Sri Lankan spin proves too much for Aussie U19s

Australia have slumped to a heavy defeat against the spin of Sri Lanka in their second group match of the Under-19 World Cup.

Sent in to bat first, Australia could only manage 175 from their 50 overs, with Campbell Kellaway top scoring with 54 from 77 deliveries.

Sri Lanka passed the total with 13 overs to spare in their four-wicket win, with Sri Lanka captain Dunith Wellalage backing up his five wickets with the ball with a quality 52 in the middle order.

The loss brought a heavy hit to Australia's net run rate and leaves them third in Group D, after the West Indies comfortably defeated Scotland overnight. It means Australia will not only have to beat Scotland in their final match on Thursday morning, but will likely rely on a Sri Lanka victory over the Windies to move on to the Super League stage of the tournament.

"I think we are just going to go into the game (against Scotland) backing ourselves and concentrate on what we can control," Aussie skipper Cooper Connolly said after the match.

"I feel like we can beat Scotland but we just need to control what we can control, and the rest will happen for us."

The Aussies made one change to their XI from the opening match against the West Indies, bringing in Victorian fast bowler Josh Garner for an extra seamer on the bouncy Basseterre wicket.

Opening bat Corey Miller dropped out of the XI with Kellaway elevated in the order to a more familiar position. The left-handed Kellaway, who plays at the same Melbourne Cricket Club as Will Pucovski, has been averaging 57 as an opener in Victoria's Premier Cricket this season.

Fellow opener Teague Wyllie, fresh from his 86no against the Windies, immediately showed the confidence he had gained from that knock with a powerful cut shot to the boundary on just the fourth ball of the match.

However, it was a short stay from the Western Australian who edged a quicker delivery from off-spinner Treveen Mathew to first slip to be on his way for six, justifying the Sri Lankans' decision to lead with the spinning option.

Isaac Higgins had worked extensively with former West Indies captain Carl Hooper on playing spin bowling in the Caribbean in the lead up to the tournament, as he and Kellaway were put under pressure from a Sri Lankan bowling unit who didn't let them settle.

Pace bowler Matheesha Pathirana, whose slinging action has uncanny similarities to Sri Lanka icon Lasith Malinga, made runs hard to come by with his pace and unpredictability.

That scoreboard pressure turned into a second Australian wicket with first slip again holding onto a catch from Mathew's bowling as Higgins (15) edged his attempt at a cut shot.

Aussie skipper Cooper Connolly played across the line to leg-spinner Sadisha Rajapaksa and was bowled for three, leaving Australia in a precarious position at 3-61 from 19 overs.

In need of a partnership, Nivethan Radhakrishnan immediately changed the tempo of the Australian innings, showing good intent from the outset. Hailing from Sydney but rookie-contracted to Tasmania this summer, his ability to up the run rate seemed to help Kellaway find his groove.

Kellaway began punishing anything short outside off stump and launched a massive straight six off Rajapaksa as he passed 50 in the 27th over and brought up the 100 for the Australians.

But just as it seemed Australia had wrestled the momentum back in their favour, Kellaway was trapped leg before by left-arm spinner Wellalage, the Sri Lanka skipper.

Things got worse when Radhakrishnan (21) departed in Wellalage's next over courtesy of a beautiful delivery that bowled him through the gate, and NSW allrounder Aidan Cahill was then bowled two balls later to leave Australia struggling at 6-112.

Wicketkeeper Tobias Snell (19) and allrounder Will Salzmann (22) put on 31 for the seventh wicket in 80 balls as the run-rate plummeted.

Australia were bowled out on the final ball of the innings for 175, as Wellalage completed a five-wicket haul with 5-20 off his ten overs, while Mathew and Pathirana each finished with two wickets.

"Campbell Kellaway looked really nice with the bat, it would have been nice for him to go on and get a big score but cricket is cricket," Connolly said.

"Kellaway looks the best he has looked all tournament just hopefully he can get some more runs. I feel like our batting line-up is very strong and I feel like we can go a long way in this tournament."

Debutant Garner, who took 21 wickets for Geelong in Premier Cricket last season, saw his first four balls disappear for 15 runs, before he struck to remove Chamindu Wickramasighe after a quick-fire 19, again from a mis-timed pull shot.

Whitney then got a length delivery to rise sharply on new batter Rajapaksa, striking him on the body before trickling onto his stumps, putting the Aussies into the ascendency at 3-41.

Australia's fast bowlers were extracting considerable pace and bounce from the Basseterre pitch and consistently challenged the outside edge of Sri Lanka's batters, and when Connolly turned to ambidextrous spinner Radhakrishnan in the thirteenth over it brought instant success, albeit perhaps not in the manner he might have predicted, with Sakuna Liyanage out hit wicket to a right-arm delivery from the Aussie spinner.

Liyanage had attempted a lap sweep that was headed for the boundary, however he kicked over his stumps as he lost his footing to depart for seven.

With two left handers at the crease, Radhakrishnan utilised only his right arm, and with 17-year-old off-spinner Harkirat Bajwa at the other end also turning the ball away from the Sri Lankans, batting was being made tough.

Unfortunately for Australia, deliveries that took the outside edge went to the boundary; encouraging signs but runs that they could scarcely afford to give away as Wellalage and Anjala Bandara took the score past 100 in the 22nd over.

Garner would break the 70-run partnership as his extra pace rushed Bandara to see him caught behind by Snell for 33, but Wellalage and Ranuda Somarathna (32 not out) cruised to the win on the final ball of the 37th over.

Whitney was admirable in his ten overs and picked up 2-39 to back up his three wickets from the first match, while Garner finished with 2-21 from four overs.