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Haynes, Jonassen star in big Aust ODI win

3 minute read

Australian opener Rachael Haynes has posted a maiden international century to lead the hosts to a record-equalling 17th consecutive ODI win.

RACHAEL HAYNES of Australia bats during the International Twenty20 series between Australia and New Zealand at North Sydney Oval in Sydney, Australia. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Records were equalled, hoodoos broken and milestones reached as Rachael Haynes posted a maiden international century and Australia won a 17th-straight one-day international to clinch the series against Sri Lanka.

Playing her 117th match across all three formats for Australia, Haynes's composed 118 piloted the hosts to 8-282 at Brisbane's Allan Border Field before Jess Jonassen (4-31) helped contain the visitors to 9-172 from 50 overs.

In the process the off-spinner became the second-fastest woman to 100 ODI wickets - getting there in 67 innings - and just the fourth Australian woman to reach the milestone.

Debutante Heather Graham also grabbed a wicket in the 110-run victory as Meg Lanning's side drew level with Belinda Clark's dominant side of the late 1990s on 17-straight ODI triumphs.

Their last one-day defeat was in October 2017, against England in Coffs Harbour.

Australia can claim the record outright with victory in the third and final clash between the sides in Brisbane on Wednesday.

Opener Haynes laid the platform, controlling her risk-free innings expertly before celebrating emotionally and then falling in the 45th over.

It was the left-hander's first triple-figure score in green and gold, coming in her 56th ODI and after 56 T20s and five Tests.

There were no nervous 90s, just a few butterflies on 87 as she finally got the monkey off her back.

"I was actually more nervous when I was 87, because in the Test match earlier this year I got out on that number and just thought surely I can't be that unlucky to get out again on that number," she said.

"So I was pretty keen to get off that as soon as I could.

"When you get moments like that it's really nice, makes those little sacrifices worthwhile."

Haynes had earlier shared in a 116-run partnership with Alyssa Healy (69 from 62) and 103-run stand with Meg Lanning (45 from 62).

The hosts couldn't find top gear at the back end of the innings though, losing 7-63 as the Sri Lankans pegged them back.

Sri Lanka started brightly but were slowed by leg-spinner Georgia Wareman (2-29 from 10 overs) before Jonassen claimed the key scalp of Chamari Athapaththu and then ripped through the middle order.

Harshitha Madavi top-scored for Sri Lanka with 39, while Achini Kulasuriya (3-50) was the pick of the bowlers for the visitors.