RESULT
1st T20I (N), Pallekele, September 06, 2016, Australia tour of Sri Lanka
(20 ov, T:264) 178/9

Australia won by 85 runs

Player Of The Match
145* (65)
glenn-maxwell
New
SL
Full commentary
end of over 201 run
SL: 178/9CRR: 8.90 
Kasun Rajitha0 (5b)
Sachithra Senanayake6 (6b 1x4)
Scott Boland 4-0-26-3
Mitchell Starc 4-0-26-3

10.15pm A night of records, plenty broken, new ones set for the future all the result of the return of Glenn Maxwell to Australia's T20 squad. A flawless performance from Australia with the bat, putting up 263 for 3 - the highest T20I score by a team, and the joint highest T20 score ever. Maxwell chipped in with 145 of them to set up Australia's dominance. Sri Lanka gave it their all and then some but were always way behind the game. They ended up 85 short, their biggest defeat in the format. A bad evening for Sri Lanka, but they will have to pick themselves up and come back harder in Tillakaratne Dilshan's last international match on Friday.

Presentation time.

Glenn Maxwell is the Man of the Match: "A little bit instinctive, tried to hit my areas based on the field. Been playing really well in the T20 format, at the top is an easier place to bat. I find the reverse sweep easier to play (than the sweep). Lucky to take advantage of some loose bowling."

Dinesh Chandimal: "I'm really disappointed with the way we bowled. if we restricted them to under 200, we would have had a chance. These things happen in cricket, a lot of youngsters, we need to regroup, we'll come back stronger in the next game. We came for practice in the last two days, and saw some moisture so we decided to bowl. Need a good gameplan for the bowlers."

David Warner: "I would have batted first. Me and the coach had a word yesterday, and I thought to give the bloke (Maxwell) an opportunity, I like a right-hand, left-hand combination at the top. Credit to him, he has worked hard at home. Tonight was all Maxi."

19.6
Boland to Rajitha, no run

yorker outside off, carved out to point and Australia complete just their third T20 win against Sri Lanka to go 1-0 up in the series.

19.5
Boland to Rajitha, no run

back of a length outside off, 127 kph. Rajitha is surprised by the change in length. Beaten by quite a distance

Kallu: "Australian players' lowest strike rate - Warner, 175 is more than SL players' Highest S/R - Kapugedera, 172. "

19.4
Boland to Rajitha, no run

slower ball on middle, 103 kph. Dipping late but Rajitha is nicely behind the line to block

19.3
Boland to Rajitha, no run

another yorker on off, 129 kph. Dug out, the ball trickles back to the stumps but doesn't have enough pace

Simon: "Good to see Sri Lanka can create a good pitch when required. Only the second ODI had a higher innings total (288) in 50 overs."

19.2
Boland to Rajitha, no run

yorker on off, played out to cover

19.1
1
Boland to Senanayake, 1 run

slower ball on middle, 107 kph. Pushed to long-on

end of over 193 runs • 2 wickets
SL: 177/9CRR: 9.31 RRR: 87.00
Sachithra Senanayake5 (5b 1x4)
Mitchell Starc 4-0-26-3
James Faulkner 4-0-38-1
18.6
W
Starc to Lakmal, OUT

what a catch from Starc to finish. Back of a length on off, Lakmal throws his bat at it, but is beaten for pace. The ball lobs up towards short point, Starc scampers across, sprints there and gets low to complete a stunning two-handed screamer even as fielders hurtled in to take the catch. Made that look easy

Suranga Lakmal c & b Starc 1 (2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 50
18.5
1lb
Starc to Senanayake, 1 leg bye

good length on leg, beaten for pace as SS misses his flick, the ball hits the pad and deflects towards point

18.4
Starc to Senanayake, no run

Abbas: "Judging a test team by just one T20 innings shows why they take don't make teams by public votes. They have something like Domestic cricket which has all the importance of selection, may be Head, Bailey and Faulkner can accompany, but couple of new faces expected at India tour, which weren't part of Premier Leagues "

18.3
1
Starc to Lakmal, 1 run

full on off, nicely behind the line to block to point

18.2
1
Starc to Senanayake, 1 run

shortish length outside off, 145 kph. SS steers down to third man off the open face

Lakmal.

18.1
W
Starc to Kapugedera, OUT

gone. Kapugedara's enterprising innings ends. Full and wide outside off from Starc, Kapu tries to go inside out, over cover. But the ball skews off the toe end to point. Bailey settles underneath the sitter

Chamara Kapugedera c Bailey b Starc 43 (25b 3x4 3x6) SR: 172
end of over 1821 runs
SL: 174/7CRR: 9.66 RRR: 45.00
Chamara Kapugedera43 (24b 3x4 3x6)
Sachithra Senanayake4 (2b 1x4)
James Faulkner 4-0-38-1
Mitchell Starc 3-0-24-1
17.6
1
Faulkner to Kapugedera, 1 run

slower ball on off, pushed to long-on to keep strike

17.5
4
Faulkner to Kapugedera, FOUR runs

four more. goes shorter this time does Faulkner, width. Kapugedara opens the face of his bat and carves it past short third man. Lovely batting, 20 off the over

17.4
6
Faulkner to Kapugedera, SIX runs

superb shot that. Another slower ball which is rather full, a half-volley. Kapu keeps his shape and hammers his lofted drive over the long-off boundary. Superlative timing

Around the wicket

17.3
2
Faulkner to Kapugedera, 2 runs

another one, 107 kph slow on middle, paddled to backward square leg

17.2
4
Faulkner to Kapugedera, FOUR runs

124 kph, too straight this time and Kapu picks him off, high in the air and lands just inside the square leg boundary

Stuart: "From a spectator's standpoint, I'd really like to see the Aussie brain's trust put an investment in Glenn Maxwell. Back him. Play him in all formats because he can win you matches. And off spinners hate him, hello India! Maybe even throw a wild card and open the Test batting in India with him"

17.1
4
Faulkner to Kapugedera, FOUR runs

slower delivery, too full, shovelled with use of that bottom hand to the midwicket boundary. Again, stupendous power into that stroke

end of over 1711 runs
SL: 153/7CRR: 9.00 RRR: 37.00
Chamara Kapugedera22 (18b 2x6)
Sachithra Senanayake4 (2b 1x4)
Mitchell Starc 3-0-24-1
Scott Boland 3-0-25-3
16.6
1
Starc to Kapugedera, 1 run

drifts down leg this time, nudged to fine leg

16.5
4b
Starc to Kapugedera, 4 byes

four more byes. Not easy at all for Nevill. A full toss outside off, the ball misses the bat. Pitches on the strip behind the stumps and scoots along the surface. Nevill gets some glove on it but not enough

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