Stephen O'Keefe pushes Test claim in Australian win over Sri Lanka XI

• Sri Lanka XI 229 & 83 (20.5 overs); Australia 474
• O’Keefe claims 10 wickets and scores 78 not out in 162-run win

Stephen O’Keefe takes a catch off his own bowling to dismiss Chaturanga de Silva during the first innings – one of 10 wickets the Australian took in Colombo. Photograph: Lakruwan Wanniarachchi/AFP/Getty Images

With 10 wickets and an unbeaten 78 in Australia’s only first-class tour match before the first Test against Sri Lanka starting next week, Stephen O’Keefe did all he could to get a call-up in Kandy.

O’Keefe was the clear standout in the three-day match against a Sri Lankan Board XI in Colombo that Australia won convincingly on Wednesday by 162 runs.

The 31-year-old, aiming to get the nod alongside Nathan Lyon as the tourists’ second spinner and add to his two Test appearances, was front and centre with a handy double that included match figures of 10-64 with his left-arm spin.

On the third and final day at P Sara Stadium, Australia were bowled out for 474 to lead by 245 runs on the first innings before requiring only 20.5 overs to roll the home side for 83 in an extended first session.

The hit-out will be pleasing for coach Darren Lehmann as he plots how to retain the No1 Test ranking over the three-match series against Sri Lanka which begins next Tuesday.

The Sri Lankan Board XI were made up of solid first-class cricketers with plenty of experience on the relatively dry local wickets and Australia were importantly exposed to plenty of spin and even some reverse swing.

Australia’s batsmen – Joe Burns (72), skipper Steve Smith (57), Adam Voges (43), Usman Khawaja (31), Mitch Marsh (25) – all had decent time at the crease as did Shaun Marsh (47) who is ready to go for the first Test if David Warner fails to recover from a broken finger in time.

However, it was O’Keefe who top-scored with a patient dig that lasted 139 balls and showed he would be useful at No8, especially given No6 Mitch Marsh’s poor Test record with the bat and wicketkeeper Peter Nevill’s inexperience.

Crucially, O’Keefe gained plenty of confidence with the ball, snaring 5-21 in the second innings to go with his day-one figures of 5-43.

The New South Welshman will be itching to get another chance at Test level after his latest outing – against the West Indies in Sydney in January – was ruined by rain.

Lyon will head into Australia’s first Test since a seven-wicket win over New Zealand in February with a bit to prove.

He took his first wicket of the tour on Wednesday, finishing with 2-14 after banking figures of 0-72 from 13 overs on Monday. The offspinner made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2011 in Galle.