NOTTINGHAM, England, CMC – Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan scored purposeful half-centuries to help Sri Lanka dump Australia from the ICC World Twenty20 Championship yesterday with a six-wicket victory.
Sangakkara hit the top of an unbeaten 55 from 42 balls, and Dilshan supported with 53 from 32 balls, as Sri Lanka, chasing 160 for victory, reached their target with six balls to spare in the eight match of the competition at Trent Bridge.
Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, hit four fours and two sixes, and Dilshan collected 10 fours in a stand of 62 for the second wicket and put their side firmly on track for victory.
The result was formalised, when Australia left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Johnson delivered a wide down the leg-side to Jehan Mubarak at the start of the final over.
The victory sets up Sri Lanka for a top-of-the-table clash with West Indies in Group C, and condemned Australia to their second straight defeat which put them out of the competition, following their seven-wicket defeat to the Caribbean side last Saturday.
Sangakkara and Dilshan helped Sri Lanka overcome the early loss of long-standing left-handed opener Sanath Jayasuriya, after he was caught at deep mid wicket off Brett Lee for two in the third over.
After Dilshan was bowled by Michael Clarke in the 10th over, Sri Lanka’s nervously navigated the middle overs, and lost Mahela Jayawardene for nine and Chamara Silva for 11 along the way.
But Mubarak stepped up in the closing overs, and changed the flow of the match, when he struck Lee for six over long-on off the last ball of the 17th over.
Mubarak helped Sri Lanka gather 23 from the next two overs, and this put his side within reach of the “promised land”. Earlier, several Australian batsmen got starts, but failed to carry-on, as Sri Lanka bowled with discipline to restrict them to 159 for nine from their allocation of 20 overs.
Mitchell Johnson led the way with 28 not out, David Hussey scored 28, Australia captain Ricky Ponting made 25, and opener Shane Watson got 22. Mystery bowler Ajantha Mendis was the pick of the Sri Lankan attack with three wickets for 20 runs from four overs, Lasith Malinga snared three for 36 from his allotment of four, and Isuru Udana took two for 47 from his four overs.
