MELBOURNE Friday: Chamara Kapugedera smashed a four off the last ball to give Sri Lanka a thrilling five-wicket victory over Australia in their first Twenty20 international at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.

The win kept Sri Lanka unbeaten in four T20 internationals in Australia and followed their 2-1 series win over South Africa last month.

The pulsating win was made possible by a dashing 52 off 37 balls by Asela Gunaratne, who was named man-of-the-match for his match-turning innings.

Gunaratne slammed seven fours to share in a decisive 60-run stand with Milinda Siriwardana to put the Sri Lankans just 18 runs short of victory with 17 balls remaining. It was a tense finish with skipper Aaron Finch making fielding changes before every ball to prevent Sri Lanka from getting home.

But it was Kapugedera who stood up to the pressure and slammed fast bowler Andrew Tye’s final delivery through the covers to the boundary rope for the winning hit.

The win put Sri Lanka one up in the series with two matches to play in Geelong on Sunday and Adelaide on Wednesday.

For a time it looked as though the Australians, playing without their leading stars, Steve Smith, David Warner, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood all on tour in India, would hold off the fast-finishing Sri Lankans.

The home side posted a competitive total of 168 for six off their 20 overs with skipper Finch smashing two sixes and two fours in his topscoring 43 off 34 balls.

Finch shared in an opening stand of 76 with T20I debutant Michael Klinger.

Klinger, making his debut at the age of 36 after starring with the Perth Scorchers in the domestic Big Bash League, hammered 38 off 32 balls with four boundaries.

Lasith Malinga, who has played virtually no cricket for nearly a year due to injuries, was an influential figure taking two wickets in two balls and taking two catches.

Malinga claimed the wickets of Travis Head for 31 off 24 balls and debutant Ashton Turner for 18 off 13 balls, both caught by Seekkugge Prasanna at deep mid-wicket.

Malinga finished with two wickets for 29 off his four overs.

Paceman Pat Cummins struck with the last ball of his opening over getting skipper Upul Tharanga to edge to wicketkeeper Tim Paine for a duck in the first over of the Sri Lanka innings. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa claimed the big wicket of free-scoring opener Niroshan Dickwella for 30 off 25 balls.

Dickwella, who slammed four fours and a six, looked to flick Zampa over mid-wicket only to lob a leading edge to Klinger at short third man in the ninth over.

Dilshan Munaweera smashed a breezy 44 off 29 balls with six fours before he hit a short ball from Zampa to mid-wicket where Finch took a head-high catch. But Gunaratne took charge and his half-century turned the tide to set up the thrilling victory for the Sri Lankans.

David Warner says Australia will have “no excuses” when they head to India in February, adding the tourists can take some heart from England’s recent series against the world’s No.1 Test side.

The Australians are in high spirits having won their past four Tests matches, but will head to India next month having lost nine consecutive Tests in Asia and with just one series win there since the late 1960s

.Only adding to the magnitude of the task facing Australia is the fact that Virat Kohli’s side are unbeaten in their past 19 Tests at home and recently completed a 4-0 series win over England, including two victories by an innings.

But Warner said the fact that England were able to show some fight with the bat during their recent series – they posted 400 or more in three of the five Tests – gave the Australians some confidence.

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“We just saw the recent series with England and to be brutally honest they played very well,” Warner told cricket.com.au during a promotional shoot for the MILO Champ Band.

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“They batted deep, they got big runs on the board. India just got bigger runs on the board.
“So for us as a team to take some positives out of that … the challenge is to try and bat longer periods.

“We’re going to have to take 20 wickets to win the game, simple as that, and we’re going to have to adapt straight away. No excuses.

“Whether it’s batting or bowling and taking catches in the field, we’ve got to be on from ball one and have a plan B if plan A doesn’t work.”

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Australia will take the unusual step of holding a pre-tour training camp in Dubai as they seek to win their first series win in Asia since 2011.

Australia’s preparations for their Test series against Sri Lanka last year weren’t helped when the pitch used for the pre-series practice match had a thick cover of grass, while those used for the Tests themselves heavily favoured spin bowling.

