Sri Lanka in consolation win

Pakistan take Cool and Cool trophy:

Chandimal and Mendis match winners:

Elmo Rodrigopulle reporting from Abu Dhabi

Vice-Captain and right-hand batsman Dinesh Chandimal who has been in run drought for long, finally got back his natural run scoring ability when most needed and found an able partner in Ajantha Mendis to pilot Sri Lanka to a exciting two-wicket victory.

When everything seemed lost when the eighth wicket of Malinga fell at 195, the Pakistanis were celebrating victory. But they never bargained for a fighting stand of 40 in 25 deliveries between Chandimal and Mendis who held their nerves to shock the Pakistanis to give Sri Lanka a consolation victory at the Sheik Zayed Stadium on Friday night.

Chandimal played watchful cricket, batting with a lot of composure and kept his end while wickets were falling around him. His unbeaten 64 had a four and a six. This knock should raise his confidence.

Mendis the bowler turned batsman when needed and survived a dropped chance to hit a towering six and 2 fours in a 14 ball knock. Mendis was playing in his first game and he made a memorable one of it.

Dilshan and Kusal Perera in fine start

When the Lankans began their chase for that elusive victory, openers Tillekeratne Dilshan and Kushal Janith Perera gave them a rollicking start and the platform from which they can launch their victory bid with a stand of 75 in 74 balls.

Young Perera was simply amazing. He played some audacious pulls and lofted drives hitting 47 in 41 balls with 3 fours and 4 well timed sixes and when he looked like heaping further suffering on the Pakistani bowlers, he tried to reverse sweep Hafeez and went LBW.

With Perera well on top and having the bowlers at his mercy and

looking to mincemeat the attack, it was inexplicable his attempting this ungainly looking stroke. It was a gift wicket.

Then Sangakkara joined Dilshan and took the score to 113 with watchful batting when Dilshan attempting to pull Junaid Khan did not get enough meat on the shot and was taken by Saeed Ajmal at square leg for 45 in 69 balls with 4 fours.

Next out was Sangakkara after a very watchful and unlike Sangakkara innings.

He made 22 facing 48 deliveries and believe it or not with no boundaries. He moved off and trying to send Khan to and leg, missed had his leg stump sent cart wheeling.

Debutant here in the 4th game, right hander Ashan Priyanjana who made 74 scratched around and after making one tickled Umar Gul to Umar Akmal behind the stumps. Sri Lanka 137 for 4 and in trouble and Khan with 2 wickets threatening.

Mathews out early

With a lot of responsibility on his shoulders skipper Mathews walked in and if Sri Lanka were to win then it was paramount that that the captain plays a captain’s innings. But that was not to be. After making 8 he moved out to loft Anwar Ali got an inside edge and was held by wicket-keeper Akmal. The on field umpire ruled not out, but was given out on the referral.

Kithruwan Vithanage went for 14, Sachitra Senenayake for 3, Lasith

Malinga for no score.

With the five-match series already won by Pakistan, and with this game being of little significance, both teams made changes.

Pakistan slipped in fast bowler Anwar Ali for Bilawal Bhatti and Abdul Rehman came in for Shahid Afridi who flew home on Christmas Day to be with his sick daughter.

Sri Lanka who had to chalk up a consolation win to save face gave

mystery off spinner Ajantha Mendis a game and benched Nuwan

Kulasekera. Kulasekera has not been having it good on this tour.

Pakistan bats first

Pakistan won the toss and decided to shoot first on a wicket that had cracks on it, but was not going to make batting difficult. It was going to be on the slow side. There were runs to be made if the batsmen adopted the correct methods.

But when the game began to unfold the free scoring Pakistani openers Sharjeel Khan, Ahmed Shahzad were made to search for runs by some intelligent bowling by the Lankan new ball bowlers. It was good to see the spinners – Sachitra Senanayake, Ajantha Mendis and Tillekeratne Dilshan supporting the medium pacemen – Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga and Angelo Mathews.

Except for one drop catch that did not prove costly, the Lankan

fielders were watchful, cutting the twos in to ones and sliding to

save the important boundaries. There was the aggressiveness and the intensity that was missing in the earlier games.

