Bailey and Finch deliver Australia series win

50 overs Sri Lanka 212 (De Silva 76, Hastings 6-45) v AustraliaLive scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Dhananjaya de Silva played brilliantly for 76 but otherwise Sri Lanka’s batsmen struggled in the fourth ODI against Australia in Dambulla, where John Hastings snared six wickets and was key to dismissing the hosts for 212. Sri Lanka might have found an opener in de Silva – and they needed one after the retirement of Tillakaratne Dilshan – but they lost their captain Angelo Mathews to a calf injury and may find themselves in danger of losing the series.

Mathews limped off the field with an injury to his right calf in the 28th over of the innings, having sustained the problem while taking off for a run a few balls earlier. He had accumulated 28 from 58 balls at the time in a valuable 84-run rebuilding partnership with de Silva, but Sri Lanka’s problem was not only that his innings was halted, but that he is one of only two seam bowlers in their side.

Mathews hobbled to the crease to resume his innings in the 48th over, and added 11 runs including a couple of boundaries, but Sri Lanka must hope he did not do any further damage to his leg. He was the final man out, caught for 40 when he skied a catch off Hastings from the sixth ball of the 50th over: Sri Lanka had batted out their overs by the barest possible margin.

The key for Sri Lanka was de Silva, who looked a …

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