Australia's Under-19 Cricket World Cup campaign is hanging by a thread after they were convincingly beaten by Sri Lanka in their second group match.
After struggling for momentum throughout their batting innings, Australia were bowled out for just 175 on the last ball of their 50th over in St Kitts.
The three-time champions got back in the game when they reduced Sri Lanka to 4-49 in reply, but they could not mount any more pressure as their meagre total was chased down with four wickets and 13 overs to spare.
Opener Campbell Kellaway scored 54 to be the only Aussie to pass 25 with the bat, while Tom Whitney and Joshua Garner both claimed two wickets each with the ball.
Sri Lanka's left-arm finger spinner Dunith Wellalage was the main destroyer, running through Australia's middle order with 5-28 -- before his 52 at No.5 helped steady his side's innings.
The result leaves Australia third in their group with one win and one loss, with a significantly inferior net run-rate than both Sri Lanka and West Indies above them.
However, they still remain a chance of progressing to the quarter-finals if they beat the lowly-ranked Scotland on Thursday morning (AEDT).
Tournament hosts West Indies are also on one win, and Australia would need Sri Lanka to beat them on Thursday to keep any real hope of qualifying.
If West Indies were to win, Australia would then need a significant turnaround in net run-rates to progress.
U-19 WORLD CUP GROUP D STANDINGS
Sri Lanka: 4 points, NRR 1.010
West Indies: 2 points, NRR 1.009
Australia: 2 points, NRR -0.339
Scotland: 0 points, NRR -1.777
