Sri Lanka maul Pakistan in series decider
Muralitharan takes 500th wicket:
LAHORE, Pakistan, Jan 24, 2009 (AFP) - A hundred from Tillakaratne
Dilshan followed by devastating spells from Sri Lanka’s bowlers handed
Pakistan their heaviest one-day defeat in the third and final clash here
on Saturday.
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Sri Lankan cricketer Tillakaratne Dilshan raises his bat and
helmet as he celebrates scoring a century against Pakistan
during the third and final One-Day International match between
Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium in Lahore
on January 24, 2009. AFP Photo |
Dilshan’s career-best 137 anchored his team’s impressive 309-5 in
their 50 overs before Nuwan Kulasekara (3-17) and Thilan Thushara (3-33)
bundled Pakistan out for just 75 in 22.5 overs, giving the tourists a
massive 234-run win.
The total is Pakistan’s lowest in a one-day match at home and is
their heaviest one-day defeat in terms of runs. The victory means Sri
Lanka win the three-match series 2-1.
Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan took 2-2 to pass 500 one-day
wickets. Pakistan’s Wasim Akram (502 wickets) is the only other bowler
to reach the mark.
In an untidy fielding display, the home team dropped three catches
and spurned a stumping chance. When it was their turn to bat, captain
Shoaib Malik surprisingly promoted out-of-form Younus Khan to open the
innings.
Pakistan were never in hunt as Thushara trapped Younus (four) off the
last ball of the second over.
Butt was the next to go for nought, caught by Thilina Kandamby off
Kulasekara before Thushara trapped Kamran Akmal in front and Kulasekara
dismissed opener Khurram Manzoor (three), caught brilliantly by Farveez
Maharoof at square-leg.
Misbah-ul-Haq’s dismissal, caught behind without scoring off Thushara,
left Pakistan in desperate trouble at 18 for five.
Four runs later Kulasekara bowled Shahid Afridi for nought.
Malik (19) and top-scorer Umar Gul (27) added 46 for the seventh
wicket but it only delayed the inevitable.
Pakistan’s previous heaviest defeat in terms of runs was by 224 runs
against Australia at Nairobi in 2002.
Earlier, 32-year-old Dilshan batted throughout the Sri Lankan innings
after the visitors won the toss and batted on a docile Gaddafi Stadium
pitch.
Dilshan hit 10 boundaries during his 139-ball knock and set the tempo
with a 76-run first-wicket stand with Sanath Jayasuriya (45).
Jayasuriya was caught off a miscued pull off Gul, who finished with 3
wickets for 45 runs.
Dilshan consolidated the innings in a second-wicket stand of 104 with
Kumar Sangakkara (50) and put on 57 for the third wicket with Kandamby
(32) as Pakistan toiled for wickets.
His previous best of 117 not out came against The Netherlands in
2006. He cut loose after his hundred as Sri Lanka added 83 runs in the
final ten overs.
SRI LANKA
T. Dilshan not out 137
S. Jayasuriya c Ajmal b Gul 45
K. Sangakkara run out 50
T. Kandamby c Manzoor b Sohail 32
M. Jayawardene c Akmal b Gul 18
C. Kapugedera c Akmal b Gul 0
M. Maharoof not out 8
Extras (lb5, nb1, w13) 19
TOTAL (for five wkts) 309
Fall of wickets: 1-76 (Jayasuriya), 2-180 (Sangakkara),
3-237 (Kandamby), 4-284 (Jayawardene), 5-284 (Kapugedera)
BOWLING: Gul 9-2-45-3 ,
Sohail 10-1-52-1,
Iftikhar 5-0-53-0 (1nb, 5w),
Ajmal 9-0-51-0 (1w),
Afridi 10-0-60-0 (2w),
Malik 7-0-43-0 (5w)
OVERS: 50
PAKISTAN
K. Manzoor c Maharoof b Kulasekara 3
Younus Khan lbw b Thushara 4
Salman Butt lbw b Kulasekara 0
Kamran Akmal lbw b Thushara 9
Shoaib Malik c Jayawardene b Maharoof 19
Misbah-ul-Haq c Sangakkara b Thushara 0
Shahid Afridi b Kulasekara 0
Umar Gul lbw b Mendis 27
Rao Iftikhar lbw b Muralitharan 0
Sohail Khan b Muralitharan 4
Saeed Ajmal not out 2
Extras (lb1, w6) 7
TOTAL 75
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-4 (Younus), 2-5 (Butt), 3-17 (Akmal),
4-17 (Manzoor), 5-18 (Haq), 6-22 (Afridi), 7-68 (Gul),
8-68 (Malik), 9-72 (Iftikhar)
BOWLING: Kulasekara 7-2-17-3 (3w),
Thushara 7-1-33-3 (2w),
Mendis 3-0-10-1 (1w),
Maharoof 4-1-12-1,
Muralitharan 1.5-0-2-2
OVERS: 22.5
RESULT: Sri Lanka won by 234 runs to win three-match series 2-1 |
