Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

KIC Asalanka
KIC Asalanka
39(33) 2x4 - 2x6
Control %81%
  • Productive Shot
  • flick
  • 10 runs
  • 0x4 - 0x6
5 1 0 3 12 15 0 3
BKG Mendis
BKG Mendis
36(36) 2x4 - 1x6
Control %88%
  • Productive Shot
  • steered
  • 7 runs
  • 1x4 - 0x6
6 0 2 4 11 0 1 12

Best performances - Bowlers

KW Richardson
KW Richardson
O4
M0
R30
W4
Eco7.50
RHB
OFFLEG
2W
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
PW Hasaranga
PW Hasaranga
O4
M0
R33
W4
Eco8.25
RHB
OFFLEG
2W
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W

Scorer: M Venkat Raghav | Commentator: Madushka Balasuriya

And with that it's a wrap from myself, Gnasher and the team. Thanks for keeping us company. See you again on Saturday for the final T20, when the action moves to Pallekele. Till then, goodbye! Mustafa Moudi : "Comparing this match with yesterday's match, Toss Result - Same (Aus elected to Field), SL's first innings Score - Same, Result - Same (Aussies Won)... But a huge difference today was the competitiveness. This match was not a boring one-sided affair like yesterday!!"

Australian Captain Aaron Finch: "Our whole bowling unit did a fantastic job to restrict Sri Lanka on that wicket, one that probably deteriorated as the game went on. Mathew Wade also showed his experience taking us through. There was a little bit of panic from our end, but that can happen when the crowd gets involved. But the thing we had going for us was there was no run rate pressure, and it's a wonderful crowd to play cricket in front of."

Sri Lankan Captain Dasun Shanaka: "We were right there, but unfortunately we were not able to capitalise with the bat. Different days, different reasons [for the batting failures], today the top order fell early. The difference is also playing the conditions, and today in Khettarama we didn't deal with the conditions well."

So time for the presentation ceremony. First up, Mathew Wade is Man of the Match, for keeping his head and steering his side to a nervy win.

Wade: "There was a bit going, and we know Sri Lanka are a difficult team to face at home, especially when the crowd get behind them. When they get momentum they're a difficult team to pull back. We just knew we needed to get through their two main spinners and tick off the runs. It certainly helped that guys got off to a flyer at the start, so the run rate wasn't really an issue. And it was good that I was there at the end to see us through."

10.37pm So Sri Lanka finally gave their fans something to cheer, and nearly pulled off a miraculous escape, but Mathew Wade, with an unbeaten 26, and Jhye Richardson (9*) held on to ensure the series win. They put on 27 for the eighth wicket, which was Australia's second-best partnership after Warner and Finch opened with 33. That pretty much tells you all you need to know about the Australian chase, that was derailed by a combination of tight Sri Lankan bowling, a deteriorating pitch and some careless play by the Australians. Wanindu Hasaranga with match figures of 4 for 33 almost turned the game, helping reduce the visitors to 7 for 99, but Sri Lanka rue not going with an extra spinner as Wade was able to wait out Hasaranga and Theekshana and see the game out. The Lankan batters were also about 20-30 runs short - the second game running the batting unit has failed - and in the end that proved to be the difference. Sri Lanka though will take a lot of heart from this performance for the tour going forward.

17.5
4
Gunathilaka to Wade, FOUR, And that's the game! This is tossed up on off, hint of spin away and it catches a thin outside edge as Wade looks to drive. But the ball flies past the keeper and has enough legs to reach the boundary. Australia take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series!
17.4
1
Gunathilaka to JA Richardson, 1 run, Tossed up on off, goes for the sweep but somehow ends up flat batting this down to long off.
17.3
0
Gunathilaka to JA Richardson, no run, good length on off, angling away. Defended.
17.2
1
Gunathilaka to Wade, 1 run, Good length on off, waits for it and punches this behind square for a single.
17.1
2
Gunathilaka to Wade, 2 runs, Tossed up on off, cut square.

END OF OVER:
17 | 2 Runs | AUS: 118/7 (7 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 6.94, RRR: 2.33)

  • Jhye Richardson8 (18b)
  • Matthew Wade19 (23b)
  • Charith Asalanka3-0-7-0
  • Nuwan Thushara2-0-18-1
16.6
0
Asalanka to JA Richardson, no run, Length ball, pushed through on off. Stays back and defends.

Australia 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st33AJ FinchDA Warner
2nd20DA WarnerMR Marsh
3rd5DA WarnerSPD Smith
4th6DA WarnerGJ Maxwell
5th16MP StoinisGJ Maxwell
6th19MS WadeGJ Maxwell
7th0MS WadeAC Agar
8th27MS WadeJA Richardson