Rain can鈥檛 halt Sri Lanka

During an action-packed encounter, Melbourne Stars all-rounder Glenn Maxwell exhilarated his home crowd, first with the ball and then with the bat, as he blasted consecutive boundaries off his first two deliveries as the match went down to the wire.

Requiring a further boundary to snatch victory, Maxwell failed to connect, running a bye as Sri Lanka claimed a two-run win on the final ball of the match after a 46-minute rain delay.

Earlier, Sri Lanka posted 4-161 from its 20 overs as Mahela Jayawardene clubbed an unbeaten 61 from 45 balls including five boundaries and two sixes.

Jeevan Mendis (25 from 24 balls) and Thisara Perera (35* from 15 balls) added invaluable contributions as the visitors hammered 59 from their final five overs.

Maxwell (1-23) and Stars teammate James Faulkner (1-24) took a wicket each as they put a clamp on Sri Lanka’s total.

Australia’s run chase started poorly with trump card, David Warner, falling for seven and he was joined shortly after by Melbourne Renegades captain Aaron Finch, who was adjudicated LBW for the same score.

A third-wicket partnership between Shaun Marsh (47* from 40 balls) and skipper George Bailey (45 from 36 balls) that ultimately reaped 86 provided Australia with hope before the rain hit.

With five overs of play lost, Australia was set a revised target of 122 under the Duckworth-Lewis Method, requiring 62 from 30 balls.

Marsh and Bailey maintained their composure, reducing the ask to 18 from the final over before the captain holed out in the deep with four balls remaining.

A no-ball from Perera added to the drama as Australia closed in on an unlikely victory, but it wasn’t to be, as Sri Lanka maintained its standing at the top of the World Twenty20 rankings.

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