Sri Lanka, battling its worst financial crisis in the last several months, got a chance to celebrate on the night of 21 June 2022 when its cricket team won the fourth one-day international against Australia by 4 runs in the last ball. With this, he took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series. Sri Lanka has won this third consecutive ODI series at home.
Earlier, Sri Lanka won the 3-match series 2-1 against Zimbabwe at home in January 2022 and the 3-match series 2-1 against South Africa in September 2021. Not only this, the Sri Lankan team was successful in winning the ODI series against Australia at home after 30 years. The last time he won the ODI series at home against Australia was in August 1992. Then he won the 3-match series 2-1.
Talking about the fourth ODI played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, the Australian team could not score 38 runs in the last 30 balls, while its 3 wickets were yet to fall. Earlier in the 38th over, his opener David Warner was a victim of nervous nineties. He missed his century by just one run.
David Warner returned to the pavilion after scoring 99 off 111 balls. David Warner is the second male cricketer to be stumped for 99 runs in the history of ODI cricket. At the same time, the Sri Lankan team bowled 43 over spinners for the 8th time in ODIs. In the history of ODI cricket, there is no other team other than him who has got so many overs from spinners even once in a match.
Australian captain Aaron Finch won the toss and elected to bowl. His decision proved to be correct when the Sri Lankan team was all out for 258 in 49 overs despite Charit Aslanka (110) century and his 101 run partnership with Dhananjay de Silva (60).
However, the Sri Lankan team led by Dasun Shanaka defended their score well and bowled Australia out for 254 in the last ball of the 50th over. Charit Aslanka was adjudged player of the match. The last ODI match of the series will be played on June 24 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
David Warner was the highest scorer for Australia, while Pat Cummins also contributed 35 runs. Other batsmen could not convert a good start into a big score. Dhananjaya de Silva, Chamika Karunaratne and Geoffrey Vandarse took two wickets each for Sri Lanka. Australia needed 19 runs in the last over. Captain Shanaka himself handled the ball for the last over.
Matthew Kuhneman (15), who came to bat at number ten in his over, hit 3 fours. Australia needed 5 runs off the last ball to win the match. Kuhneman tried to hit a six off the last ball, but he missed and the slow ball was tossed into the air and Aslanka, standing in cover, did not make any mistake in taking the catch.