Aussies sweep T20 series

AFP, COLOMBO: Australian bowlers set up a four-wicket victory over Sri Lanka to spoil veteran batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan’s farewell and sweep the two-match Twenty20 series in Colombo on Friday.
The visitors, who won the first match after scoring a world record 263, rode on opener Glenn Maxwell’s 29-ball 66 to chase down their 129-run target with 13 balls to spare.
Earlier Aussie bowlers James Faulkner and Adam Zampa claimed three wickets each to restrict the hosts to 128 for nine despite Dhananjaya de Silva’s fighting half-century.
Dilshan, who quit the one-day format in the middle of the five-match series which Sri Lanka lost 1-4, scored just one off three balls in his final international game but took two wickets to add drama to Australia’s chase.
The 39-year-old Dilshan, who participated in 87 Tests, 330 ODIs and 80 T20s, was given a standing ovation by a raucous home crowd as he ended his 17-year-long glittering career.
However the inventor of the “dilscoop”, the cheeky paddle shot played over the wicketkeeper’s head, did not have a chance to execute the audacious stroke.
“We all know Dilshan is a legend in the cricket world. He is a match-winner and a game-changer,” Sri Lankan skipper Dinesh Chandimal said of his teammate.

Aussies sweep T20 series

AFP, COLOMBO: Australian bowlers set up a four-wicket victory over Sri Lanka to spoil veteran batsman Tillakaratne Dilshans farewell and sweep the two-match Twenty20 series in Colombo on Friday. The visitors, who won the first match after scoring a world record 263, rode on opener Glenn Maxwells 29-ball 66 to chase down their 129-run target with 13 balls to spare. Earlier Aussie bowlers James Faulkner and Adam Zampa claimed three wickets each to restrict the hosts to 128 for nine despite Dhananjaya de Silvas fighting half-century. Dilshan, who quit the one-day format in the middle of the five-match series which Sri Lanka lost 1-4, scored just one off three balls in his final international game but took two wickets to add drama to Australias chase. The 39-year-old Dilshan, who participated in 87 Tests, 330 ODIs and 80 T20s, was given a standing ovation by a raucous home crowd as he ended his 17-year-long glittering career. However the inventor of the dilscoop, the cheeky paddle shot played over the wicketkeepers head, did not have a chance to execute the audacious stroke. We all know Dilshan is a legend in the cricket world. He is a match-winner and a game-changer, Sri Lankan skipper Dinesh Chandimal said of his teammate.