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Sunday Dec 29, 2024
Wednesday, 26 October 2022 00:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
PERTH: One moment Sri Lanka looked to have their T20 World Cup Group 1 fixture against defending champions Australia well under their control, until the arrival of Marcus Stoinis who within the space of 18 balls took the game away from them scoring the fastest T20I fifty by an Australian and more importantly winning the match for his country by seven wickets at the WACA Stadium here on Tuesday.
It was Australia’s first points on the board in the World Cup after losing badly to New Zealand in their opening game and how they needed it.
It was a match where Sri Lanka fought tooth and nail to win and at one time, they looked to have the Australians under the pump when they restricted them to 33-1 in the first power play without conceding a single boundary – the first time it had happened to Australia in their T20I history.
With a struggling captain Aaron Finch at one end, Australia chasing a target of 158 fought back first through Mitch Marsh who hit a six and a four in his brief knock of 18 off 17 balls, and then by the big hitting Glenn Maxwell who took Sri Lanka’s prime bowler Wanindu Hasaranga downtown hammering him for 15 off the first over and 19 off the second to score a quickfire 23 off 12 balls (2 fours, 2 sixes) to put the Australian run rate back on track.
Following Maxwell’s departure at 89-3 in the 13th over Australia were still not quite out of the woods, but Stoinis joining his captain had other ideas. He hit his first two boundaries off Dasun Shanaka, and from there onwards there was no stopping him as he waded into the Lankan bowling taking all and sundry before him to race to the fastest half-century scored by an Australian in T20I cricket getting there in 17 balls.
Hasaranga came for more harsh treatment from Stoinis’ broad bat when he was smacked for 19 off his third over so that for the first time in his career, he had to suffer the ignominy of conceding more than 50 runs (53) in a T20 match.
Finch struggling to get his timing right was dropped at 23 by substitute Ashen Bandara off Chamika Karunaratne, but off the next delivery Bandara compensated for that lapse by pulling off an exceptional catch at deep midwicket to send back the dangerous Maxwell. Finch finished of 31* off 42 balls and he was the first to admit that it wasn’t his best innings. “Obviously, my innings was unusual. It was poor. I just couldn’t hit the ball.”
Despite the fight and the spirit displayed by the Lankans, Australia had too many guns in their ranks to chase down the total of 157-6 which at one time looked a defendable one.
Pathum Nissanka back in the side after missing the Ireland match with a strained groin was not at his best taking 45 balls for 40, but Dhananjaya de Silva (26 off 23 balls) batted fluently, and Charith Asalanka returning to the form that we all know of, gave the final impetus to the Lankan innings with a pleasing 38* off 25 balls (3 fours, 2 sixes) adding 37 off the last 15 balls with Chamika Karunaratne (14*).
After being 63-1 at the halfway mark, Sri Lanka somewhat lost their way in the middle overs losing four wickets for 23 in four overs, to be reduced to 120-6 in the 18th over. The Asalanka-Karunaratne partnership gave them a total to defend. At the start of the Australian innings, Sri Lanka who have been beset by injuries to their fast bowlers suffered another casualty when Binura Fernando walked off the field holding onto his left thigh after bowling five balls.
Sri Lanka have four days before their next group match against New Zealand at Sydney and for the injury hit bowlers to recover. Stoinis with 59* off 18 balls inclusive of six sixes and four fours was named Player of the Match.