But this time, the Aussies will get a heavy taste of spinning conditions before they head to India for a warm-up match in Mumbai and then the first Test in Pune from February 23.

“The preparation there is going to be fantastic,” Warner said.

“The wickets are going to be very similar to what we’ll face. We’re very grateful for that to happen.

“That’s the best way for us … to get over there and get ready for India.”

Reflecting on the 3-0 series win over Pakistan, Warner said the ability of Australia’s batsmen to stand up was the key to them bouncing back from their series defeat to South Africa.

Having not posted a century between them in the first two Tests of the summer, Australia’s top five contributed eight three-figure scores in the four Tests that followed, which all resulted in victories.

“Losing the Test series on home soil is probably the kick up the backside … we got handed to us and we needed to bounce back from that,” he said.

“The Australian fans were not happy with us and what we were doing. We know as a team we weren’t good enough.

“The batters took more of the responsibility, which we should have, and we’ve bounced back.

“There was a lot of talk about them coming here and their spearhead quicks knocking our top order over and it was going to be easy for them. That was the talk in the media.

“I’m just glad we turned up and played the best cricket that we could.”

While Haddin acknowledged the New South Welshman desperately needed a score after starting his Test career with three single-figure contributions, he called for patience as Australia ushers in a new era.

Maddinson has been retained in Australia’s squad for the second Commonwealth Bank Test against Pakistan, starting on Boxing Day, but allrounder Hilton Cartwright has also been drafted in as a 13th member, and could replace Maddinson in the Test XI.

Captain Steve Smith flagged on Monday Australia might look to ease the load on pacemen Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird with an allrounder. The fast-bowling trio sent down 113 overs between them in the second innings of the home team’s 39-run triumph in Brisbane.

Cartwright, who averages 44.50 with the bat and 41.93 with the ball from in 16 first-class matches, was added to the squad yesterday.

Maddinson made a duck on debut against South Africa in Adelaide last month – undone by a rampant Kagiso Rabada with the pink ball under lights – before Australia powered to a seven-wicket victory.

The 24-year-old, who has an average of 36.64 at first-class level, followed up with scores one and four at the Gabba.

Steve Smith reacts moments after the drama

Maddinson was unfortunate in the second innings, arriving at the crease with Australia in search of quick runs before a declaration.

The aggressive left-hander has logged 235 runs at 39.16, including one century, from three Sheffield Shield matches this summer.

Quick Single: Cartwright added for Boxing Day

“He’s been a bit unlucky, to be honest,” Haddin said on Sky Sports Radio.

“He’s got a couple of good balls, he’s (played his first two games) against two pink balls which is a bit different, so I’m glad they’ve given him Melbourne to give him the opportunity to get some runs and I hope they give him the rest of the series.

“I know (interim chairman of selectors) Trevor Hohns said when he picked this squad that you’re going to have to be patient, and Nic Maddinson is one of those players I think.

“But you can’t hide behind the fact he needs a big score.”

Maddinson’s rocky road in Test career continues

Maddinson was one of five changes in a revamped line-up for the Adelaide Test against South Africa, with Matthew Renshaw and Peter Handscomb also making their debuts.

Renshaw scored 71 in the first innings in Brisbane, while Handscomb hammered his maiden Test century to back up the 54 he made in Adelaide.

“The bowlers got through a high workload in Brisbane and although everyone has pulled up okay, on reflection we wanted to give ourselves the option of including an allrounder in Melbourne to ease that workload somewhat,” Hohns said.

Cartwright reflects on training with Aussie squad

“To do that we wanted a batting allrounder, someone to bowl seam-up and capable of batting in the top six as well, and after considering several names we came to the conclusion that Hilton fits that bill.

“We have seen plenty of him, he has performed well this season and we believe that if called upon he will do an excellent job.”

Australia’s Boxing Day Test squad: David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (c), Peter Handscomb, Nic Maddinson, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers, Hilton Cartwright

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first and managed only 128-9 in 20 overs. Dhananjaya de Silva scored 62 for his maiden Twenty20 international half-century

Legspinner Adam Zampa and fast bowler James Faulkner took three wickets each for Australia.

