Mendis guides Sri Lanka to Twenty20 series win

PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka (AP):

Spinner Ajantha Mendis became the first bowler to take six wickets in a Twenty20 international yesterday to lead Sri Lanka to a sensational win against Australia in the second match and win the two-match series 2-0.

Mendis had a spell of six for 16 to help Sri Lanka earn an eight-run win.

Batting first, Sri Lanka scored 157-9 in 20 overs with Mahela Jayawardene hitting a crafty 86 at Pallekele International Stadium. In reply, Australia managed just 149-9 in 20 overs.

Australia appeared to be coasting, having scored 71 runs by the sixth over, with Shane Watson hitting five sixes and six boundaries for 57 runs off just 24 balls, but Mendis pulled the hosts back into the game with three quick wickets.

Mendis, who was dropped for this year's tour of England, said he worked hard to win his place back. He said he tried to bowl line and length and do the variations right.

"This is the result of that effort,'' he said.

Australia's captain, Cameron White, was disappointed that the team let a likely win slip away.

"It's a shame that we got off to a flyer and let it off,'' said White.

Spectacular dismissal

Watson top-edged a ball for a high catch to Thisara Perera and David Warner (16) was dismissed in spectacular fashion when Angelo Mathews threw back a ball into the field to stop himself from going over the line with the ball and conceding six runs . But Jayawardene was quick to catch the ball that deflected off Mathews' hands.

Shaun Marsh was out for a duck, stumped by Kumar Sangakkara off Mendis. Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath bowled David Hussey to leave the visitors 75-4.

White resisted with 39 runs only to see his partners deserting him at crucial moments.

Mendis also bagged the wickets of Steven Smith (12), Brad Haddin (0) and Mitchell Johnson (7) to record the best bowling figures ever in the shortest form of cricket - surpassing Pakistan seamer Umar Gul's five wickets for six runs recorded against New Zealand in 2009.

Earlier Jayawardene hit a six and 12 boundaries during a 64-ball innings to propel the hosts to a competitive score. It was his sixth Twenty20 half-century.

Australian seamers John Hastings and Brett Lee took three wickets apiece.