SHOALHAVEN based batsman Nic Maddinson will play in the biggest match of his career tomorrow when Australia faces Pakistan in the final of the ICC Under 19 World Cup in New Zealand.
The Australians downed Sri Lanka in a thrilling semi-final on Wednesday to progress to the final showdown, but victory certainly came the hard way.
After bowling first, Australia had Sri Lanka in all sorts of trouble at 6/88 but they recovered to make 205.
Australia also got off to a bad start with Maddinson having his first failure of the tournament, going lbw for two in the second over.
The Aussies also stumbled to be 5/93 on the Bert Sutcliffe Oval at Lincoln, but a superb innings of 97 by captain Mitchell Marsh and a fighting half century by keeper Tom Triffitt got the Aussies home eight wickets down with just nine balls to spare. .
Tomorrow’s final will again be staged at Bert Sutcliffe Oval.
• Full details in Behind The Stumps starting page 17