALIA warmed up for tomorrow’s pre-Ashes England clash by crushing Sri Lanka in Dubai. The seven-wicket success — completed with three overs unused — made it two wins out of two for Aaron Finch’s team at the Twenty20 World Cup and put them level on points with their weekend opponents at the top of Group 1. Of their impending challenge, Finch said: ‘It’s always a great battle, no matter what the format of the game. We’ve had some great tussles with them over the last little while. ‘They have been the form side in the white-ball format for a long time. We know how they play — they are aggressive and take the game on, so it will be entertaining.’ David Warner hit 65 off 42 balls to put behind him a woeful run of form which saw him scrimp just 17 runs in five innings either side of being dropped by Sunrisers Hyderabad. Finch had also struggled for fluency in recent weeks but Australia’s opening duo took advantage of Sri Lankan profligacy with the new ball to collect 63 unbroken runs during the powerplay — the highest such tally in the tournament so far. Warner was gifted a life on 18 when wicketkeeper Kusal Perera made a hash of a straightforward gloved chance down the leg-side off Dushmantha Chameera. But Dasun Shanaka’s bowling attack caused few other moments of concern, other than when leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga had ball in hand, Finch chopping on for 37 and Glenn Maxwell falling cheaply soon afterwards. Warner succumbed going aerial as Australia looked to improve their net run rate via a dash for the finish line. Earlier, it was another leggie in Adam Zampa, who altered the momentum with man-ofthe-match figures of 4-0-12-2.