Zampa puts winning spin on summer
MICHAEL Klinger savoured his moment in the sun while Adam Zampa spun Australia to a drought- breaking Twenty20 triumph against Sri Lanka on home soil last night in Adelaide.
Australia avoided a summer- ending whitewash and salvaged a 2- 1 series scoreline – securing a 41- run win – their first in six attempts hosting Sri Lanka.
Chasing 188, Sri Lanka folded for 146 in 18 overs.
Klinger’s ( 62, 43 balls) immaculately paced, maiden half- century and recalled Zampa’s ( 3/ 25) toppled the visitors and ensured there would be no last ball escape act.
Openers Dilshan Munaweera and Upul Tharanga embarked on a stirring riposte with a 42- run stand. However Sri Lanka slumped to 3/ 69 when Munaweera ( 37) holed out to Ashton Turner off Travis Head’s first ball of the series.
Gunaratne’s heroics had singlehandedly won Sri Lanka the series in Melbourne and Geelong but Zampa shortcircuited the boom No. 4.
Zampa, inexplicably demoted after taking 2/ 26 in game one, trapped Gunaratne on his crease with a class wrong ’ un. Chamara Kapugedera and Dasun Shanaka were deceived in quick succession by the legspinner who took the 2016 Indian Premier League by storm for Pune.
Zampa’s accuracy and change- ups were confounding the Sri Lankans. Zampa doesn’t rip it as much as Queensland’s Mitch Swepson but he sure is effective.
Sri Lanka would have to find a new saviour at 6/ 91 but James Faulkner ( 3/ 20) would knock over Seekkuge Prasanna ( 12) to snap a 29run, seventh wicket fightback. Sri Lanka needed 66 runs off five overs but it was a bridge too far.
Faulkner accepted a return chance to eliminate danger man Milinda Siriwardana ( 35) in the 17th over to seal victory.
But last night’s dead rubber was like Seinfeld – a show about nothing.