Left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe completed his first 10-wicket match bag in first-class cricket as the Australians annihilated Sri Lankan XI by an innings and 162 runs in their three-day tour game which concluded at P. Sara Oval grounds on Wednesday afternoon.
O’Keefe claimed his second five-wicket haul of the match to end on 10 for 64 as the hapless hosts were bowled out for a mere 83 inside 21 overs after the visitors were bowled out for 474 in the opening hour of Day 3.
Overnight batsmen, O’Keefe and Jackson Bird resumed day three on 431 for 9. After batting stubbornly for 10.3 overs, Bird flashed hard and was caught at slip off Vimukthi Perera as O’Keefe was made to wait for his maiden first-class century. He remained unbeaten on 78 off 139 deliveries with 9 fours.
Photos Album – Sri Lankan XI vs Australia – Tour Game Day – 3
The home team, minus opening batsman Madawa Warnapura who dislocated his shoulder yesterday, commenced their second innings 245 runs behind. Mitchell Starc once again got the better of Oshadha Fernando in the opening over as the former Sebastianite bagged a pair.
Wicket-keeper batsman Manoj Sarathchandra saw his stumps flying as Starc took his second victim in just his 8th ball for the day.
Opening batsman, Shehan Jayasuriya and Asela Gunarathne briefly resurrected the Lankan innings with a 49-run stand for the 3rd wicket before the latter was undone by O’Keefe for 23. In the same over, Jayasuriya swept straight to deep square-leg to end his 31-ball 29.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon finally found some luck as he bagged his first wicket of the match when the Sri Lankan Board XI captain, edged to Steve Smith at first slip as the home team were virtually 6 down for 57. The rest of the batsmen did not hang on for too long as the visitors wrapped up proceedings before lunch, bowling only 20.5 overs.
Sri Lankan XI – 229 all out in 57.2 overs: Asela Gunarathne 58, Milinda Siriwardana 53, Chathuranga De Silva 49, Dasun Shanaka 39, Steve O’Keefe 5/43, Jackson Bird 2/26, Mitchell Starc 2/39.
Australians – 474 all out in 132.2 overs: Joe Burns 72, Shaun Marsh 47, Usman Khawaja 31, Steve Smith 57, Adam Voges 43, Mitchell Starc 45, Steve O’Keefe 78*, Shehan Jayasuriya 5/110, Vimukthi Perera 2/45.
Sri Lankan XI (2nd inn) – 83 all out in 20.5 overs: Shehan Jayasuriya 29, Asela Gunarathne 23, Steve O’Keefe 5/21, Mitchell Starc 2/21, Nathan Lyon 2/14.
