Australia have been knocked out of the Twenty20 World Cup after they lost by six wickets to Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge yesterday.

Tillakaratne Dilshan scored a superb 53 from 32 balls and captain Kumar Sangakkara was unbeaten on 55, while Ajantha Mendis and Lasith Malinga both took three wickets as Sri Lanka booked their place in the Super 8 phase of the tournament.

"I can't tell you how disappointed I am that we're not through," Australian captain Ricky Ponting said. "And I can't understand why when everything was going well. I think that's five international Twenty20 games we've lost in a row, but I couldn't have been happier with what we did coming into the tournament."

Chasing a modest target of 160, Sri Lanka needed just one run from the final over - which they got when Mitchell Johnson bowled a wide.

Bowling stifled

Earlier, Sri Lanka's athletic fielding and miserly bowling stifled Australia's batsmen, whose innings got off to a wretched start when David Warner was caught by Dilshan off Angelo Matthews for 0 with just one run on the board. Ponting joined Shane Watson and the duo put on 47 but that turned out to be the largest partnership of the innings.

"It was just a case of sticking to the basics and sticking to the game plan," Sangakkara said. "I had a good partnership with Chamara Singh and that, and Mubarak's knock changed the game for us.

"I think it's just great to beat a side like Australia. You need to have 15 members of your squad and the management believing you can win, then it's just a case of doing your jobs and executing your game plan."

Modest total

Meanwhile, Ireland beat Bangladesh by six wickets in the day's early match to also advance to the Super 8 stage.

Niall O'Brien hit 40 and his brother Kevin O'Brien made 39 not out as Ireland overhauled Bangladesh's modest total of 137-8 with 10 balls to spare at Trent Bridge.

Ireland opening bowler Trent Johnston had earlier taken 3-20 from four overs. Mashrafe Mortaza, who smashed 20 runs off the final over, with 33 not out and Tamim Iqbal with 22 led the scoring for Bangladesh.

Niall O'Brien hit three sixes and shared in a 55-run stand with Will Porterfield (23), while Kevin O'Brien cracked two sixes and four boundaries in 17 balls as he and John Mooney (17 not out) added 49 to steer Ireland home.

Ireland play India at Trent Bridge tomorrow in a meaningless Group A match as both teams have now advanced.