One drop Mohammad Hafeez had been the tormentor and destroyer of the Lankans in three of the four games with three magnificent hundreds.

But in this game, he was never allowed to break free and after making 41 in 46 balls with 2 fours, Mathews got a ball to keep low and move in to rattle his stumps. That was the wicket that the Lankans badly needed if they were to make this consolation win a reality. Hafeez will always remember this series. It was one that forced the Pakistan selectors to pick him in the squad for the Three Test matches later on.

Captain Misbah-ul-Haq gallant 51

Other than for Captain Misbah ul Haq who made a gallant 51 in 74 balls with 2 fours and a six, only Anwar Ali 41 in 38 balls with 2 fours and a six impressed. Had it not been for this knock, the Pakistanis would not have gone over the 200-run mark. Of the Lankan bowlers, it was encouraging to note the return to form of old of paceman Lasith Malinga. After dropping a catch off Hafeez (26) in Sharjah off Seekuge Prasanna which helped Hafeez to a century and Pakistan to a series triumph, he bowled well here to take 4 for 57. Suranga Lakmal too bowled with great accuracy to return figures of 3 for 42.

Dilshan – Sangakkara brilliant catches

He was helped by Dilshan and Sangakkara who took two brilliant

catches. Those were catches off Shoaib Maqsood and Misbah which could be called match winning catches. It put the brakes on the Pakistan batting.

On a wicket that was certainly not easy to bat on, Pakistan finally made 232 in 49.3 overs, setting Sri Lanka to make 233 for a victory and a victory, if achieved, could save face for them after gifting the series.

Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, Friday.

SCOREBOARD
PAKISTAN
Sharjeel Khan c and b Malinga 	 		18
A Shehzad c Priyanjan b Lakmal	 		17
Mohammad Hafeez b Mathews	 		41
Sohaib Maqsood c Dilshan b Malinga	  	07
Misbah-ul-Haq c Sangakkara b Malinga	 	51
Umar Akmal c Dilshan b Mendis	 		20
Anwer Ali not out	 			41
Abdul Rehman lbw b Malinga	  		01
Umar Gul run out	  			08
Saeed Ajmal lbw b Lakmal	  		08
Junaid Khan lbw b Lakmal	  		00
Extras (lb 10, w10)	 			20
Total (all out 49.3 overs)		       232

Fall of wickets 1-30 (Shehzad, 2-54,(Sharjeel), 3-70 (Maqsood)
		4-128 (Hafeez), 5-169 (Misbah), 6-173 (Akmal)
		7-176 (Rehman), 8-194 (Gul), 9-232 (Ajmal)
		10-232 (Junaid)
Bowling: Mathews 10-1-26-1 (1w)
	 Lakmal 7.3-0-42-3
	 Senanayake 10-1-44-0 (3w)
	 Malinga 10-0-57-4 (2w)
	 Mendis 10-1-42-1 (3w)
	 Dilshan 2-0-11-0 (1w)

SRI LANKA
K. Perera lbw b Hafeez	 			47
T. Dilshan a Ajmal b Junaid	 		45
K. Sangakkara b Junaid	 			22
D. Chandimal not out	 			64	
A. Priyanjan c Akmal b Gul	  		01
A. Mathews c Akmal b Ali	  		08
K. Vithanage b Ajmal	 			14
S. Senanayake c Hafeez b Junaid	  		03
I. Malinga b Ajmal	  			00
A. Mendis not out	 			19
Extras (lb7, w5)	 			12
Total (for eight wkts: 49.4 overs)	       235

Fall of wickets: 1-75 (Perera), 2-113 (Dilshan), 3-129 (Sangakkara)
		 4-137 (Priyanjan), 5-166 (Mathews), 6-189 (Vithanage)
		 7-194 (Senanayake), 8-195 (Malinga)
Bowing: Gul 7.5-0-44-1 (1w)
	Ali 5.4-0-36-1 (1w)
	Hafeez 9-0-36-1 (2w)
	Junaid 7.1-0-31-3
	Ajmal 10-0-43-2
	Rehman 10-0-38-0 (1w)