ICC U-19 World Cup - - Tom Triffitt Shines With Brilliant Half-century as Australia Overpowered Sri Lanka to Reach 3rd Final

A brilliant half-century by former Launceston cricketer Tom Triffitt helped Australia through to an ICC U-19 World Cup final berth.

Australia defeated Sri Lanka by two wickets in Tuesday's semi-final, played at Lincoln in New Zealand.

The Tasmanian wicketkeeper and middle-order batsman hit 50 off 59 balls batting at No.7 to help steer the Australians to a winning total of 8-206 chasing Sri Lanka's 205.

Earlier, the Australian attack had Sri Lanka in deep trouble after it won the toss and batted, when it slumped to 5-32, as Australia's bowlers Alister McDermott and Josh Hazlewood ripped through the top order.

But valuable lower-order partnerships helped Sri Lanka to a final total of 205, off 48.2 overs.

Australia was also in early trouble in its run chase crashing to 3-38 and later 5-93, before Australian captain Mitchell Marsh and Triffitt put on a match-saving 78-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

Marsh was the seventh batsman dismissed with the total on 171, just three runs short of what would have been a memorable century.

His innings of 97, off 110 balls was a match-winning performance and earned him the man-of-the-match award.

From 7-171, Triffitt then stepped up and held the run chase together for a valuable half-century before being dismissed with Australia just four runs short of its tally.

Australia will meet Pakistan in Saturday's final after Pakistan (6-213) beat the West Indies (8-212) in the other semi-final.

Pakistan is unbeaten at the 16-nation tournament, while Australia has lost once, to South Africa, in preliminary rounds.

SEMI-FINAL - Sri Lanka 205 in 48.2 overs (Akshu Fernando 52, Kithuruwan Vithanage 40; Josh Hazlewood 4-26) lt Australia 206-8 in 43.3 overs (Mitchell Marsh 97, Tom Triffitt 50no; Charith Jayampathi 3-34) by 2 wickets

FIFTH-SIXTH PLACE: In Lincoln: India 239-5 (Zahid Ali 98, Harpreet Singh Bhatia 56; Graham Hume 3-31, Samuel Mofokeng 3-44) lost to South Africa 237-4 in 48.5 overs (David White 77, Dominic Hendricks 63; Colin Ackermann 52no) by 6 wickets.