Nissanka’s unbeaten 100 powers Sri Lanka into Super Eights with win over Australia

Pathum Nissanka struck a brilliant unbeaten 100 to guide Sri Lanka to an eight-wicket win over Australia in Pallekele and seal a Super Eights berth. Australia now face a must-win situation after collapsing despite strong starts from Marsh and Head

Pallekele: Opener Pathum Nissanka turned a tricky chase into a walk in the park with a belligerent 52-ball 100 to power Sri Lanka to an eight-wicket win over Australia and secure their place in the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup here on Monday.

Set a record target of 182 at this venue, Sri Lanka rode on Nissanka’s unbeaten knock and Kusal Mendis’s 38-ball 51 to complete the task in 18 overs and leave Australia’s qualification hopes hanging by a thread. Pavan Rathnayake remained not out on 28 off 15 balls.

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Nissanka smashed 10 fours and five sixes during his match-winning knock.

Australia will now need to win by a massive margin against Oman in their final match and rely on both Sri Lanka and Ireland to beat Zimbabwe to have any outside chance. In fact, if Zimbabwe manage to beat Ireland on Thursday, then Australia will be knocked out even before meeting Oman in their last group league game.

Earlier, Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head scored explosive fifties before Sri Lanka rallied to bowl out Australia for 181.

Coming back into the playing XI after missing the team’s first two matches of the tournament due to injury, Marsh got into the act straightaway, smashing 54 off 27 balls.

Head was equally aggressive during his 29-ball 56 as the opening duo added 104 runs in less than nine overs to set Australia up for a 200-plus total.

But Sri Lanka did much better in the last 10 overs, with leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha (3/37 in 4 overs) emerging as the most successful bowler for the home team. The last four wickets fell for only six runs.

In the chase, Sri Lanka suffered an early blow when Kusal Perera failed to connect properly with a Marcus Stoinis delivery and ended up slicing it to the deep backward point fielder.

The packed stands at the Pallekele International Stadium went quiet, but Nissanka and Mendis had other ideas as they added 97 runs for the second wicket to keep Sri Lanka ahead at the halfway stage of their innings.

With 89 needed from 60 balls and nine wickets in hand, Sri Lanka fancied their chances of overhauling the target.

But Stoinis struck again as Kusal Mendis hit one straight to the fielder at deep mid-wicket to give Australia an opening. However, there was no stopping Nissanka.

Earlier, the move to field first backfired on Sri Lanka as Australia got off to a strong start with Marsh and Head marking their reunion with a flurry of fours and sixes.

Following their 23-run defeat to Zimbabwe, Australia began the game positively, collecting 16 runs in the very first over bowled by Dushmantha Chameera.

Marsh started his innings in great style as he punched one beautifully off the back foot through the off side.

Head clipped a Chameera half-volley off his pads to get off the mark with a four before Marsh pulled the pacer for a six over midwicket.

Head hit two fours against Maheesh Theekshana to maintain the momentum.

If the early attack by Head and Marsh was not enough, Sri Lanka suffered a massive blow in the third over when Matheesha Pathirana, the 23-year-old slinger, hobbled off the field after suffering a hamstring injury, leaving Dasun Shanaka to complete the over.

Shanaka was hit through point for a boundary by Head off his first ball, and then the left-handed batter smashed the bowler over deep square leg and into the stands for a maximum.

Marsh smashed Maheesh Theekshana for five successive boundaries as Australia raced to 70 for no loss in the power play.

Hoping to stop the flow of runs, skipper Shanaka introduced leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha into the attack. Head welcomed him with a six and a four, and in the next over, Marsh hit left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage for a four and a maximum.

Marsh brought up Australia’s hundred with a six off Hemantha.

However, Australia lost a cluster of wickets thereafter and from 104 for no loss, they slipped to 130 for four and never recovered.

Glenn Maxwell made 22 off 15 balls before a leaping Pathum Nissanka made amends for an earlier dropped catch by taking a diving catch at point. Josh Inglis, who got a life even before he opened his account, contributed 27 off 22 balls, but Australia ended well short of what was expected at the halfway stage.