Sri Lanka 8 for 176 (Gunaratne 84*, Tye 3-37) beat Australia 173 (Henriques 56, Klinger 43, Kulasekara 4-31) 2 wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Asela Gunaratne struck back-to-back match-winning half-centuries © Getty Images
Asela Gunaratne orchestrated a remarkable heist to seal the T20 series for Sri Lanka with a match to play, stealing an outrageous victory over Australia in the first international match ever played at Geelong’s Kardinia Park. For the second time in three days, Sri Lanka reached their target from the final ball of their chase, but whereas at the MCG they had needed only 18 off the last three overs, here they needed 48. Gunaratne ensured that they did it in style.
Forty-eight off 18 balls became 36 off 12, and then came the over that turned things firmly in Sri Lanka’s favour. Moises Henriques, who earlier had struck an unbeaten half-century to set Sri Lanka a target of 174, failed to find the right lengths and was plundered for three consecutive sixes by Gunaratne, as well as a four, and it left them requiring 14 from the final over, to be bowled by Andrew Tye.
Although Tye struck with the first ball – Nuwan Kulasekara caught skying a slog – the batsmen had crossed, and Gunaratne was back on strike. Full toss, four down the ground. Six over mid-off. And then, surprisingly, a single, which brought Lasith Malinga on strike needing three off two. Malinga found the single he needed, and Gunaratne crunched the match-winning four over cover, to finish unbeaten on 84 from 46 deliveries.
Full report to follow
Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @brydoncoverdale
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo