Saturday 04 / May / 2024
Adelaide: Australia beat Sri Lanka by 41 runs in their final Twenty20 game on Wednesday, avoiding a whitewash in the three-match series and salvaging some pride.
Australia got off to a flier courtesy of captain and opening batsman Aaron Finch's 53 runs off 32 balls. His partner Michael Klinger scored a controlled 62 runs off 43 balls to help take the hosts to a total of 187.
Sri Lanka began impressively but wickets tumbled as they struggled to cope with leg-spinner Adam Zampa, losing five wickets, including that of in-form all-rounder Asela Gunaratne, between the eighth and 12th over.
Zampa and medium pacer James Faulkner picked up three wickets each. Australia were fielding a below-full-strength side with their Test squad currently in India.
Gunaratne was named man-of-the-series after scoring half centuries in the first two matches.
Brief scores: Australia 187 for 6 in 20 overs (Klinger 62, Finch 53) bt Sri Lanka 146 in 18 overs (Faulkner 3/20, Zampa 3/25).
