Cricket: Starc contrast seals Australian glory

Mitchell Starc of Australia celebrates. Photo / Getty Images

Australia's unheralded twin towers Clint McKay and Mitchell Starc produced career-best performances yesterday to deliver a morale-lifting pre-Ashes thumping over Sri Lanka.

Breaking their seven-match losing streak, the Australians smashed the tourists for a consolation eight-wicket victory, achieved with 28.2 overs to spare.

With stand-in skipper Michael Clarke (50 not out) leading the way, the home side cruised past Sri Lanka's dismal total of 115, the second lowest score in one-dayers between the two nations.

Victorian McKay (5-33) and 20-year-old beanpole Starc (4-27) both relished the extra bounce and pace of the Gabba after Clarke didn't mind losing the toss in place of the rested Ricky Ponting.

The dominant effort ensured Australia would avoid a first series whitewash at home as well as the nation's worst losing streak in 133 years of international cricket.

While white-ball form will count for little when the Ashes gets under way at the same ground on November 25, the victory ends a seven-match drought in all forms of the game dating back to July. Man-of-the-match McKay ripped in immediately after Kumar Sangakkara chose to bat, reducing Sri Lanka's classy top order to 3-14 by taking three wickets in seven balls, including a double-wicket maiden in his second over.

With Tillakaratne Dilshan (1), skipper Sangakkara (0) and Mahela Jayawardene (0) all back in the dressing room, the damage was done and the tourists, who wrapped up a first series victory in Australia with wins in Melbourne and Sydney, never recovered.

Only Chamara Silva (33) and opener Upul Tharanga (28), who was dropped by a diving Steven Smith off McKay's second ball of the game, reached double figures for Sri Lanka thanks to a combination of extravagant strokes from the batsmen and fine seam bowling on the part of the Australians.

In a pay-off for the under-fire selectors, 196cm-tall Starc, who tops McKay by 2cm, then played his part by ripping through the middle order.

In his second ODI, the NSW left-armer's first international wicket of Angelo Mathews was followed by the scalps of Javeen Mendis and Silva in a burst of 3-7 in 18 balls.

- AAP