Australia last night steamrolled to a 2-0 series lead in their T20I series against a Sri Lankan side that has looked completely out of its depth.
The tourists limped to 117 before Australia cantered to victory with nine wickets and 42 balls to spare as David Warner (60* from 41 balls) and Steve Smith (53* from 36 balls) underlined their class.
Warner continued his resounding return to form after making 100* in Adelaide on Sunday. Last night he looked compact and balanced while picking the gaps beautifully and running very well between wickets.
That description also sums up the effort of Smith. The world’s number one Test batsman still has plenty of doubters as a T20 cricketer but underlined last night that there is room in the shortest format for a deft touch.
(Photo by PATRICK HAMILTON/AFP /AFP via Getty Images)
Earlier, Australia’s attack produced a second consecutive clinical performance after restricting Sri Lanka to 9-99 in the series opener. Even without star quick Mitchell Starc, who was attending his brother’s wedding, Australia’s bowling was impressively sharp.
Opening bowlers Kane Richardson and Billy Stanlake kept things tight in the early overs. After Kusal Mendis was run out in a mix up, Stanlake produced a beautiful delivery that castled opener Danushka Gunathilaka. Stanlake worried the Sri Lankan top order with his pace and, perhaps even more so, his steepling bounce on his home deck at the Gabba.
He later dismissed Dasun Shanaka with a rapid short ball to finish with 2-23 from four overs, continuing his fine start to his T20I career. From 18 matches Stanlake has taken 27 wickets at 19.
Test and ODI star Pat Cummins also made the most of the pace and lift offered by the Brisbane pitch. Despite having only played two T20Is in the two-and-a-half years prior to this current series, Cummins has looked very comfortable in the shortest format so far.
Bowling a mix of length deliveries, short balls, cutters, slower balls and even off-pace bouncers, Cummins ensured that the Sri Lankan batsmen were kept guessing. After taking 2-27 from four overs in the series opener, he snared 2-29 from four overs yesterday.
Yet what has really glued Australia’s attack together in this series has been the suffocating overs sent down by their spinners Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar. That pair combined have bowled 16 overs for a return of 8-74, at an economy rate of 4.62 runs per over. The pace and flight exploited by Australia’s spinners has been particularly significant.
As Zampa’s ODI form has waned, it has been noticeable how much flatter he has bowled in that format. At his best he trusts himself to toss the ball up and beat batsmen in the flight. That was just what he did repeatedly yesterday as Zampa complemented quicker, flatter deliveries with some tantalising loop. Both of his wickets came from stumpings as he collected 2-20 from four overs.
Agar, meanwhile, continued his encouraging development in T20Is as he took 2-27 from four overs. Just like he did in the opening game, when he recorded 1-13 from four overs, the left-armer changed up his pace superbly. The West Australian’s biggest strength as a T20 bowler is the way in which he can adjust from 85kmh to 100kmh without an obvious change in action.
Since returning to the Australian T20I team last year, Agar has been very frugal, going at just 6.65 runs per over from 15 matches. By comparison, Sri Lanka’s bowlers again were unable to build any pressure on the home batsmen. The first two matches have been extremely lopsided and it’s hard to see anything but a 3-0 result.
Josh H
Roar Rookie
Mate I've got plenty of players before Stoinis in my pecking order Head's at the top. He's the incumbent, he's averaging 45 in Tests and off the back of a Shield hundred. Maddinson's probably next based on form. Pucovski if they want to take a punt on potential. Stoinis has been good in 3 matches so far, and has only played 13 first class matches over the past 3 years. I'd be waiting another couple of months to see if his Shield form continues before picking him I think Burns is a shoe-in though, yeah
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Joshy , interesting Stoinos doing very well with the red ball first three shield matches with bat and ball. Super consistent in shield. Im beginning to think he should get the six spot and move wade up to 5. Wasn't so sure but he's just scored and taken wickets yet again at the Gabba, Burns has put his hand up again there. Off this thread, but I'm beginning to think Burns and Stoinos should play at the gabba . The last bowling spot an interesting debate for another thread but the gabba has been the toughest venue of the summer so far to bat on unless you include the tassie shield match. Kane R just bowled well in the 3rd t20 match. Im less bothered with that team in any event . Pakistan will give them a bigger challenge though
Josh H
Roar Rookie
Maybe the first is correct, but Stoinis is a very hot-and-cold death bowler, at the best of times, he misses his yorkers really often and his work during the WC at the death was really underwhelming I thought
Pierro
Roar Rookie
but isn't jhye richardson more economical and isn't stoinos a better death bowler against better opposition as well as making more runs ?
