Comprehensive T20 International Win For Sri Lanka

Comprehensive T20 International Win For Sri Lanka

Tissara Perera and Dilhara Fernando celebrate the wicket of Michael Clarke as Sri Lanka beat Australia in the Twenty20 International in Perth

©REUTERS/Stringer (AUSTRALIA - Tags: SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

Sri Lanka 135-3 (Sangakkara 45no, Dilshan 41) beat
Australia 133-8 (Haddin 35, Randiv 3-25) by seven wickets
Twenty20 International, Perth
Scorecard

Sri Lanka got off to a winning start on their tour of Australia with a convincing seven-wicket victory in the Twenty20 International in Perth.

After restricting Australia to a modest 133 for eight, they wasted little time in chasing down their target with more than three overs to spare.

Although Australia won the toss and elected to bat, they struggled for fluency and four of the top five batsmen were dismissed for single-figure scores and it took 35 in 30 balls from Brad Haddin and 34 in 23 from Steve Smith to lift them to a competitive score.

Off-spinner Suraj Randiv (3-25) and pacer Tissara Perera (2-22) shared five wickets while there was a wicket apiece for Dilhara Fernando and Lasith Malinga.

Mahela Jayawardene (24) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (41) then gave Sri Lanka's run chase a flying start and although both were dismissed, along with Dinesh Chandimal for three, they were never seriously headed.

Captain Kumar Sangakkara saw the job through to completion with an unbeaten 45 in 43 balls while Perera blasted 17 not out in four balls with one four and two sixes as the Sri Lankans cruised home in 16.3 overs.

The two sides begin a three-match One-Day International series in Melbourne on 3rd November.

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