On Saturday (15th June), Australia beat Sri Lanka by 87 runs at The Oval (London) in the match 20 of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne won the toss and chose to field first. The defending champions Australia scored 334/7 (50 overs) in the first innings. In reply, Sri Lanka was bundled out for 247 runs (45.5 overs).
Brief Scores: Australia – 334/7 in 50 overs (Aaron Finch 153, Steven Smith 73; Dhananjaya de Silva 2/40)
Sri Lanka – 247 in 45.5 overs (Dimuth Karunaratne 97, Kusal Perera 52; Mitchell Starc 4/55)
Result – Australia won by 87 runs
Here are some of the statistical highlights of the match:
(Teams’ stats)
Australia
i) Australia managed to score 334/7 in 50 overs.
- It is the second highest total for Australia against Sri Lanka in Cricket World Cup history. Their record is 376/9 (50 overs) at Sydney on 8th March 2015.
- It is the third highest ODI total for Australia against Sri Lanka. Their top two records are 376/9 (50 overs) at Sydney on 8th March 2015 and 368/5 (50 overs) at Sydney on 12th February 2006.
ii) Australia won this match by 87 runs.
- It is Australia’s second largest victory (by runs) against Sri Lanka in Cricket World Cup history. Their record is winning by 96 runs at Centurion on 7th March 2003.
(Players’ stats)
Aaron Finch
i) Australian captain Aaron Finch scored 153 runs.
- It is the highest individual score by an Australian captain in Cricket World Cup history. The previous record was 140* by Ricky Ponting against India at Johannesburg on 23rd March 2003.
- It is the highest individual ODI score by an Australian captain against Sri Lanka. The previous record was 124 by Ricky Ponting at Sydney on 12th February 2006.
- It is the second highest individual score by a captain against Sri Lanka in Cricket World Cup history. The record is 181 by Sir Viv Richards (West Indies) at Karachi on 13th October 1987.
- It is the third highest individual score by an Australian batsman in Cricket World Cup history. The top two records in this list are 178 by David Warner (against Afghanistan at Perth on 4th March 2015) and 158 by Matthew Hayden (against West Indies at North Sound on 27th Mach 2007).
- It is also the third highest individual ODI score by an Australian batsman against Sri Lanka. The top two records in this list are 163 by David Warner (at Brisbane on 4th March 2012) and 154 by Adam Gilchrist (at Melbourne on 7th February 1999).
Aaron Finch and Steven Smith
i) Australian batsmen Aaron Finch and Steven Smith put a massive 173-run partnership for the third wicket.
- It is the second highest partnership for Australia against Sri Lanka for any wicket in the Cricket World Cup history. The record is a 182-run opening partnership between Rick McCosker and Alan Turner at The Oval on 11th June 1975.
Lasith Malinga
i) Sri Lankan right-arm pacer Lasith Malinga has taken 48 ODI wickets against Australia.
- Lasith Malinga is the joint most ODI wicket-taker for Sri Lanka against Australia. The former Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan also took 48 ODI wickets against Australia.
Dimuth Karunaratne
i) Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne scored 97 runs.
- It is the second highest individual ODI score by a Sri Lankan captain against Australia. The record is 122 runs by Sanath Jayasuriya at Sydney on 9th January 2003.
- It is the third highest individual score by any captain against Australia in Cricket World Cup history. The top two records in this list are 102 by the West Indies captain Clive Lloyd (at Lord’s on 21st June 1975) and 100* by the New Zealand captain Martin Crowe (at Auckland on 22nd February 1992).
Mitchell Starc
i) Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc had the bowling figures of 10-0-55-4.
- It is the second best bowling figures by an Australian bowler against Sri Lanka in Cricket World Cup history. The record is 9.4-3-19-4 by Nathan Bracken at St. George’s on 16th April 2007.
ii) Mitchell Starc has picked up 35 wickets in Cricket World Cup.
- It is the joint second most wickets by an Australian bowler in Cricket World Cup history as former Australian right-arm fast bowler Brett Lee also picked up 35 wickets in Cricket World Cup. Another former right-arm pacer Glenn McGrath is leading this table with the record 71 wickets in CWC history.
iii) Mitchell Starc has taken 400 international wickets.
- Mitchell Starc is the second Australian left-arm bowler to take 400 international wickets. The former left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson was the first bowler to achieve this feat as he finished his international career with 590 wickets.
- As an Australian bowler, Mitchell Starc becomes the eighth Australian bowler to take 400 or more international wickets.