SL v AUS 4th ODI: Bailey, Hastings propel Australia to series-clinching win

Bailey scores unbeaten 90 after Hastings 6-for

Australia's George Bailey, left, and Matthew Wade leave the field as they celebrate their victory over Sri Lanka by six wickets in their fourth one day international cricket match in Dambulla. (AP)

DAMBULLA: George Bailey led the batting with an unbeaten 90 after fast bowler John Hastings took a career-best six wickets to propel Australia to a series-clinching six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in their fourth one-day international on Wednesday.

The victory gave Australia an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

Sri Lanka chose to bat first after winning the toss and was bowled out for 212 runs in their allotted 50 overs. Dhananjaya de Silva top scored with 76 and Hastings returned 6-45, improving on his previous best of 4-58 against India earlier this year.

Australia reached 217-4 with 19 overs to spare. Bailey scored his runs off 93 balls hitting a six and 11 boundaries.

Opening batsman Aaron Finch smashed 55 off 26 balls to help Australia take control of its chase.

Sachith Pathirana returned a career-best 3-37 for Sri Lanka.

"It's very, very pleasing, we are thrilled to win the series," Australia captain David Warner said.

"It was a hard fought effort; we were up against it most of the time. We lost the toss and the boys came out and bowled well. Conditions here are quite tough; we had to work hard here for the runs."

Australia started the chase aggressively, scoring its first 50 runs inside four overs.

Left-arm spinner Pathirana took two wickets in the sixth over with Australia's total on 74 to bring Sri Lanka back to the game. He then trapped Finch and Usman Khawaja (0) lbw three balls apart, before bowling out Warner (19) to leave Australia on 97-3.

But Bailey and Travis Head (40) combined for a 100-run partnership for the fourth wicket to ensure victory for Australia.

Sri Lanka lost an opportunity to put the tourists under more pressure when Head was bowled by off spinner Dilruwan Perera on 13 off a no-ball. When he was eventually dismissed, Australia had the match in control.

Sri Lanka's stand-in captain Dinesh Chandimal said a batting failure was responsible for the series loss.

"We didn't click as a batting unit throughout the series, especially the top order collapsed every time...really disappointed the way we played."

As for Wednesday's match, he said: "Before the game started we were trying to make 260, 270 plus. We couldn't get that and the bowlers can't do anything."

Chandimal said regular captain Mathews will not play the remaining one-day international and the two Twenty20 matches because of a calf injury.

Earlier Hastings' career-best performance helped Australia hold Sri Lanka to a modest total, with the hosts making a poor start after their captain Angelo Mathews chose to bat first.

The 18-year-old opening batsman Avishka Fernando, making his international debut, was out for a second-ball duck and the hosts then slipped to 31-3.

Opener de Silva top-scored with 76 and shared a stand of 84 with Mathews for the fourth wicket.

But the momentum was lost when Mathews left the field with the calf injury. He returned later and scored 40.

De Silva faced 87 balls and hit nine boundaries for his first ODI half-century.

The last match of the series will be played in Pallekele on Sunday.Bailey, Hastings propel Australia to series-clinching win 

DAMBULLA, Sri Lanka (AP) — George Bailey led the batting with an unbeaten 90 after fast bowler John Hastings took a career-best six wickets to propel Australia to a series-clinching six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in their fourth one-day international on Wednesday.

The victory gave Australia an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

Sri Lanka chose to bat first after winning the toss and was bowled out for 212 runs in their allotted 50 overs. Dhananjaya de Silva top scored with 76 and Hastings returned 6-45, improving on his previous best of 4-58 against India earlier this year.

Australia reached 217-4 with 19 overs to spare. Bailey scored his runs off 93 balls hitting a six and 11 boundaries.

Opening batsman Aaron Finch smashed 55 off 26 balls to help Australia take control of its chase.

Sachith Pathirana returned a career-best 3-37 for Sri Lanka.

"It's very, very pleasing, we are thrilled to win the series," Australia captain David Warner said.

"It was a hard fought effort; we were up against it most of the time. We lost the toss and the boys came out and bowled well. Conditions here are quite tough; we had to work hard here for the runs."

Australia started the chase aggressively, scoring its first 50 runs inside four overs.

Left-arm spinner Pathirana took two wickets in the sixth over with Australia's total on 74 to bring Sri Lanka back to the game. He then trapped Finch and Usman Khawaja (0) lbw three balls apart, before bowling out Warner (19) to leave Australia on 97-3.

But Bailey and Travis Head (40) combined for a 100-run partnership for the fourth wicket to ensure victory for Australia.

Sri Lanka lost an opportunity to put the tourists under more pressure when Head was bowled by off spinner Dilruwan Perera on 13 off a no-ball. When he was eventually dismissed, Australia had the match in control.

Sri Lanka's stand-in captain Dinesh Chandimal said a batting failure was responsible for the series loss.

"We didn't click as a batting unit throughout the series, especially the top order collapsed every time...really disappointed the way we played."

As for Wednesday's match, he said: "Before the game started we were trying to make 260, 270 plus. We couldn't get that and the bowlers can't do anything."

Chandimal said regular captain Mathews will not play the remaining one-day international and the two Twenty20 matches because of a calf injury.

Earlier Hastings' career-best performance helped Australia hold Sri Lanka to a modest total, with the hosts making a poor start after their captain Angelo Mathews chose to bat first.

The 18-year-old opening batsman Avishka Fernando, making his international debut, was out for a second-ball duck and the hosts then slipped to 31-3.

Opener de Silva top-scored with 76 and shared a stand of 84 with Mathews for the fourth wicket.

But the momentum was lost when Mathews left the field with the calf injury. He returned later and scored 40.

De Silva faced 87 balls and hit nine boundaries for his first ODI half-century.

The last match of the series will be played in Pallekele on Sunday.Bailey, Hastings propel Australia to series-clinching win 

DAMBULLA, Sri Lanka (AP) — George Bailey led the batting with an unbeaten 90 after fast bowler John Hastings took a career-best six wickets to propel Australia to a series-clinching six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in their fourth one-day international on Wednesday.

The victory gave Australia an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

Sri Lanka chose to bat first after winning the toss and was bowled out for 212 runs in their allotted 50 overs. Dhananjaya de Silva top scored with 76 and Hastings returned 6-45, improving on his previous best of 4-58 against India earlier this year.

Australia reached 217-4 with 19 overs to spare. Bailey scored his runs off 93 balls hitting a six and 11 boundaries.

Opening batsman Aaron Finch smashed 55 off 26 balls to help Australia take control of its chase.

Sachith Pathirana returned a career-best 3-37 for Sri Lanka.

"It's very, very pleasing, we are thrilled to win the series," Australia captain David Warner said.

"It was a hard fought effort; we were up against it most of the time. We lost the toss and the boys came out and bowled well. Conditions here are quite tough; we had to work hard here for the runs."

Australia started the chase aggressively, scoring its first 50 runs inside four overs.

Left-arm spinner Pathirana took two wickets in the sixth over with Australia's total on 74 to bring Sri Lanka back to the game. He then trapped Finch and Usman Khawaja (0) lbw three balls apart, before bowling out Warner (19) to leave Australia on 97-3.

But Bailey and Travis Head (40) combined for a 100-run partnership for the fourth wicket to ensure victory for Australia.

Sri Lanka lost an opportunity to put the tourists under more pressure when Head was bowled by off spinner Dilruwan Perera on 13 off a no-ball. When he was eventually dismissed, Australia had the match in control.

Sri Lanka's stand-in captain Dinesh Chandimal said a batting failure was responsible for the series loss.

"We didn't click as a batting unit throughout the series, especially the top order collapsed every time...really disappointed the way we played."

As for Wednesday's match, he said: "Before the game started we were trying to make 260, 270 plus. We couldn't get that and the bowlers can't do anything."

Chandimal said regular captain Mathews will not play the remaining one-day international and the two Twenty20 matches because of a calf injury.

Earlier Hastings' career-best performance helped Australia hold Sri Lanka to a modest total, with the hosts making a poor start after their captain Angelo Mathews chose to bat first.

The 18-year-old opening batsman Avishka Fernando, making his international debut, was out for a second-ball duck and the hosts then slipped to 31-3.

Opener de Silva top-scored with 76 and shared a stand of 84 with Mathews for the fourth wicket.

But the momentum was lost when Mathews left the field with the calf injury. He returned later and scored 40.

De Silva faced 87 balls and hit nine boundaries for his first ODI half-century.

The last match of the series will be played in Pallekele on Sunday.

BRIEF SCORES

Sri Lanka: 212 (Dhananjaya De Silva 76, John Hastings 6/45) lose to Australia: 217 for 4 (George Bailey 90 not out, Aaron Finch 55, Sachith Pathirana 3-37) by 6 wickets.