|
Pakistan - a clean sweep over Sri Lanka:
Final clinical performance - a win in Twenty20 game
by Shahid HASHMI
CRICKET: ABU DHABI, Nov 26 (AFP) - Pakistan put up another clinical
performance to win the only Twenty20 by five wickets against Sri Lanka
at Abu Dhabi stadium on Friday, blanking their rivals in all three forms
of the game.
|
Sri Lanka’s cricket captain Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul
Tharanga run between the wickets during the Twenty20 match
between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket
Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday. Dilshan made 28 and Tharanga
12 and they put on 30 for the first wicket. AFP |
Paceman Aizaz Cheema took 4-30 to bowl Sri Lanka out for 141 in 19.3
overs before skipper Misbah-ul Haq kept his nerves with a fighting
unbeaten 48 to help his team chase down the target with three balls to
spare.
The victory capped a remarkable performance by Pakistan who won the
preceding three-Test series 1-0 and the five-match one-day series 4-1.
Misbah, who hit three boundaries and a six off 38 balls, added 46 for
the fourth wicket with Asad Shafiq (33) after Pakistan lost their way in
persuit of the target.
They lost Mohammad Hafeez (13), Imran Farhat (13) and Umar Akmal for
a first ball duck.
Shafiq hit three boundaries during his run-a-ball knock before he was
bowled by Lasith Malinga.
Misbah hit Dilruwan Perera for a huge six and when 43 needed off the
last four overs, the Pakistani captain hit three boundaries in Dilhara
Fernando’s 17th over of the innings.
When Pakistan needed 23 off the last two overs Afridi hit Fernando
for two sixes over deep mid-wicket before the paceman had him caught
behind.
Afridi’s sixes turned tables
Pakistan needed nine off the last over bowled by Malinga whose first
ball saw two taken by Misbah but the ensuing throw went for four before
Shoaib Malik knocked off the winning runs.
Misbah said Afridi’s sixes turned the tables on Sri Lanka.
|
Pakistan’s wicket-keeper Umar Akmal (R) successfully runs
out Sri Lanka’s cricketer Angelo Mathews (L) for 14 during
the Twenty20 match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday. AFP
|
“At one point of time it became difficult, but Afridi’s two sixes in
the 19th over turned the tables in our favour and it’s remarkable to win
all three forms of the game against a top ranked team,” said Misbah.
Sri Lankan skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan rued the loss of quick
wickets after a good start.
“We couldn’t capitalise on a good start but still we had Pakistan in
trouble before Afridi hit two sixes,” said Dilshan, who has lost three
Test and as many one-day series since taking over in May this year.
Cheema 4/30 had Lankans cornered
Earlier Cheema took 4-30 in a superb display of swing bowling to
derail Sri Lanka who had looked set to put up a big total on the back of
maiden Twenty20 half-century by Dinesh Chandimal.
Chandimal had looked threatening during his 44-ball 56, hitting six
boundaries and added a firey 31 for the second wicket with Dilshan (28)
before Cheema came into his own. Sri Lanka were off to a flying start of
30 by the third over before losing opener Upul Tharanga, bowled by
Cheema for 12.
Dilshan miscued a drive off spinner Saeed Ajmal in the sixth over but
Sri Lanka still had a ten run average by the sixth over.
Pakistani bowlers led by Cheema, playing only his second Tewnty20
match, checked Sri Lankan innings as they lost their last seven wickets
for 54 runs.
Chandimal - maiden half-century
Chandimal brought up his maiden half-century in the shortest form of
the game off 40 balls before Cheema had him in the 19th over of the
innings, trapped leg-before.
Cheema also had Thissara Perera (nought) and Malinga (one) to finish
his four-over spell.
Sri Lanka’s poor batting was not helped by two run outs of Angelo
Mathews (14) and Chamara Silva (four).
Umar Gul polishes 'tail' with 2-16.
Pakistan flew off to Dhaka on Saturday to play a Twenty20, three
one-day internationals and two Tests. The Twenty20 will be played in
Dhaka on Tuesday.
SCORE BOARD
SRI LANKA
U. Tharanga b Cheema 12
T. Dilshan c Misbah b Ajmal 28
D. Chandimal lbw b Cheema 56
K. Sangakkara c and b Hafeez 09
A. Mathews run out 14
C. Silva run out 04
T. Perera c Akmal b Cheema 00
L. Malinga b Cheema 01
D. Perera c Misbah b Gul 01
A. Mendis not out 00
D. Fernando b Gul 00
Extras (b1, lb2, w13) 16
Total (19.3 overs) 141
Fall of wickets: 1-30 (Tharanga), 2-61 (Dilshan)
3-87 (Sangakkara), 4-119 (Mathews)
5-133 (Silva), 6-138 (Chandimal)
7-139 (Perera), 8-140 (Malinga)
9-141 (D. Perera)
Bowling: Gul 2.3-0-16-2 (w4)
Tanvir 2-0-29-0 (w8)
Cheema 4-0-30-4
Ajmal 4-0-22-1
Afridi 4-0-21-0 (w1)
Hafeez 3-0-20-1
PAKISTAN
Mohammad Hafeez lbw b T. Perera 13
Imran Farhat c T. Perera b Mendis 19
Asad Shafiq b Malinga 33
Umar Akmal b Dilshan 00
Misbah-ul Haq not out 48
Shahid Afridi c Sangakkara b Fernando 22
Shoaib Malik not out 02
Extras (w5, 19.3 overs) 05
Total: (for five wkts) 142
Fall of wickets: 1-31 (Hafeez), 2-36 (Farhat)
3-44 (Akmal), 4-90 (Shafiq), 5-133 (Afridi)
Bowling: Malinga 3.3-0-32-1 (w1)
T. Perera 4-0-26-1 (w2)
Fernando 4-0-36-1
Mendis 3-0-20-1 (w2)
Dilshan 2-0-8-1
D. Perera 3-0-20-0
Umpires: Zameer Haider (PAK) and Ahsan Raza (PAK)
TV umpire: Shozaib Raza (PAK)
Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM) |
