2nd Twenty20: Sri Lanka clinch rain-marred thriller to win series 2-0

Tempers rise as tourists beat Australia off last ball.

MELBOURNE: Sri Lanka won an ill-tempered and rain-shortened final Twenty20 international against Australia off the last ball at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday.

Angry words were exchanged as the two sides walked off, with Sri Lanka winning by two runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method.

The tourists scored 161 for four wickets off their 20 overs, but a shower which interrupted the home side’s innings reduced the match by five overs. That left Australia with a revised victory target of 122 off 15 overs — meaning they needed 62 more off 30 balls with eight wickets in hand as play resumed after the rain.

The hosts finished their innings on 119 for three after a tense final over which began with them needing 18 for victory.

Australia captain George Bailey was caught for 45 off 36 balls with 16 more runs needed from the final four overs of the match. All-rounder Glenn Maxwell came in, requiring 12 runs off the last three balls, and smashed consecutive fours off paceman Thisara Perera.

However the bowler recovered his composure to control the last delivery after lengthy consultations with teammates.

The time taken to bowl that last ball sparked some ugly on-field exchanges and ex-skipper Mahela Jayawardene was in the thick of things before Bailey restored some calm.

Jayawardene had earlier cracked an unbeaten 61 from 45 balls in a well-built innings.

He came in with the tourists in trouble on just 39 after Australia had snared three early wickets by the seventh over.

But Jayawardene opened up in the final overs, striking two sixes and five fours. He was ably assisted by the big-hitting Perera, who plundered 35 off just 15 balls. The pair took 20 runs off the last over.

Australia, a young side building for the future and facing the world’s top Twenty20 outfit, also lost early wickets. David Warner fell for just seven and Aaron Finch went for the same score in the fifth over of the innings.

The tourists won the first match by five wickets at the Sydney Olympic Stadium on Saturday night. Sri Lanka and Australia drew the one-day series 2-2 after Australia swept the Tests 3-0.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2013.