Marcus Stoinis blasted 61 not out off 27 balls as Australia steamrollered Pakistan by seven wickets in the third T20 International to complete a 3-0 series sweep on Monday. Stoinis smacked five sixes and as many fours in his blistering knock as Australia chased down the 118-run victory target with 8.4 overs to spare at the Bellerive Oval, Hobart.
Electing to bat, were cruising at 61-1 in the seventh over before wheels came off their innings and they were bundled out for 117 in 18.1 overs. Adam Zampa dismissed Haseebullah Khan (24) in the seventh over to trigger a collapse and Pakistan could add 56 runs before losing their remaining nine wickets.
Zampa also claimed the crucial wicket of (41), who stepped out against the leg-spinner and would have been stumped if he was not bowled by a delivery that sneaked through his gate. For Australia, Aaron Hardie claimed 3-21, while Spencer Johnson grabbed two wickets and also ran out Irfan Khan with a direct throw from midwicket. Australia lost both their openers, Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk, inside four overs but Stoinis counter-attacked in spectacular fashion dashing Pakistan's hopes of any collapse.
Stoinis plundered 22 runs, which included two sixes and two fours, off a Haris Rauf over to effectively kill off the contest. Player-of-the-match Stoinis raced to a 23-ball half-century reaching the 50-mark with a monster six off Shaheen Afridi. Pakistan won the preceding one-day series 2-1.
Agencies.