Josh Hazlewood conceded just five runs in the Super Over as T20 World Cup champion Australia edged Sri Lanka on Sunday after the second game of their series finished in a tie. (More Cricket News)
Australia was sent in to bat in Sydney and posted 164 for 6, with Josh Inglis scoring 48 from 32 balls to lead the scoring.
Dushmantha Chameera took 2-30, including wickets with consecutive balls in the 19th over to remove Steve Smith (14) and Marcus Stoinis (19), and Wanindu Hasaranga returned 2-33.
Sri Lanka was always behind in the run chase after losing wickets in the first, third and fifth overs to slip to 25/3, but opener Pathum Nissanka’s 73 from 53 deliveries kept the visitors in contention.
Sri Lanka needed 46 from the last 18 balls for victory and, when Hasaranga was run out for 34 on the last ball of the 19th over, still needed 19 off the last over from Stoinis to win the match and level the series.
They scored 18, with Maheesh Teekshana hitting the second ball he faced for six and Chameera hitting a four down the ground on the last ball to level the scores.
With the Super Over in play Hazlewood, who returned 3-22 in his four overs in regulation, bowled two dot balls and a bye, which resulted in Dinesh Chandimal being run out by a direct hit from Glenn Maxwell as Sri Lanka slipped to 1-1. The Sri Lankans managed to get to 5-1 after six balls.
Maxwell took a single off Hasaranga from the first ball of Australia’s Super Over and Stoinis did the rest, driving down the ground for consecutive boundaries to secure the victory with three balls to spare.
“It was a thriller,” Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka said. “The boys showed character. When the youngsters go to the middle, they take the game on.” Australia captain Aaron Finch praised veteran pace bowler Hazlewood and said it was good to get the win, but lamented some poor fielding.
“We might have got away with one there,” he said. Australia won the series opener by 20 runs last Friday in its first T20 match since winning the World Cup in the short format last November. The next game in the five-match series will be played in Canberra on Tuesday.
