Pallekele (Sri Lanka), Aug 7 (IANS): Australia's Twenty20 captain Cameron White was frustrated at his team's 35-run loss in the Twenty20 match against Sri Lanka here Saturday night.

Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan hit a magnificent 57-ball 104 not out as the hosts made 198 for three in their 20 overs, a total that proved unassailable for the Australians.

"Clearly didn't play as we would have hoped," White said. "Full credit to Sri Lanka, and Dilshan who played a wonderful innings. If anyone scores a hundred off 57 balls, it will be hard work to win the game from there. But look, there were some disappointing aspects of the game from our end as well."

White defended his decision to stick with the pacemen Shane Watson (1-41), Johnson (1-47) and Brett Lee (1-38), who all received some treatment while John Hastings went for 0-34 off his three overs. But spinners Stephen O'Keefe and Steven Smith failed to bowl their full allotment of four overs each despite being economical.

Asked why neither spinner bowled four overs, White said: "There's no reason. It's just my gut feel at the time."

"Shane Watson's first two overs only went for 12, John Hastings' first over only went for five. We were well in the game for the first 13 overs ... high 80s or 90s with two wickets down and get a wicket there and the game changes. As we've seen, Dilshan took the game away from us."