Maxwell and captain David Warner started the Australian chase aggressively and shared 93 runs in 51 balls But from there the tourists lost six wickets for 27 runs but went over the line with 13 deliveries to spare thanks to the good opening stand. Retiring Tillakaratne Dilshan had best figures 2-8 for Sri Lanka.

Maxwell continued his superior form the first match and reached his half-century in 18 balls, the fastest by an Australian. He made an unbeaten 145 in the first match to take Australia to a 85-run win.

He was bowled by legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna off the inside edge.

Left-arm spinner Sachith Pathirana brought Sri Lanka strongly back into the game taking two wickets in the tenth over after Australia had experimented with the batting order by promoting lower order batsmen.

Moises Henriques was sent in at No. 3 but he was out for one stumped off Pathirana. Two balls later Warner (25) was out caught by Thisara Perera off Pathirana.

Dilshan took a wicket off the last ball of his international cricket when he had Matthew Wade (14) caught by Dinesh Chandimal leaving Australia 120-6.

Travis Head hit a six off Pathirana to seal victory.

Australia finishes its tour to Sri Lanka on a winning note having won the one-day international series 4-1 and winning the Twenty20 series 2-0 after losing the test series 3-0.

Captain Warner said that said playing on Sri Lankan pitches was tough but commended his players for their determination and fight to overcome the challenge.

Warner however was disappointed that his team lost wickets consistently after a good start.

“We probably saw there the lack of consistency when we lost a wicket after a good start,” Warner said.

“Something we want to keep improving on. It’s disappointing we lost five or six for 20 in eight overs in the middle after being none for 90. But obviously it is fantastic to get a win and win the series.”

Dilshan said that he is disappointed to leave the game with a loss.

“We tried our best to win the match but we were about 20 runs short; and also while bowling we gave away too many runs in the first six overs,” Dilshan said.

“It’s time to relax now. It was pressure playing for the country. Now I feel lighter.”

The International Cricket Council paid tribute to Dilshan calling him an “epitome of the modern-day cricketer with his ability to adapt.”

Dilshan is among the 11 players to have scored a century in all formats of cricket.

“Dilshan’s accomplishments across all three formats are fantastic. He started as a solid batsman but adjusted to the demands of the faster-paced game and came to be known as one of the best in ODI and T20 Internationals,” the ICC statement quoted its chief executive David Richardson as saying.

“He will be remembered for his innovative strokes and as a destructive opener. He was also a useful spin bowler and an outstanding fielder. We congratulate Dilshan for a fine career and wish him every success in the future.” Richardson said.

Dilshan leaves international cricket with 17,671 runs in 497 games across all formats. He also had 151 international wickets.

Australian captain David Warner celebrates his return to form with a timely century

Warner whose form on the tour has become a talking point had only 68 as his previous highest score but he made a timely return to form with the two T20 Internationals against Sri Lanka around the corner with a superb knock of 106 off 126 balls (9 fours) to propel his team to victory with seven overs to spare.

In the process Warner who was made Man of the Match became the first Australian batsman to score a one-day hundred in Sri Lanka.

Australia chased down Sri Lanka’s disappointing total of 195 all out in 40.2 overs by scoring 199-5 in 43 overs. A feature of Australia’s run chase on another slow surface was the partnership of 132 between Warner and George Bailey (44) that sealed the match for them after they had lost two wickets for 25.

Bailey in fact won the Hero of the Series award for his consistent batting where he scored 270 runs (avg. 67.50) in five matches.

Danushka Gunathilaka is bowled around his legs by Adam Zampa for 39 to start a familiar batting collapse

For the first time in the series Sri Lanka were given an excellent start by their openers Dhananjaya de Silva and Danushka Gunathilaka who put together 73 in 14 overs.

But once the initial breakthrough was made by James Faulkner who had De Silva chipping a simple catch to mid-on with his score on 34, the Lankan batting collapsed in a heap to be bowled out for under 200 runs, which was hardly a total for their bowlers to contain the Australian batting line-up.

Three top order batsmen De Silva, Gunathilaka and Kusal Mendis made starts getting into the thirties but none stuck around long enough to make a big score.

