- Marcus Stoinis batted the fastest T20 half-century in Australia.
- Australia defeated Sri Lanka to win the T20 World Cup for the first time.
- “It was tremendous slogging,” says match winner Marcus Stoinis.
Australia overcame Sri Lanka by seven wickets on Tuesday to claim their first T20 World Cup triumph, with Marcus Stoinis scoring the nation’s fastest T20 half-century.
After losing to New Zealand in the Super 12 opener, Australia elected to field and defeated Sri Lanka by a score of 157-6.
Adam Zampa, the leg-spinner, had to be replaced after testing positive for COVID-19 at the last minute.
The hosts responded with 158-3 in 16.3 overs thanks to Stoinis, who hammered six sixes in his undefeated 59 off 18 balls.
Stoinis, the game’s man of the match, told reporters, “It was amazing slogging.”
“I must admit that I was nervous. The idea was to affect the game and potentially give the participants a boost of energy.”
The Perth Stadium deck might have passed for a WACA surface as Australia’s seamers combined for three wickets against Sri Lanka with a bombardment of pace and bounce.
Pathum Nissanka (41) and Dhananjaya de Silva (26) struggled to get extra bases but sprinted fiercely between the wickets.
David Warner’s stunning flick-back on the boundary denied De Silva a six in the eleventh over, and the batsman was out five balls later after lofting a catch to the same fielder at long-off.
Nissanka was run out by Mitchell Marsh, triggering a mini-collapse that was only averted by Charith Asalanka’s late-innings onslaught (38 not out off 25 balls).
When Sri Lanka took their time in the field, fast bowler Lahiru Kumara made full most of the pitch by outperforming Aaron Finch on a frequent basis (31 not out).
However, off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana (1-23) struck first, duping Warner into a false shot (11).
Glenn Maxwell’s (23) creative strokeplay provided some momentum to Australia’s response, but Stoinis dealt Australia the fatal blow when third-ranked T20 spinner Wanindu Hasaranga gave up 53 runs in three wicketless overs.
