Cricket Highlights, 12 Jun: SL vs AUS (3rd T20I)

SL vs AUS Match Highlights

In the third and final match of the series on Saturday, Sri Lanka clinched an incredible 4-wicket victory over visiting Australia with one ball in hand thanks to a superb innings by captain Dasun Shanaka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele. At the same time, the Lankans have saved themselves from being whitewashed in the series by winning this match.

After winning the toss, Aussie captain Aaron Finch decided to bat and sent Sri Lanka to bowl first. Although none of the Aussie squad’s batters made a half-century after coming down to bat, the visitors collected a fighting capital. They lost 2 wickets in the first ten overs and picked up 85 runs. Finch scored 29 off 20 balls and Glenn Maxwell scored 16 off 9 balls.

David Warner returned to the pavilion after playing an innings of 39 off 33 balls in the first ball of the 11th over. Batter Josh Inglis (0) was run out on the next ball and returned to the dressing room. After losing three wickets in three balls, the team score became 85/1 to 85/4.

Experienced batsmen Steven Smith and Marcus Stoinis brought the Aussies back to the match at this critical time. Stoinis was dismissed for 38 off 23 balls with 3 fours and 1 six. However, Smith left the field with 2 fours and 2 sixes, he scored an unbeaten 37 off 27 balls. Wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade scored an unbeaten 13 off 8 balls.

Thanks to their innings, Australia lost 5 wickets in the allotted 20 overs and collected a fighting score of 176 runs. For Sri Lanka, Maheesh Theekshana took two wickets, and Wanindu Hasaranga and Praveen Jayawickrama took one wicket each.

Almost all the batsmen in the Sri Lankan top order got off to a good start after coming down to chase the challenging target of 177 runs. But no one could play big innings. Danushka Gunathilaka (15), Pathum Nissanka (27), Charith Asalanka (26), and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (17) were all dismissed after scoring some short innings. Besides, when Kusal Mendis scored 6 and Hasaranga scored only 8 runs, the hosts stressed that they would be crushed soon.

But after playing an impeccable innings, Shanaka and Chamika Karunaratne took the team to the brink of victory. Sri Lanka needed 59 runs to win the last 3 overs. Shanaka (6 off 12 balls) and Karunaratne (8 off 6 balls) were on the wickets.

Aussie pacer Josh Hazlewood took two wickets for just 3 runs, including one maiden, in the first spell to tie the Sri Lankan top order. Shanaka started to take on this Aussie bowler, who was having a great day up to that time. Hazlewood gave away 22 being hit for 2 fours and 2 sixes when he came to bowl to defend 59 off 18 balls. As a result, the Lankans needed 37 runs from 12 balls to win.

Shanaka was able to take 18 runs in the 19th over off Jhye Richardson whacking two fours and one six. As a result, 19 more runs remain in the last over. Kane Richardson bowled two wide deliveries on the first two balls after falling under pressure from the batsmen as they picked up 40 runs in the previous two overs. Two more runs came from the next two balls. As a result, the equation to win for the Lankans stood at 15 runs off 4 balls. From there, the Lankan captain leveled the score by hitting 4, 4, and 6 off three balls in a row.

As a result, 1 run was needed in the last ball. Shanaka didn’t have to bat anymore. Kane Richardson ended the match with a wide again under extra pressure. Shanaka, who scored only 6 runs in the first 12 balls, scored 48 runs in the next 13 balls. In 5 fours and 4 sixes, Shanaka won the match for his team with 1 ball remaining, he played a devastating innings of 54 runs off 25 balls. He has also been selected as the Player of the Match.

Karunaratne remained unbeaten on 14 off 10 balls. Hazlewood and Stoinis took two wickets each, while Ashton Agar and Jhye Richardson took one wicket each for Australia.

Despite losing the last match, the visiting Australia ended the 3-match T20I series with a 2-1 victory. The team will face off in the first match of a 5-match ODI series on June 14 at the same venue.

SL vs AUS Scoreboard

Australia – 176/5 (20.0)

Sri Lanka – 177/6 (19.5)

Result – Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets

Player of the match – Dasun Shanaka

Player of the series – Aaron Finch

SL vs AUS Playing XIs