Credit to the Australian bowlers who stuck to a good line and length and forced the batsmen into making false strokes.

Following the good start Sri Lanka lost three wickets for five runs in nine balls and from there onwards it was a downward decline with no one able to resurrect the innings.

Kusal Perera perhaps was rather unlucky to be ruled out lbw after challenging the onfield umpire’s decision to rule him out lbw to Trevor Head.

TV replays showed Perera getting an inside edge before the ball hit his pad, but the television umpire went along with the onfield umpire’s decision and ruled him out. It seems that there is room for human error even with the availability of slow motion replay technology.

The work that he does as father for his and wife Candice’s two daughters, Ivy Mae and Indi Rae, that has earned him the title of 2016 Philips Sports Dad of the Year.

And Warner, who led his team to ODI Series win over Sri Lanka with consecutive victories in Dambulla last week, conceded that the influence of his wife (a former professional ironwoman) and the responsibilities of fatherhood have moulded him into a less volatile, more settled character and cricketer.

“I think that comes more with having bad days and not being in form,” Warner said of the sharper perspective he’s gained on life and cricket since becoming a parent in 2014.

“Recently I haven’t been scoring as many runs as I would have liked but I come home and I get to FaceTime my children or be with my children and my wife (when they travel with the team), and it’s fantastic.

“You look back five, six, seven years and you almost say, ‘Could I have had kids earlier to settle me down’ or ‘Was that the thing that settled me down’, and we just don’t know that.

“Fatherhood has helped me a lot with my game, and off the field it gives me something always to have as a responsibility.

“I’ve always dreamed of having kids and I thoroughly enjoy having children and I think my wife has been a key factor of me being a little bit more tame and humble as I’ve got older.

“I think she got me into a great routine coming from her sporting background of being an ironwoman, which takes a lot of discipline and strength and courage to do that (sport).

“And upon yourself to get up in the early hours of the morning to start training is a credit to her, and I think that’s exactly what modelled me into probably being the person I am today.

“And with the added bonus of having children, I think the responsibility has come a long was as well with that, and I really enjoy that.”

Warner secured the most votes in the award’s internet poll and was revealed as the winner on Channel Nine’s Wide World of Sports today.

He earned the nod ahead of other nominees Socceroos star Tim Cahill, Tour de France stage-winning cyclist Simon Gerrans, Olympian Jamie Dwyer, V8 Supercar driver Garth Tander and footballers Jarrad McVeigh, Matthew Pavlich and Brent Harvey (AFL) as well as Corey Parker and James Maloney (NRL).

Australia edged out Sri Lanka by two wickets to spoil Tillakaratne Dilshan’s one-day farewell and go 2-1 up in the five-match series on Sunday.

Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka were all out for 226 with four balls remaining, a total built around Dinesh Chandimal’s gutsy 102 in an otherwise poor batting display by the hosts in the third match of the series. Dilshan’s fluent 42 in his one-day swansong was the second highest score and the former Sri Lanka captain quit the format with 10,290 runs, including 22 centuries from 330 matches. He will play the two Twenty20 matches against Australia next month before retiring from international cricket.
Australia wobbled early in their reply but George Bailey (70) featured in two fifty-plus partnerships as the tourists chased down the target with four overs to spare. Earlier, Dilshan was given a guard of honour by his team mates when the 39-year-old went out to bat but the team looked in trouble after being reduced to 23 for two in the fourth over.

Dilshan joined forces with Chandimal to steady the ship with a 73-run partnership before he fell to an Adam Zampa full toss. Australian fielders shook hands with Dilshan, who received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.

Warner and other Aussie players congratulating Dilshan for a very successful cricketing career (AFP)

Zampa dismissed Angelo Mathews in his next over but Chandimal maintained his red hot 50-overs form and brought up his fourth one-day century before being the last man out, holing out to Zampa off James Faulkner. Chandimal’s last seven one-day scores are 52, 62, 63, 53, 80 not out, 48 and 102. Leading the side in absence of regular skipper Steve Smith, who has returned home to rest, David Warner marshalled his bowlers well to restrict the hosts to a modest total.

