Beth Mooney's century trumps Chamari Atapattu's masterclass as Australia go one-up

Chamari Atapattu's maiden T20I hundred was not enough for Sri Lanka to overcome Australia's mammoth target of 218, as the visitors fell 41 runs short in the first T20I at North Sydney Oval on Sunday (September 29). Atapattu's efforts however were eclipsed by that of Beth Mooney who smashed her second T20I century to put Australia firmly in the driver's seat earlier in the day.

Electing to bat first Australia started brilliantly as Alyssa Healy and Mooney put on a show for the first few overs. Mooney was the one to start things off with two boundaries and Healy took over from her partner in the second over, dispatching Udeshika Probadhani for two fours. Australia raced to 33 in just three overs and Sri Lanka already looked dazed.

Before they knew it, the visitors were chasing leather, having conceded 63 in the power play - both Healy and Mooney rattling along at a fair clip. Spin clearly wasn't doing the trick for Sri Lanka.

Healy smacked the first six of the innings, skipping down the track and hitting Oshadi Ranasinghe over her head. However, in an attempt to repeat that shot, she perished off the next ball - wonderfully caught by Ranasinghe off her own bowling, running back. Australia's wicket-keeper had done her job wonderfully, smashing 43 off just 21 balls.

The wicket of Healy brought Meg Lanning to the crease, but the skipper could last only six balls as she was trapped in front of the wicket having missed a sweep shot. Suddenly Australia were 81 for 2 and Ranasinghe had two wickets to her credit.

Ashleigh Gardner - back in the XI having replaced Erin Burns - was promoted up the order and got into the act almost immediately. She fed the strike to Mooney who was in blistering form, finding the boundary at regular intervals. The hosts were sitting pretty at 94 for 2 in 10 overs.

Meanwhile, Mooney reached her fifty off 33 balls, bringing up the milestone with a boundary. The left-hander showcased a wide range of strokes by creaming three boundaries of Atapattu in the 13th over- helped along by some poor fielding from Sri Lanka - before Gardner smashed one into the stands to complete a 20-run over. It was only the beginning for Mooney who had clearly hit top gear. She brought up her second fifty in 21 balls, reaching her century off 54 deliveries thanks to a misfield  by the bowler.

Gardner meanwhile continued to hit sixes, sending the ball sailing over the fence as many as four times. The pair shared a blistering 115-run partnership for the third wicket.

Mooney was finally dismissed in the penultimate over of the innings by Siriwardene for a 61-ball 113 - a knock that included 20 boundaries. Gardner too fell soon after for 49 off just 27 balls. Her knock helped carry the hosts to a mammoth 217 for 4 in 20 overs.

Chamari Atapattu's maiden T20I ton took Sri Lanka to the brink of history. © Getty Images

Chasing 218, Atapattu started off by hitting a boundary of the first ball of Megan Schutt's over. Yashoda Mendis scored her first boundary too hitting the ball over cover off Ellyse Perry's bowling. The visitors started positively and were on 15 after the completion of two overs.

Mooney was in the thick of things again as Australia searched for a wicket. It took a moment of brilliance from the left-hander to send Mendis packing for seven in the third over - she ran her out with a direct hit from point. Anushka Sanjeewani, Sri Lanka's no.3, didn't last long either, edging a rising delivery from Tayla Vlaeminck into the hands of Healy who took a diving catch.

Atapattu kept the scoreboard moving by picking boundaries and Sri Lanka at the end of power play finished on 34. The required run rate continued to rise.

Sri Lanka brought their 50 up in the ninth over but the task to get 164 off 66 balls now solely hinged on their skipper. While Atapattu found some momentum in her innings when she smoked Jess Jonassen for her first six, Hansima Karunaratne was struggling at the other end, having crawled to five off 13 balls.

Despite the fifty-run partnership - in which Atapattu did most of the scoring - Sri Lanka were unable to find any momentum for the innings. While their skipper continued to find the ropes, Australia chipped away at the wickets at the other end. Australia picked up the third wicket of the innings as Karunarathne departed for 16, Kimmince picking her first wicket in the 14th over.

It seemed to be the trigger for Atapattu. She smashed the next ball for a six over mid-on - a shot that hit the roof of the stand. Next, she took on Vlaeminck by scoring a boundary to start things off in a positive manner and finished the over by hitting a pull shot for maximum. Atapattu looked set to score a century.

The Sri Lankan captain brought her maiden hundred with four of Kimmince's bowling. Her hundred came of just 60 balls. Sri Lanka also brought their 150 in the 17 over and their fans got their money's worth as their skipper put on a show. Atapattu tonked another maximum over long on of Schutt's bowling but immediately on the next ball, Schutt bowled her with a yorker. Atapattu was dismissed for 113 but she made sure Sri Lanka fought.

Brief Scores: Australia 217/4 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 113, Ashleigh Gardner 49; Oshadi Ranasinghe 2-44) beat Sri Lanka 176/7 in 20 overs (Chamari Atapattu 113; Georgia Wareham 2-19) by 41 runs. PoM: Beth Mooney.