http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 v Australia – T20 Series – 2nd Match Recap
Sri Lanka 157 (20 overs) v Australia 149 (20 overs)
Sri Lanka beat http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 by eight runs in the second match of the two-match T20 series at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, after posting an average total of 157 runs.
Being one up in the series after winning the first game, the Sri Lankans chose to bat first in the second game after winning the toss.
The home side hoping to bolster a mammoth tally began their innings with openers http://www.senore.com/Cricket/TM-Dilshan-c2691. However, the explosive Dilshan failed to register a big innings as he was removed in the third over when he was trapped
right in front of stumps by Australia’s ace pacer http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Brett-Lee-c48419. The batsman departed after scoring four runs off six deliveries.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/LD-Chandimal-c1831 was the next man in as he tried to forge a daunting partnership with veteran Jayawardene against the Aussies, nonetheless, after making a contribution of 13 runs off 11 deliveries he showed his back to the Australians in the eighth over
when on the penultimate delivery he was caught and bowled by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SPD-Smith-c2555. At the time of his departure, the Lankans had managed to post 66 runs on the board for the loss of two wickets.
In the next over, the hosts suffered another loss when Thisara Perera was caught by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MG-Johnson-c1945.
With wickets falling like http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KC-Sangakkara-c1779 provided Jayawardene with this opportunity as both
batsmen were experienced enough to hold their own against the Australian bowling onslaught.
The batsmen took the bowlers to task as the Lankans finally started some fireworks by clobbering the Australian bowling line-up.
Both batsmen crafted a superbly played partnership of 46 runs as they halted the Australians from taking the game away from them.
In the 15th over, Sangakkara finally lost his wicket when while trying to hit the bowler out of the park he was caught by Cameron White at midwicket off an over by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/John-Wayne-Hastings-c68914. Sangakkara walked back to the pavilion after playing a knock of
24 runs off 16 balls.
The Sri Lanka tail was not equipped to bare the burden of the Australian bowling as none of the batsmen showed potential to play a long innings while on the other end, Jayawardene lost his wicket in the final over after playing an inspirational innings of
86 runs off 63 deliveries. His wicket was taken by Lee when the batsman was caught at midwicket by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/DJ-Hussey-c1380.
Coming on to bat, the Australians did not have a mammoth tally at hand and were aiming to level the series; however, their plans were burned into rubble as soon as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/BAW-Mendis-c1127 was given the ball.
The bowler left the Australians in tartars as he grabbed six wickets, crushing Australia’s hopes for winning the match.
From Australia, Shane Watson was the highest scorer after posting 57 runs off 24 deliveries. He was also removed by Mendis. The Australian tail lacked the sting to counter the Sri Lankan bowling onslaught as the whole team could manage to score 149 runs
at the end of their 20 overs.
Mendis was named as the Man of the Match, with figures of six wickets in four over after conceding 16 runs.
Tags: