Glenn Maxwell was delighted to be able to keep his cool and smarts under pressure after guiding Australia to a two-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Tuesday's ODI with a Man of the Match knock.
Maxwell arrived at the crease at 189-5, requiring 113 off 84 deliveries in pursuit of chasing Sri Lanka's 300-7 in a rain-affected game in Kandy.
The Australian all-rounder bludgeoned a thrilling unbeaten 80 from 51 balls to guide the tourists home with nine balls to spare on D/L method.
Maxwell's knock included 12 boundaries, with six fours and six sixes, reaching his half-century from 35 balls, before accelerating to finish the job and take a 1-0 lead in the five-game ODI series.
"Certainly is [a satisfying knock], coming in when I did," Maxwell said after the game.
"There were a few wickets down and we were under a bit of pressure. To be able to hold together at the end and play, as [coach Andrew McDonald] Ronnie just said, one of my 'smarter innings,' is nice.
"And when conditions aren't as favourable for the batting side, that was really pleasing."
Maxwell's innings came amid pressure from Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasarange who claimed 4-58 including the wickets of Alex Carey and Pat Cummins with Maxwell down the other end.
"I was just trying to stay out there as long as I could," said Maxwell, who took 15 runs off Maheesh Theekshana in the 37th over to lower the run rate required below six.
"I knew I was going to get balls to score off in my areas at some stage, and I was just trying to take risks at the right time.
"I think when the left arm spinner came back on, I think there was only three overs left, I think that was a good opportunity to try and get the run rate down under six, and then try and do it in the next over without letting it get to the last over because all sorts of chaos could happen in the last."
Australia skipper Aaron Finch praised Maxwell for his decisive knock.
"That innings by Maxwell, that was pure class," Finch said. "Showed a lot of skill, lot of game smarts as well. Fantastic chase.
"We were always one wicket behind where we would have liked to have been. We were always two or three down, when we would have liked to have been able to build a partnership but that was an extraordinary innings from Maxwell."
Wallabies will get things right before Lions tour, promises Rugby Australia chief
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh is confident the Wallabies will be ready to compete with the British and Irish Lions next year, despite suffering the heaviest defeat in their Test history last time out.
Australia were crushed 67-27 by Argentina in the Rugby Championship last time out, their third defeat in four games in this year's tournament.
They were also dumped out of last year's Rugby World Cup in the pool stage following losses to Fiji and Wales, and they are down to ninth in the World Rugby Rankings.
The British and Irish Lions will face Australia in three Tests when they tour down under between June and August next year, with many fearing Joe Schmidt's team will be blown away.
Waugh, however, says there is plenty of time for the Wallabies to get things right before then, telling the Sydney Morning Herald: "You can see the progress is there.
"It is not nearly where we need it to be, but if we keep progressing at the speed with which we have moved things in the last six months, then there is plenty of time.
"It is a team that is, and I hate using the word 're-building', but it is a team that is re-setting, and it takes experience in big moments to get better.
"Obviously, the enormity of the scoreline in that second half was disappointing.
"But there is context that is important... we are not the most experienced team in world rugby, and we are building that experience."
Australia conclude their Rugby Championship campaign with two fixtures against New Zealand before the end of September, then face England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland in their Autumn International Tests in November.
de Kock spurs Royals to 10-run win (DLS) over Falcons in rain-affected match
The thirteenth match of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) proved unlucky for Antigua & Barbuda Falcons as Barbados Royals chalked up their third victory in a row with a 10-run win by DLS on a rain-affected evening in Bridgetown.
After being inserted the Falcons posted a competitive total of 176-5 largely thanks to a composed stand of 92 runs between Sam Billings and Justin Greaves, that was also a record for any wicket for the Falcons.
In response the Royals got off to a shaky start, Mohammad Amir stitched together a maiden in the first over of the Falcons bowling effort, a frustrated Rahkeem Cornwall then plinked his seventh delivery, his first from Chris Green, straight to Roshon Primus at mid-off. Primus celebrated the catch keenly but his fortunes would take a dramatic turn shortly afterwards.
With the Royals on 81-2 off eleven overs, needing 96 runs off the remaining 54 balls Primus served up an over that went for 23 runs and seemed to last an eternity. The over saw Primus lose his radar with four wides and three chest high full toss no balls accompanying a two fours, a six and the wicket of Quinton de Kock caught behind for 48 off 30 balls.
By the end of the over the Royals had motored to 104-3 with a crucial run rate injection. The players came and went from the field a couple of times as the rain clouds built over Bridgetown, a decisive and heavy downpour seeing the match eventually called and curtailed with seven overs to go. The Royals comfortably ahead on DLS to run out winners by 10 runs.
De Kock was named Player of the Match for another confident knock with the bat, the South African southpaw has racked up 154 runs in three innings at an average of 77 in this year’s competition so far – powering the Royals to second in the table on six points with Guyana Amazon Warriors ahead of them only by run rate.
Salt laments 'everything was good apart from the result'
England's stand-in captain Phil Salt took plenty of positives from Wednesday's defeat to Australia, claiming "everything was good bar the result".
Travis Head's superb knock of 59 from just 23 balls, which included plundering 30 from a single over, set Australia on their way.
England fought back with the ball, though, and were ultimately set a target of 180.
But big hitters Salt (20), Sam Curran (18) and Liam Livingstone (37) all went in quick succession as England failed to get going and lost by 28 runs.
"Everything was good apart from the result," said Salt, who was standing in for the absent Jos Buttler.
"They played well. Heady came out swinging in the powerplay and gave them a head start.
"We were a couple of wickets too far down. Heady's done that for a couple of years, it's about how do we shut that down?
"[But] good signs. They played well, we dragged it back, we should have chased it realistically. At times we could have taken partnerships deeper. But we've had a good look at them now."
Australia have won back-to-back T20Is against England for the first time since February 2018, as the hosts failed to win a third straight T20I at The Rose Bowl.
"It was a nice start. Nice to get under way," said Head.
"To set a platform like that with the hitters we had behind us, it was nice to do the job."
Australia captain Mitchell Marsh added: "We certainly looked on course for 200 but did our best to stuff it up, so it's nice to start the series with a win."
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