Finch's ton, super Starc take Aussies to top of table

Australia have surged to the top of the World Cup table after an Aaron Finch masterclass fired the defending 50-over champions to a comfortable victory over Sri Lanka at The Oval on Saturday.

Sharing in a rapid 178-run stand with Steve Smith (73 off 59 balls), Finch spanked 153 off just 132 balls – the third-highest score by an Australian at a men's World Cup – to see his side post an unassailable 7-334.

Sri Lanka, at one stage, looked on course to pull off the highest ODI run chase in their country's history after openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Perera cracked 87 runs off their first 10 overs.

But Australia, led by Mitchell Starc (4-55 off 10 overs) who now leads the tournament wicket-taking charts with 13 scalps at 19.15, forced a collapse of 8-61 to see their opponents skittled for 247 with 25 balls to spare.

The 87-run victory puts the Aussies at the head of the World Cup standings, though they are the only side to have played five matches. 

It was a brutal display from Finch, who drove length balls spectacularly early in his innings before clearing the fence with ease later on, smashing five sixes and 15 fours in total.

Smith, whose partnership with the Australian skipper was the highest of the tournament to date, proved the perfect second banana, rotating the strike cleverly and hitting seven boundaries and a six.

Glenn Maxwell then applied the finishing touches, scoring an unbeaten 46 off just 25 balls before playing a vital role with the ball, going 0-46 from his 10 overs to be his side's most economical bowler.

Sri Lanka captain Karunaratne (who posted a career-best 97 off 108) and opening partner Perera (52 off 36) flew out of the blocks in a rollicking 115-run first-wicket stand, with the skipper falling agonisingly short of a maiden century when he parried Kane Richardson (3-47 off nine overs) to point.

Image Id: D95FFC4E3DBF49E89174B67327129F6F Image Caption: Glenn Maxwell added some late fireworks // Getty

Finch lost his seventh straight toss on an overcast London morning, but Sri Lanka failed to take advantage of a green-tinged pitch after Karunaratne elected to field first.

David Warner, fresh off scoring Australia's first century of the tournament against Pakistan on Wednesday, struggled to get going in his 48-ball 26 though he proved an effective foil to Finch as the openers put on 80.

Dhananjaya de Silva accounted for both Warner and Usman Khawaja, with the off-spinner bowling tightly to concede just 20 from his first seven overs. He then went for the same number of runs off a single over as Finch, who had hit just one boundary in his previous 56 balls, and Smith raised the tempo through the middle overs.

Finch exploded after bringing up a 97-ball ton, the 14th of his ODI career, with a six, taking just 31 more deliveries to reach his 150 before eventually skying an easy catch off left-arm quick Isuru Udana.

There were all the trademarks of the Smith of old, with the ex-skipper fidgeting with his protective equipment, demonstrably gesturing to where his (rare) mishits were meant to go and scampering between the wickets in his third half-century of the tournament

The Aussies had lost 2-5 in five balls when Smith was bowled by Lasith Malinga (1-61 off 10).

But Maxwell ensured momentum wasn't lost, smashing 22 off one Nuwan Pradeep over and shepherding the tail shrewdly as Australia scored 97 off the final 10 overs despite wickets falling regularly.

Image Id: C657A4DED0A6446BAD0005F0211816E7 Image Caption: Smith's square drive was exquisite // Getty

Udana (2-57 from 10 overs) bounced back from hurting his shoulder when he dived into the digital advertising hoardings early in Australia's innings to finish as the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers.

Following an otherwise sloppy fielding performance from his side, Udana remarkably dismissed two Australians in four balls with direct-hit run outs off his own bowling in the penultimate over of the innings.

Few would have predicted the early scare Sri Lanka gave the Aussies in reply.

Pat Cummins had taken a wicket in his first over in all but one of Australia's World Cup games before Saturday but failed to break through this time as he and Starc went for 25 off the opening two overs of the innings.

Image Id: D06AA528C321456C98D6ADB77BECD6FB Image Caption: Isuru Udana left the field but returned quickly // Getty

Karunaratne and Perera fearlessly took aim at Australia's star bowlers with a mix of delightful and agricultural strokes, as they recorded the most productive opening Power Play of the World Cup.

Karunaratne survived an lbw decision on 50 that would have been out on review had Australia not earlier burnt their only DRS challenge, while a mighty pull shot an over earlier burst through Khawaja's hands at mid-wicket.

Left-armers Starc and Jason Behrendorff made incisions after the early fireworks as Maxwell, Australia's lone spinner, put the brakes on to leave the Lankans needing eight-an-over from the final 20 overs.

The reintroductions of trump cards Cummins (2-38 off 7.5 overs) and Starc made that task infinitely harder, as the Sri Lankans drowned under the mounting run rate.

Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jason Behrendorff, Kane Richardson.

Sri Lanka XI: Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Perera (wk),Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Milinda Siriwardana, Nuwan Pradeep, Lasith Malinga.

2019 World Cup

Australia's squad: Aaron Finch (c), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

June 1: Australia beat Afghanistan by seven wickets

June 6: Australia beat West Indies by 15 runs

June 9: Australia lost to India by 36 runs

June 12: Australia beat Pakistan by 41 runs

June 15: Australia beat Sri Lanka by 87 runs

June 20: Australia v Bangladesh, Trent Bridge

June 25: England v Australia, Lord's

June 29: New Zealand v Australia, Lord's (D/N)

July 6: Australia v South Africa, Old Trafford (D/N)

July 9: Semi-Final 1, Old Trafford

July 11: Semi-Final 2, Edgbaston

July 14: Final, Lord's

Sync Australia's World Cup schedule to your calendar HERE

For a full list of all World Cup fixtures, click HERE