Maxwell guides Australia to early series lead – By M. Shamil Amit Source:dailymirror.lk Glenn Maxwell played the decisive hand in Australia’s successful chase of a revised target of 282 for a two-wicket win and 1-0 series lead over Sri Lanka, at the Pallekele International Stadium on Tuesday. Maxwell’s unbeaten half century, 80 in 51 balls with six boundaries and six sixes, brought the Australians back into the game after they lost quick wickets, and turned the tide in his team’s favour. Earlier in the innings, two partnerships involving Steven Smith, who made 53, kept the Australians at pace with the chase. Smith first put on a 67-run partnership with Aaron Finch for the second wicket, and 54 for the third-wicket with Marnus Labuschagne. The dismissal of Smith however appeared to peg the Australians back at 141 for 4 in the 25th over, but Marcus Stoinis put on 48 runs with ...

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Alert Critical: Australian cricket bats for Sri Lanka reaching out a fourth time – By Callistus Davy Source:sundayobserver.lk Cricket and cricketers in Australia have come out on yet another occasion to lend a hand to Sri Lanka making them more of a family friend sharing grief and sorrow unlike in a bygone era when some islanders misunderstood them as bullies and racists. This time the hand of the Aussie came in the form of a soothing appeal to back a United Nations move to help Sri Lanka battle against crippling food, fuel, cocking gas and agriculture shortages besides an alarming rise in prices of essential requirements to add to an acute shortage of drugs and medicine and frequent electricity blackouts that has taken the country into the dark ages of the past. In their latest intervention, Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc and batsman Steven Smith have in a video message ...

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