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Finch finds form to secure top-order spot

Victorian's century floors Sri Lanka, beats off competitors for opening role and reaffirms his class

Even when he was languishing on the outer of Australia's one-day side just four months ago, Aaron Finch was always confident he would be in the UK for the Champions Trophy.

The right-hander, who scored a blistering hundred on Friday to all but seal his spot as David Warner's opening partner for Australia's tournament opener against New Zealand, had been a mainstay of his country's one-day side for almost four years until he was surprisingly axed in January.

Quick Single: Finch, Head help Aussies chase 319

Having debuted in January 2013, Finch missed the Champions Trophy later that year but played 72 of Australia's 77 one-day internationals thereafter, including a triumphant World Cup campaign in 2015, before he was dropped at the start of the year.

And despite returning to captain the side in New Zealand in February when Steve Smith, Matthew Wade (injured) and David Warner (rested) were all unavailable, Finch was seemingly in a three-way battle with Chris Lynn and Travis Head to open the batting alongside his long-time ally Warner.

But the Victorian snuffed out any further selection speculation with an eye-catching display against Sri Lanka at The Oval on Friday, a 109-ball innings that reminded the world, if not himself, why he's one of the most destructive batsmen in the game when he has his eye in.

Finch flays furious century

"I think you go through patches when you feel like you're playing well and then you go through patches when you feel like you're not playing well and feel that everything is falling away or slipping away," the 30-year-old said after Australia's two-wicket victory in the first of their two warm-up games.

"I always had confidence that I'd be in the squad. I've played for the best part of five years now and had some pretty decent one-day cricket so I was always confident, but it's not up to me, is it?

"Lynny's been in great form in the IPL and there's been some talking points around that throughout the media, so it was nice to get some runs today."

While the warm-up match against Sri Lanka was not an official one-day international, it should in no way lessen the power and authority of Finch's performance. In fact, if there was an injustice from an entertaining day of cricket on a perfectly sunny London day, it's that the 11 fours and six sixes he clobbered won't count in any way towards his career record.

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Finch knows The Oval well, and he likes it too. He posted scores of 51, 13 and 79 here for Surrey during a brief appearance in the T20 Blast last summer (as well as a score of 52 in the County Championship) and he will return to south London later this year to play T20s alongside Kevin Pietersen, Kumar Sangakkara and Jason Roy in surely one of the most eye-catching top orders in world cricket.

And the Surrey faithful got an early taste of what they hope is to come as Finch launched an extraordinary attack on Sri Lanka's bowlers, all the while looking entirely in control of his game.

While Finch's hitting is often all about power, some of the straight sixes he launched off the quicks on Friday echoed a golfer easing an iron shot towards a green, such was the sweetness of his timing.

And a playing surface that yielded 637 runs in a day no doubt helped his cause, too.

Australia v Sri Lanka in 60 seconds

"I have tinkered with a few things in my technique over the last couple weeks and it seemed to feel pretty good today," he said.

"The outfield here was lightning and the wicket was beautiful so any time you beat the fielder, it was four. Which gives you great confidence as a batter, when you hit a couple of balls in the gap early on and you look up and you're on 15 or 20 pretty quick.

"It's just a great place to play, I love playing over here."

Ironically for a man long considered a white-ball specialist, Finch's axing from the ODI side came during his best-ever year of first-class cricket, both for Surrey last northern summer and Victoria in 2016-17.

With two centuries, six fifties and an average of almost 55 from his past 12 months against the red ball, Finch followed his most productive Sheffield Shield season yet by rolling straight into the Indian Premier League with the Gujarat Lions in April and May. There he experienced mixed results, highlighted by a brutal 72 from just 34 balls in Bengaluru, but he says constant cricket has him in a good place ahead of the tournament proper.

"You can't win a tournament in a practice game," he said.

"It's just about making sure my preparations are as consistent as they can be.

"I think playing in the IPL then coming here and continually playing for the last two years is a good thing. You get a bit of a run on and a bit of a rhythm."

If Finch shows even half of the rhythm he displayed in south London on Friday, Australia have more than a good chance of winning this tournament.


Champions Trophy 2017 Guide


Squads: Every Champions Trophy squad named so far

Group A: Australia, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh.

Group B: India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan.


Schedule


Warm-up matches


27 May – Bangladesh v Pakistan, Edgbaston

28 May – India v New Zealand, The Oval

29 May – Australia v Pakistan, Edgbaston

30 May – New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Edgbaston

30 May – Bangladesh vs India, The Oval


Tournament


1 June – England v Bangladesh, The Oval (Day)

2 June – Australia v New Zealand, Edgbaston (D)

3 June – Sri Lanka v South Africa, The Oval (D)

4 June – India v Pakistan, Edgbaston (D)

5 June – Australia v Bangladesh, The Oval (D/N)

6 June – England v New Zealand, Cardiff (D)

7 June – Pakistan v South Africa, Edgbaston (D/N)

8 June – India v Sri Lanka, The Oval (D)

9 June – New Zealand v Bangladesh, Cardiff (D)

10 June – England v Australia, Edgbaston (D)

11 June – India v South Africa, The Oval (D)

12 June – Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Cardiff (D)

14 June – First semi-final (A1 v B2), Cardiff (D)

15 June – Second semi-final (A2 v B1), Edgbaston (D)

18 June – Final, The Oval (D)


19 June – Reserve day (D)