Smith, Warner guide Australia to series win over Sri Lanka
MELBOURNE, (Reuters) - Steve Smith and David Warner's first batting partnership on home soil since their balltampering suspensions helped Australia to a series-sealing nine-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Brisbane yesterday.
Former captain Smith joined Warner at the crease after the third ball of the innings and the pair's unbeaten 117-run stand mowed down Sri Lanka's total of 117 in 13 overs under the lights at the Gabba.
The win gave Aaron Finch's team an unassailable 2-0 lead in the threematch series, having thrashed the south Asians by 134 runs in Sunday's opener at Adelaide Oval.
Warner, who scored an unbeaten 100 to be manof-the-match in Adelaide on his 33rd birthday, was 60 not out from 41 balls, with Smith finishing unbeaten on 53.
Dominant performances back-to-back from Australia's bowlers ensured the series win, with the pacemen snaring four wickets to match the spinners as Sri Lanka's batsmen struggled with the pace and bounce of the Gabba pitch.
Smith was denied a bat in Adelaide due to Warner and Finch's dominant opening stand but there was no rust at the Gabba as he savoured his first T20 knock in three-and-a-half years.
"Yeah, we played well tonight, I thought the bowlers did a terrific job early on," said Smith.
"It's good to be back now, obviously (there is) a T20 World Cup next year that I'd love to be a part of. It was nice to contribute with a few runs tonight."
Australia rested regular left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc and his towering replacement Billy Stanlake grabbed two wickets, including bowling Danushka Gunathilaka for 21 after the opener threatened
Australia win by 9 wickets
Sri Lanka 1st innings
Danushka Gunathilaka b Billy Stanlake
Kusal Mendis Run Out
Ashton Agar
Avishka Fernando c Pat Cummins b Ashton Agar
Kusal Perera b Ashton Agar Niroshan Dickwella c Ashton Turner b Pat Cummins Dasun Shanaka c Alex Carey b Billy Stanlake
Wanindu Hasaranga st Alex Carey b Adam Zampa
Isuru Udana c Kane Richardson b Pat Cummins
Lakshan Sandakan Run Out
Pat Cummins
Lasith Malinga st Alex Carey b Adam Zampa
Nuwan Pradeep Not Out
Extras 0b 1lb 0nb 0pen 3w 4 Total (19.0 overs) 117 all out Fall of Wickets : 1-5 Mendis, 2-29 Gunathilaka, 3-53 Fernando, 4-65 Dickwella, 5-75 Perera, 6-75 Shanaka, 793 De Silva, 8-95 Tillakaratna, 9-108
to get Sri Lanka off to a solid start.
Fellow quick Pat Cummins, and spinners Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa grabbed two wickets apiece.
Sri Lanka got lucky to dismiss Finch for a duck with a leg-side catch but 21 1
17 27
5 1 10 10 10
9 2
Malinga, 10-117 Sandakan
Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex Kane Richardson 3 0 17 0 5.67 1w Billy Stanlake 4 0 23 2 5.75 1w Pat Cummins 4 0 29 2 7.25 1w Ashton Agar 4 0 27 2 6.75 Adam Zampa 4 0 20 2 5.00
Australia 1st innings
David Warner Not Out
Aaron Finch c Kusal Perera b Lasith Malinga
Steven Smith Not Out
Extras 0b 2lb 0nb 0pen 3w 5 Total (13.0 overs) 118-1 Fall of Wickets : 1-1 Finch Did Not Bat : Maxwell, Turner, Carey, Agar, Cummins, Richardson, Zampa, Stanlake
Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex Lasith Malinga 3 0 23 1 7.67 Nuwan Pradeep 3 0 26 0 8.67 1w
0 18 0 18.00 1w Isuru Udana 2 0 16 0 8.00 1w Lakshan Sandakan 4 0 33 0 8.25 Umpire Gerard Abood
Umpire Paul Wilson Video Shawn Craig Match Referee Javagal Srinath
their bowlers had no answers for Smith and Warner.
Lasith Malinga's team now have little time to work things out before they head to Melbourne for the final dead rubber on Friday.
"We didn't expect that
score, we were expecting 150," said Malinga, who pinned the loss squarely on his batsmen.
"I think for this game, the positives were only the preparation for the T20 World Cup in these conditions."