Aus beat Pak by 80 runs, clinch series

Abu Dabhi: A sedate 90-run innings by skipper Aaron Finch and useful bowling spells by Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa helped Australia beat Pakistan by 80 runs in the third ODI and take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Opting to bat, Australia scored 266/6 after Finch fell 10 short of his third consecutive hundred.

The right-handed opener scored 90 off 136 balls with five boundaries and a six to anchor Australia after light rain delayed the start by 15 minutes.

Finch, who scored 116 and 153 not out in Australia’s eight wicket wins in the first two matches, could have been the first Australian to score three hundreds in as many ODIs.

Glenn Maxwell hammered a 55-ball 71 to propel the Australian total after Finch holed out to leg-spinner Yasir Shah in the 42nd over.

Pakistan in reply, were all out for 186 runs in 44.4 overs.

Pat Cummins, who replaced injured Jhye Richardson for today’s match, claimed 3/24 in his eight overs, while Zampa returned with match figures of 4/43. — Agencies

Brief scores: Australia 266/6 in 50 overs (Aaron Finch 90, Glenn Maxwell 71; Imad Wasim 1/34) beat Pakistan 186 all out in 44.4 overs (Imam-ul-Haq 46; Adam Zampa 4/43)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)