Allround Australia thrash hapless Sri Lanka to seal T20I series

Australia thumped Sri Lanka by nine wickets with 62 balls to spare in the second T20I at North Sydney Oval on Monday (September 30) to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Following a rare failure in the first T20I, Australia's bowlers came back strongly in the second match to help restrict Sri Lanka to 84 for 8 before the batters completed a clinical chase.

Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first. The start though was far from ideal as they lost Yasoda Mendis for a four-ball duck in the very first over of the game, courtesy a searing delivery from Tayla Vlaeminck that shattered the stumps. It was a dismissal that would start a trend for Sri Lanka, as five of their batters had their stumps rearranged.

Chamari Atapattu and Anushka Sanjeewani tried to start the rebuilding act, but they were unable to find any momentum in their innings. Sanjeewani's stay was cut short by a swinging delivery from Megan Schutt that she missed altogether. The right-hander had to walk back for a 14-ball seven.

Sri Lanka continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. With Atapattu unable to break the shackles, Australia maintained their hold on the scoring rate, keeping the batters quiet - not only drying up the boundaries, but also not allowing them to rotate the strike freely. The dot ball pressure eventually got to Atapattu who was run out by a brilliant piece of fielding from Georgia Wareham at cover. The Sri Lankan skipper had strangely struggled for her timing and was sent back for 16 off 25 balls. At the halfway stage, Sri Lanka were struggling at 38 for 3.

Things got worse for the visitors as they lost their fourth wicket when Wareham cleaned up Harshita Madavi for 12. The lower middle-order did little to trouble the scorers. Altough Shashikala Siriwardene attempted to give the innings some direction, she was unable to find any support. Eventually, she was dismissed by Ellyse Perry for 19.

Ama Kanchana gave the visitors something to cheer about at the back end of the innings with a boundary-filled unbeaten 16, but it was too little, too late as the visitors stuttered to 84 for 8 in their 20 overs. Ellyse Perry was Australia's most successful bowler with two wickets.

 

In her maiden T20I innings Erin Burns struck an invaluable 18-ball 30. © Getty Images

 

In her 100th T20I, Alyssa Healy got Australia off to a rollicking start. In typical fashion she crunched off-spinner Inoshi Fernando for a four and six to get the chase underway. However, the right-hander's fun didn't last long as she was spectacularly caught by Nilakshi de Silva - running back from mid-wicket and putting in a full length dive - off the bowling of Udeshika Prabodhani for 21.

Promoted up the order, Erin Burns - in her first T20I innings - showed no sign of nerves. After having played out a few quiet deliveries, the right-hander took complete charge of the chase, smashing the visitors' bowlers around the park.

Burns smashed six boundaries in her 18-ball knock to take Australia over the line in a hurry. She shared a rapid 49-run stand with Beth Mooney for the second wicket, that helped polish off the chase in 9.4 overs.

Burns remained unbeaten on 30, while Mooney collected a valuable 28-ball 25.

 

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 84/8 in 20 overs (Shashikala Siriwardena 19, Chamari Atapattu 16; Ellyse Perry 2-21, Nicola Carey 1-9) beat Sri Lanka 87/71 in 9.4 overs (Erin Burns 30*; Beth Mooney 28*; Udeshika Probodhani 1-12) by nine wickets. PoM: Beth Mooney.