Watch: Marcus Stoinis took down Wanindu Hasaranga on his way to a record-breaking half-century in Australia’s T20 World Cup victory over Sri Lanka.
The all-rounder raced to a 17-ball fifty, the fastest by an Australia batter in all T20Is, to give the T20 World Cup hosts a much-needed net run rate boost.
Australia had struggled through the early part of their innings, with Aaron Finch making an unbeaten 42-ball 31. But Stoinis went on the attack to get his side back on track.
When he came in, Australia needed nine an over, and had managed just four runs in the previous 14 balls. Stoinis hit three of his first six balls for four to get Australia moving again, and ramped up the gears when Hasaranga was reintroduced. The leg-spinner had already had a tough night, hit for 34 in his first two overs, and he was hit for 16 in three balls by Stoinis to take his total conceded to 53, the most he has ever conceded in a T20I, and the fourth-highest economy rate in a men’s T20I by a Full Member bowler bowling at least three overs.
The two sixes were big ones, smashed over the leg-side 98 metres and then 101 metres, and Stoinis kept going thereafter, hitting three sixes in the following over, bowled by Maheesh Theekshana, the last of which brought up his half-century, and another off Lahiru Kumara in the next over.
Finch hit the winning couple as Australia won by seven wickets with 19 balls remaining.
Watch Stoinis’ assault on Hasaranga below:
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