AUS VS SL - 1st T20I, Sri Lanka tour of Australia, 2017

9 November 2014 - The last time Australia won a T20 game in Australia. As Finch mentioned, they "haven't performed as well as we would have liked FOREVER." Sri Lanka, despite upsets in the other two formats are proving to be a side to reckon in the Hollywood format. If they can win the next game, that would be 2-zip against Australia and South Africa. So much spice and so much ice to break. Join us back on Sunday for the second T20I where Simonds Stadium at Geelong Victoria is all decked up to host its first international game. Should be fun. Thanks and goodbye from the team; Raju Peethala, Akshay Maanay, Kumar Abhisekh Das and scorer Sreenivas. Cheers!!

Tharanga: A big thanks to the Sri Lankan supporters here. South Africa and Australia are the best sides and winning them in their home conditions is phenomenal. The batsmen played well. This is the kind of improvement we need, bowlers bowled really well. To restrict them under 170 was great and then the partnership between Munaweeera and Gunaratne sealed the game for us.

Finchy: They came out all swinging and the way they approached the chase was amazing. Credit to them, they batted beautifully. Turner gave us a chance, and unfortunately our bowlers couldn't finish it off. We needed a significant score in the top-order. We haven't performed as well as we would have liked FOREVER. We are taking a few positives from this game though. The next one should be one helluva game. Looking forward to that.

Asela Gunaratne is the Man of the Match

22:18 Local time: A typical T20 chase. More drama towards the back end, but eventually the better side emerged victorious. Tharanga's dismissal in the first over didn't dent the confidence of the youngsters; at least in terms of experince. Dickwella, Munaweera, Gunaratne went all guns blazing and piled almost 70 percent of the target. The rest of the total was all about holding your nerve and cruising past the finishing line. Any T20 game would be boring without a few jittery moments. Australia did create a few, thanks to Ashton Turner and Andrew Tye, but the young Lankan side had the final laugh.

Andrew Tye to Kapugedera, FOUR, hammers a full ball through cover and that's a victory for Sri Lanka. There were at least 5 fielders placed on the off-side ring, but Kapugedera - absolutely - nailed the drive. Sri Lanka, by virtue of this win, go 1-0 up in the 3-match series

one from one. Finch, the traffic police now. Slotting the right men at the right place, busy doing field placings. The keeper is upto the stumps. MCG is all pumped up. Right then...

Andrew Tye to Kapugedera, 2 runs, clobbered across the line to deep mid-wicket and there's a poor throw from the fielder. Good running from both the batsmen. They just kept running as if they had to catch the last bus

Andrew Tye to Prasanna, 1 run, no pace, bowls it into the pitch and the zip troubles the batsman, under-edges the whack across the line onto the pitch. Sneaks another quick single

Andrew Tye to Kapugedera, 1 run, short on middle, pulled to fine leg, only a single

Andrew Tye to Prasanna, byes, 1 run, another big whoosh outside off and that's a miss again, and they rush.... Paine hurls the ball to Tye who deflects the ball onto the stumps, but Prasanna was well in. Paine should have aimed at the striker's end

Andrew Tye to Prasanna, no run, lack of pace, slower short delivery on fifth stump channel, Prasanna was an age early into the slog. Missed that by some distance

Andrew Tye [2.0-0-24-0] is back into the attack

6 from 6. Anyone expecting a superover? Anyone?

Faulkner to Prasanna, leg byes, 1 run, another one of those many slower balls from Faulkner, beats Prasanna's swing and knocks him high on the pads. Appeal for leg before, but that was more in desperation

Faulkner to Kapugedera, 1 run, full toss outside off, Kapugedera blasted it away but there is man stationed at sweeper cover, should have been two, but they decide against it

Faulkner to Kapugedera, no run, off-cutter outside off, sneaks past the under edge as Kapugedera attempts to cut

Faulkner to Prasanna, 1 run, knows Faulkner is gonna bowl slower balls and adjusts nicely to milk a single into the on-side

Faulkner to Prasanna, wide, 106ks, but well past the tramline outside off, this won't help Australia

Faulkner to Kapugedera, 1 run, short on the pads, whipped in the air, goes on the bounce to deep square