Australia lose final five wickets in three overs as Sri Lanka level one-day series | Cricket News

Chamika Karunaratne claimed three wickets for Sri Lanka; Sri Lanka levelled the one-day international series at 1-1 thanks to a 26-run win from a rain-affected match in Pallekele; the five-match series continues in Colombo on Sunday

The five-match series continues in Colombo on Sunday

Australia lost their final five wickets inside three overs as Sri Lanka levelled the one-day international series at 1-1 thanks to a 26-run win from a rain-affected match in Pallekele.

Pat Cummins took 4-35 from 8.4 overs, while debutant spinner Matthew Kuhnemann and Glenn Maxwell chipped in with two apiece, to help restrict Sri Lanka to 220-9 before inclement weather stopped the innings 14 balls short.

The tourists – who won Tuesday’s opening ODI by two wickets – were set a revised target of 216 from 43 overs.

Australian opener David Warner made 37, the highest knock of the day, and the match remained finely poised until the late batting collapse, which was sparked by Chamika Karunaratne having Maxwell caught by captain Dasun Shanaka for 30 from the second delivery of the 35th over.

Alex Carey, Cummins, Mitchell Swepson and Kuhnemann swiftly followed Maxwell back to the pavilion as the visitors put on only 19 runs for the final four wickets, leaving them all out for 189 with just under six overs remaining.

Karunaratne claimed three wickets for the hosts, while there were two each for Dushmantha Chameera, Dhananjaya De Silva and Dunith Wellalage.

The five-match series continues in Colombo on Sunday.