Josh H
Roar Rookie
Kanos actually wasn't too bad in this series I thought He doesn't look particularly threatening in a wicket-taking sense, but he's been super-economical himself. If he has another great BBL, I'd be more than happy for Australia to take him on as a squad player for the T20 WC
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Ive been banging the same drum Anon. Great time particularly second test after a probably win to give new openers experience , especially as we have little test cricket to do that in 2020 before we play more talented teams namely india and SA away from home
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Same in US binned tv and don't miss it. Willow tv app all cricket across the board every nation live, netflix, amazon apple tv. Disney plus and Apple plus launch this week . Hulu streams loads of key sports games in us as an app . All of it built in or downloaded to tvs. Why would you bother with terrestrial tv and cable anymore. over priced and outdated soon. Think its just foxtels grip on aus sporting rights and corruption with the terrestrial channels that are keeping the app streamers at bay still but amazon/hulu will be able to out bid them if they set up with their bigger turn overs.
Nick
Roar Guru
You are still being fleeced. There is surely nothing on Foxtel these days that can't be seen on a cheaper platform. Kayo, Apple TV, Netflix and (soon) Disney plus. If is not on those streams, it's not worth watching! Lol.
Nick
Roar Guru
I don't trust him overseas anywhere, ever. Not just the UK. He's spent all his credits overseas. And considering Australia have no tests to play overseas next year, he's not got opportunities to get in form.
Mitcher
Guest
Not sure on that one. I’d say online is the prime place you don’t have to get your facts right.
Maddinson looks imperious at the moment, but cmon, Burns deserves the next run. Make Maddinson hammer the door down with some more scores at Shield level and force someone out of the team AKA Warner/Wade/Labuschagne etc
Apparently the massive loss leader of womens Big Bash that no one watches is more important than Mens international cricket. It's almost like CA want to kill the game of cricket to appease pointless politics
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
Yes I admit that, but because of my daughter and her likes, I have the platinum contract. I will not tell you how much that costs.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Would I be right in saying the most questionable player so far is kane richardson who could be traded for a stones who can add batting or other opening bowler like jhye richardson who is edxtemely economical? Doesn't look like to many other changes necessary
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
Ah, didn't read this one! Is there literally no advertising of cricket anywhere in Australia? I just cannot believe this! (I suppose it depends on how much Fox Sports you've been watching recently)
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Need more streaming competitors via phone/aps in aus which can be linked on tv directly. Foxtel and murdoch unfortuanly hold too much power in aus.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Ridiculous what goes on with australian broadcasting, foxtel yields too much power
Joshua Kerr
Roar Guru
Is it not even mentioned on the news or written about in the papers? Despite the lack of FTA coverage in the UK, there is sizeable coverage in news programmes and in newspaper sports sections.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Be great if amazon video/prime and hulu start up in Aus they will outbid some of the local cables and change the game. Still a monopoly down under. Changing quickly in US with streamers. Australia is always a few years behind or more to adapt. Watch this space guys. The netflix/amazon/hulu streaming companies are powerful in the US and forcing cable companies to asapt to . Willow tv streams it all in US via an app on to tv but its 30 bucks a month. Australia has a real monopoly and deceptive structure on sports rights broadcasting still
Pierro
Roar Rookie
General in the states its sports streaming is heading to amazon, hulu and a few other apps like sling tv and willow. Watch this space in australia if the apps can follow suit but seems the local cable/terrestial tv still have a monopoly and some back room power over it all in australia . If the apps/stremers get more powerful you'll be paying 10 to 20 bucks for an app per month and foxtel and co will get the short end of the stick potentially. US sports streaming is changing the game radically