Marcus Stoinis has pummelled Sri Lanka's attack with the fastest 50 in Australian Twenty20 international history (53 off 17 deliveries) to lead Australia to a seven-wicket victory in the T20 World Cup in Perth.
Stoinis finished his innings with six sixes and four fours to be 59 not out along with captain Aaron Finch (31*), who made it through an unconvincing innings as Australia reached their target of 158 runs in the 17th over.
Stoinis's innings was the equal second fastest 50 in T20 World Cup history — tied with Dutchman Stephan Myburgh, who achieved it in 2014 against Ireland — and behind India's Yuvraj Singh, who scored one off just 12 balls against England in 2007.
The match initially turned in Australia's favour when Stoinis's fellow all-rounder, Glenn Maxwell, came to the crease with Australia at 2-60, having just lost Mitchell Marsh and with Finch struggling at the other end.
Maxwell set Perth Stadium alight as he launched the ball to and over the boundary with ease, before Sri Lankan quick Lahiru Kumara hit him with a bumper barrage.
It troubled the Australian, who was hit on the gloves with one bouncer before being hit in the throat as he played a pull shot.
Maxwell added one more run before he was spectacularly caught on the boundary in the next over by Ashen Bandara off the bowling of Chamika Karunaratne.
The exit of Maxwell might have brought Sri Lanka some relief and hope with Australia 3-89, but Stoinis extinguished that.
The West Australian took the Sri Lankan attack apart with some lusty blows as he hit Australia to victory in quick time.
His 59 not out came off just 18 deliveries, where he took 18 off Wanindu Hasaranga's 15th over himself before he hit three sixes in the next off Maheesh Theekshana to make it to 50 off 17 balls, surpassing the Australian record of a 50 off 18 balls previously held jointly by David Warner and Maxwell.
The winning runs came from Finch in the next over as Australia improved to 1-1 in their title defence, after losing their tournament opener to New Zealand.
Finch was full of praise for Stoinis and ridicule for himself post match.
"It was a pretty special innings," Finch said of Stoinis's performance.
"To come out with that intent is the main thing.
"When you walk out to bat and have that presence, it is half the battle in T20 cricket and when you have the strength and the skill that he's got, it's a pretty good combo.
"I'm very happy … obviously my innings was poor, I just couldn't hit the ball, but I thought the way we approached it with the bat was fine."
The innings from Stoinis turned the tide of a match that, up until his arrival, had been tight.
At various points Sri Lanka, who had to play through the tournament preliminaries to make the final group stage, looked to be on top and it was the case early during their innings.
Despite losing opener Kusal Mendis in the second over to Pat Cummins, they appeared to be cruising towards a good total with Pathum Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva building the innings.
But de Silva fell to an excellent diving catch from David Warner off the bowling of Ashton Agar before Nissanka was run out at the hands of Marsh and Matthew Wade for 40, triggering a collapse as they went from 3-97 in the 14th over to a total of 6-157.
Australia will next play England on Friday, October 28 at the MCG.
Editor's note: This story originally stated that Stoinis's 50 eclipsed a record that Cameron Green set last month against India, hitting 50 from 19 balls. The record it actually surpassed was held by David Warner and Glenn Maxwell, who hit 50 off 18 balls in 2010, 2014, and 2016 respectively. The article has been edited to reflect this fact.
