With a brief flourish in Galle on Sunday, Australia completed a clean sweep of the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy series to put the exclamation mark on an outstanding summer of cricket.
Australia crush Sri Lanka in second Test to complete rare series sweep
- Sri Lanka 257 and 231; Australia 414 and 75-1 in four days
- Spinners Lyon and Kuhnemann take seven wickets each
Australia have capped off a brilliant summer with a nine-wicket defeat of Sri Lanka that confirms their first clean sweep of a subcontinent Test series in almost 20 years.
Chasing just 75 runs in sunny Galle on Sunday, Australia (75-1) secured victory in the second Test and two-match series when Marnus Labuschagne (26 not out) hit the winning run to square leg just before lunch on day four.
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Australia sealed a whitewash with a nine-wicket victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle to pick up a series win in the island nation for the first time since Nathan Lyon’s debut tour in 2011.
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Australia have won their first Test series in Sri Lanka in 14 years after another thumping victory in Galle.
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Australia close on series triumph after swatting aside Sri Lanka resistance
- Sri Lanka 257 and 211-8;Australia 414 after day three
- Tourists only trail by 54 runs in the second Test
Australia need only two wickets and a bit of gusto from the top order to defeat Sri Lanka and claim their first series whitewash on the subcontinent in nearly 20 years.
Sri Lanka went to stumps on day three of the second Test only 54 runs ahead of Australia in their second innings, with Kusal Mendis (48 not out) their last recognised batter. Australia could seal the win in the morning session on Sunday, but won’t want the run chase getting out of hand given the tricks the Galle pitch played early on day three.
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Australia faces the prospect of a potentially tricky run chase on Day 4 of the Second Test of the tour of Sri Lanka after the hosts produced their best performance of the series to date on Saturday.
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As defeats pile up Brendon McCullum’s brand of cricket now has the feel of a cool music video on the deck of a sinking ship
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Australia is in the box seat to pull off a series whitewash with three late wickets turning the tide back in the visitors’ favour after an admirable Sri Lankan fight back for much of day three in Galle.
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Smith and Carey plunder unbeaten tons as Australia take charge of second Test
- Sri Lankan hopes snuffed out by partnership of 239
- Tourists are 73 runs ahead with pitch wearing fast
Unbeaten centuries for Steve Smith and Alex Carey have put Australia on course for a series whitewash of Sri Lanka after the second day of the second Test in Galle.
On a dusty wicket tipped to soon become very tricky for the batsmen, Smith (120 not out from 239 balls) and Carey (139 not out from 156) forged a potentially match-winning 239-run stand that ripped momentum back in Australia’s favour.
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Australia is in a dominant position against Sri Lanka after stand-in skipper Steve Smith and wicketkeeper Alex Carey produced a masterful partnership on the second day of the Second Test in Galle.
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