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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Pakistan beat spirited Sri Lanka to take 1-0 lead in T20s

COLOMBO: Pakistan restricted a resilient-looking Sri Lankan batting line-up to 146-7 after setting a 176 runs target to win the first of two Twenty20s of the tour, taking a 1-0 lead here at the Premadasa international cricket stadium Thursday.

Pakistani pacers lead the charge to beat the top-ranked and reigning T20 champions with Sohail Tanvir taking three wickets for 29 and

By GEO ENGLISH
July 30, 2015
COLOMBO: Pakistan restricted a resilient-looking Sri Lankan batting line-up to 146-7 after setting a 176 runs target to win the first of two Twenty20s of the tour, taking a 1-0 lead here at the Premadasa international cricket stadium Thursday.

Pakistani pacers lead the charge to beat the top-ranked and reigning T20 champions with Sohail Tanvir taking three wickets for 29 and Anwar Ali 2 for 27. Spinners Imad Wasim and Shoaib Malik shared one wicket each.

Tanvir was given the "man of the match" award for his bowling performance in his come-back game for Pakistan. He thanked the team management, coaches and captain Afridi for their confidence on him.

"I stuck to the task by bowling in the right areas and took wickets when it was most needed," he said at the award ceremony. "I've proven my selection right," he added.

Afridi, the winning skipper, linked the victory to teamwork and effort put in by all players. He also thanked the crowd to cheer his team up.

Earlier, Ahmed Shehzad, Shoaib Malik and Umar Akmal scored 46 runs each to help Pakistan reach 175 for 5, a score captain Shahid Afridi desired at the toss.

Afridi opted to bat first after winning the toss and hoped to set a 170 to 175 runs target for the Islanders.

In a surprise move, inform wicket keeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed was once again dropped from the side despite his brilliant batting and wicket keeping form in the recently concluded ODIs and Test series.

He was replaced with Umar Akmal, who hit three boundaries and as many sixes during an entertaining fourth wicket stand of 81 from just 45 deliveries with Shoaib Malik, who remained unbeaten on a 31-ball 46.

Ahmed Shehzad was the other notable contributor with 46 off 38 balls, but Sri Lanka lost the way when Pakistan plundered 70 runs in the final six overs to set up the challenging target.

Pakistan lost opener Mukhtar Ahmed in the second over, but Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez revived the innings with a 42-run partnership for the second wicket.

Debutant left-arm seamer Binura Fernando conceded 17 runs in the 16th over which included two consecutive sixes by Akmal.

Sri Lanka’s captain Lasith Malinga was the most expensive bowler, giving away 46 runs in his four overs.

The hosts were dealt early blows as Kusal Perera fell off the third ball of the innings and Tillakaratne Dilshan was dismissed in the next over to make it 13-2.

Debutant Dhananjaya de Silva looked promising during his knock of 31 and another youngster Milinda Siriwardana made 35, before Chamara Kapugedera justified his recall with three sixes in his unbeaten 31 off 16 balls.

The second match will be played at the same venue on Saturday with Pakistan looking to complete a triple on the current tour, having earlier clinched the Tests 2-1 and the one-dayers 3-2–AFP/Geo News