AUS vs SL: 3rd T20I – Warner continues golden run as hosts complete clean sweep

David Warner continued his blistering form with the bat as Australia again overpowered Sri Lanka in Melbourne. The 7 wicket victory meant that the hosts completed a 3-0 clean sweep against the Lankans as they continue their preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Winning the toss, Australian skipper Aaron Finch had no hesitation in opting to mount a chase. The Aussie pacers then were again too good for the Lankans to handle. They restricted the visitors to a score of 142-6 in 20 overs.

The total did not pose much of a challenge to the hosts as they chased the score down with more than two overs to spare. Aaron Finch and Warner had an opening stand of 69 which quickly put the hosts in the driver’s seat. Though Steve Smith and Ben McDermott could not contribute much, Warner and Turner got the job done. Warner with his innings of 57, hit a third successive half-century in a series where he wasn’t even dismissed once.

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Lankan batsmen again flatter to deceive

For Sri Lanka, it was again the batting unit which let the side down. They have had no answers against an excellent Australian bowling attack and the story in Melbourne was no different.

Only Kusal Perera (57 off 45) showed any kind of resistance as the Australian pace trio caused havoc. None of the other Sri Lankan batters could even cross a score of 20, which perfectly typified the poor series which they have endured.

For Australia, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Kane Richardson each picked up one wicket each as they piled on the pressure.

Australia will now turn their attention to a 3 match T20I series against Pakistan. The Men in Green, despite being unpredictable, will pose a much bigger challenge for the hosts.

Brief scores: Australia 3 for 145 (Warner 57*) beat Sri Lanka 6 for 142 (Perera 57) by seven wickets