Australia followed up a rescue act from Cameron White with a polished performance in the field during a thumping 81-run victory over Sri Lanka in the World Twenty20 on Sunday.
Chasing 169 for victory, Sri Lanka were dismissed for 87 as Australia won with more than three overs to spare at the Kensington Oval.
But Australia themselves collapsed to 30 for four and 67 for five before White, who made an unbeaten 85, and Michael Hussey (39 not out) shared an unbroken stand of 101 that took Australia to 168 for five.
Sri Lanka opener Mahela Jayawardene’s previous scores this tournament were 81, 101 and 98 not out.
But the dismissal of the tournament’s leading run scorer by Dirk Nannes, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, for just nine sparked a dramatic collapse.
Tillakaratne Dilshan (20) and Dinesh Chandimal (19) were the only Sri Lankan batsmen to make double figure scores.
Mitchell Johnson, like Nannes a left-arm fast bowler, who ended the match by bowling Ajantha Mendis for one, was the most successful Australian bowler with three wickets for 15 runs from 3.2 overs.
"We are doing well, so far so good," said Australia captain Michael Clarke.
"There’s obviously still a little way to go in the tournament, but I think we will take a lot of confidence out of this victory.
"Our lower-order batting was outstanding, and our bowling was good once again."
Victory put Australia at the top of Group-F with a maximum four points, following their 49-run win over India in their first Super Eight match.
Australia face West Indies in the final Super Eights match in St Lucia on Tuesday.
White struck six sixes and six fours in 49 balls, as Australia, electing to bat, recovered from a wobbly start.
They were in trouble because of a return of three for 20 from Sri Lanka spinner Suraj Randiv, only playing because Muttiah Muralitharan had been ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a groin injury
But Australia put Sri Lanka, last year’s losing finalists, under early pressure with the bat when Nannes had Jayawardene caught at deep fine leg for nine in the third over.
Sri Lanka then saw their captain, Kumar Sangakkara, top-edge a hook to be caught behind off Shaun Tait for two in the fourth over.
Next over, Nannes had Sanath Jayasuriya plumb lbw for five to leave Sri Lanka 26 for three.
Johnson then plunged the Sri Lankans into further crisis, when he removed Dilshan and Mathews within the space of five balls in the seventh over.
Johnson had Dilshan spectacularly caught by a diving White at backward point and Mathews was caught at deep cover for eight.
The Sri Lankan innings was in tatters at 48 for five, and there was token resistance only from the remaining batsmen as Nannes, with two for 19 from three overs took his haul of wickets in the competition to 12.
"The way we batted was terrible," said Sangakkara. "We did not get the start we needed, and then showed little patience in building partnerships."
Earlier, Mathews gave Sri Lanka an early breakthrough, when he bowled Shane Watson off the inside edge for one in the first over.
The Sri Lanka fast-medium bowler then had Brad Haddin caught at deep midwicket for 15 in the third over.
Randiv dealt Australia a double blow off successive balls in the fifth over, when David Warner was caught at slip for nine, and David Hussey was stumped for a first-ball duck.
And when Randiv bowled Clarke, Australia were five down in the 11th over.
However, White and Michael Hussey restored order for Australia.
Man-of-the-match White reached his 50 from 32 balls, when he clipped Mendis to square leg for a single in the 15th over.
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