Mathews dented Australia’s top order, however, cheaply dismissing Warner and Shaun Marsh as the touring side slumped to 44 for three in the ninth over. Bailey added 62 runs with Travis Head (36) to put Australia’s chase back on track and put on 81 runs with Matthew Wade (42) to take the side close to victory.

Zampa, who had claimed 3-38 with the ball, scored the winning run but Bailey bagged the man-of-the-match award. The teams stay put in Dambulla for the fourth one-dayer on Wednesday.

Smith will miss the remaining three one-day fixtures and two T20s, with vice-captain David Warner to take the reins for the first time.

The New South Welshman plays in all three formats of the game and has been ordered to return home to allow him time to prepare for the upcoming five-match one-day series in South Africa starting with a one-off match against Ireland on September 27 in Benoni.

“I hate missing cricket, but in the long run it will do me a world of good,” Smith said following his side’s 82-run loss on Wednesday that saw the hosts level the series at 1-1.
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“The schedule is very busy. I still want to take on the role in all three formats and do it to the best of my ability.”

Smith has skippered the side for the last 24 ODIs having replaced Michael Clarke in the role following the Cricket World Cup triumph last year and Warner will become only the 23rd man to lead the Australia team in the third match in Dambulla on Sunda

Marsh said it was always part of his plan to give Smith a rest, regardless of the state of the current series which followed a dismal 3-0 Test whitewash by Sri Lanka.

“Steve has a large amount of cricket coming up in the next 12 months and we wanted to find a time for him to freshen up and these last five matches provide a good opportunity to do so,” Marsh said.

“Our plan was always for Steve to take a break and refresh ahead of the ODI series against South Africa next month.

“This is a great leadership opportunity for David, he has really embraced his role as vice-captain and we are confident he will do a great job in Steve’s place.”

Warner’s 55 not out saw Australia home with almost 25 overs to spare after the West Indies earlier collapsed from 50 for one to 116 all out from 32.3 overs.

Australia then wasted little time in getting to the modest target, Warner anchoring the effort to ensure a victory that was never in doubt despite the loss of three wickets for seven runs with the end in sight.

Spinners Sunil Narine, with two wickets in one over, and Sulieman Benn caused the discomfort but it was not enough to save the hosts.

The emphatic victory earned Australia a bonus point to move ahead of the West Indies in the three-team standings before Tuesday’s final game at Providence against South Africa.

“Our batting is a real concern,” said West Indies coach Phil Simmons.

“The bowlers and fielding side are doing a great job but we need to get it together with the bat for the next two matches in St Kitts.”

Boosted by a four-wicket win in the tournament-opener against the South Africans at the same venue two days earlier, the West Indies plummeted back down to earth at the feet of the World Cup-holders, whose frontline spinners Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa did the bulk of the damage with three wickets apiece after the usual effective opening burst from Mitchell Starc. “I really enjoyed it out there on that pitch,” Zampa enthused after his performance.

“South Africa will be a big challenge though on Tuesday with so many quality batsmen.”

Playing his first international match for more than six months after being sidelined by injury, the left-arm fast bowler breached the defences of openers Andre Fletcher and Johnson Charles to finish with figures of two for 37 from nine overs.

He showed signs of rustiness in delivering five wides and a no-ball, however his lethal pace proved more than a handful for the West Indies top order.

Starc’s tally of ODI wickets is now at 92 in his 47th match and should he take eight more before the end of this competition he will eclipse Pakistan’s Saqlain Mustaq for the record as the fastest to 100 wickets in terms of matches played in this format of the international game.

Charles topscored with a chancy 22 while all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite was last out for 21, Aaron Finch taking the catch at long-on to give Zampa his third wicket.

Notwithstanding the turgid surface, the home batsmen contributed to their swift demise with a succession of poor shots, exemplified by Darren Bravo’s loose cover-drive at seamer Mitchell Marsh which offered a straightforward catch to Zampa at cover.

Lyon, the experienced off-spinner, had an almost instant impact in disposing of Marlon Samuels and Kieron Pollard off successive deliveries.