With their T20 World Cup campaign on the brink, Australia had no choice but to win on Tuesday night. What followed was a pulsating match as the hosts pursued Sri Lanka’s 157 for six on a lively Perth pitch, the contest twisting and turning before Marcus Stoinis ended it emphatically. He set a national record in the format by raising his fifty in 17 balls, taking his team to 158 for three to win with 21 balls to spare.
Not that such a margin looked possible when Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers knocked the top off the innings. After losing Binura Fernando to a hamstring strain in the opening over, Chamika Karunaratne and Lahiru Kumara attacked the Perth surface to make the new ball sing. Moving away, jagging back over the stumps, it barely hit the bat and only found edges when it did. David Warner and Aaron Finch managed 15 runs between them in four overs, then a change to spin saw Warner chip Maheesh Theekshana to cover.
