DUBAI  - David Warner smashed his first half-century in the ongoing T20 World Cup as Australia defeated Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the Super 12 match of Group 1 on Thursday. 

Warner hit 65 off 42 balls while skipper Aaron Finch and Steve Smith scored 37 and 28 runs respectively as Australia got home. Warner was going through a lean patch but the batter made sure he smashed his fifty right when Australia needed him the most. 

Chasing 155, Finch and Warner put on the biggest powerplay score (63) of the ongoing T20 World Cup as Australia got off to a flying start. 

Wanindu Hasaranga gave Sri Lanka a much-needed breakthrough as he dismissed Finch in the seventh over. Minutes later, Glenn Maxwell also departed leaving Australia at 80/2. 

Warner scored his fifty and took Australia near to the win but perished in the 15th over. In the end, Marcus Stoinis and Smith steered the side to a seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka 

Earlier put into bat first, Sri Lanka scored 154/6 in the 20 overs. It was a quick start for Sri Lanka. Pat Cummins had managed to get rid of Pathum Nissanka early but Charith Asalanka made sure that it hardly mattered, looking in great touch again as Sri Lanka finished the powerplay at 53/1. But the game changed when Adam Zampa came on to bowl in the 8th over, the legspinner finishing with 2 for 12. He first had Asalanka caught in the deep off a googly and then had Avishka Fernando departing to a poor shot. 

With Zampa holding one end, it helped further that Mitchell Starc had found his rhythm at the other end, bowling yorkers at will and getting Kusal Perera with the best of the lot. Hasaranga then chased at an away-going delivery and edged behind, as Sri Lanka went from 78/1 to 94/5 in 2.4 overs. That collapse hurt Sri Lanka and despite Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s 26-ball 33* towards the end, Sri Lanka managed a below-par 154 on the board. 

BRIEF SCORES 

AUSTRALIA 155/3 (Warner 65, Aaron Finch 37; Hasaranga 2-22) beat SRI LANKA 154/6 (Kusal Perera 35, Asalanka 35; Zampa 2-12) by 7 wickets.