Sri Lanka beat Australia by four runs, seal series

Jun 21, 2022

Sri Lanka beat Australia by four runs, seal series Image

Sri Lanka beat Australia in the fourth ODI, at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, by four runs to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series. Australia needed 19 to win in five balls when No. 10 Matthew Kuhnemann hit Dasun Shanaka for 4, 2, 4, 4. Australia needed five off the last ball when Shanaka bowled his only slower ball of the over. Kuhnemann mistimed, and was caught at cover.

Despite losing Aaron Finch early, Australia were in control of the chase, at 66/1, 101/2, and 189/4. The fifth wicket fell when Dhananjaya de Silva (2-39) bowled a quick ball to bowl Travis Head (26). Three balls later, Maheesh Theekshana used DRS to have Glenn Maxwell leg before. Worse followed five balls later, when de Silva spun one sharply past David Warner's (99) bat and had him stumped. Australia were 192/7 at this point, but Pat Cummins (35) kept them in the hunt, adding 31 with Cam Green and 17 with Kuhnemann before Chamika Karunaratne (2-19) used the DRS to claim him.

Earlier, Sri Lanka rode on Charith Asalanka's 106-ball 110 to reach 258. Asalanka added 101 for the fourth wicket with de Silva (60) and 57 with Dunith Wellalage before being seventh out. At one point Sri Lanka seemed set for 270, but they lost their last three wickets for two runs in nine balls.

Brief scores

Sri Lanka 258 in 49 overs (Charith Asalanka 110; Mitchell Marsh 2-29) beat Australia 254 in 50 overs (David Warner 99; Chamika Karunaratne 2-19) by 4 runs. Player of the Match: Charith Asalanka.