Sri Lanka win, take 1-0 lead
Seamers Thilan Thushara and Nuwan Kulasekera ripped through
Pakistan’s top order as Sri Lanka won the first one-day international by
36 runs here on Thursday.
Left-armer Thushara finished with 3-29 and Kulasekera took 2-30 as
Pakistan struggled against Sri Lanka’s 232-9 and were bowled out for 196
in 44.4 overs at the Rangiri International Stadium.
The tourists, beaten 2-0 in the preceding Test series, slipped to
134-8 before tailenders Umar Gul and Mohammad Aamer boosted the total
with a rollicking ninth-wicket stand of 62 runs.
Gul top-scored for Pakistan with 33 off 21 balls, including four
boundaries in one over from fast bowler Lasith Malinga. Teenager Aamer
made 23.
The pair took the total to 196-8 when both batsmen fell in the space
of two deliveries to hand Sri Lanka the lead in the five-match series.
Aamer was run out by a direct throw from Mahela Jayawardene, before
Gul was bowled by Malinga next ball.
Earlier, Sri Lanka recovered from their own top order failure to post
a competitive 232-9.
The hosts had collapsed to 131-6 by the 34th over after Pakistan
captain Younus Khan won the toss and elected to field in overcast
conditions.
All-rounder Angelo Mathews (43) led the late revival, with the last
four Sri Lankan wickets adding 101 valuable runs before the 50 overs ran
out.
Star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who missed the preceding Test
series with a knee injury, marked his return with an aggressive 32 off
15 balls that included four boundaries and a six.
Sri Lanka were unable to build partnerships against the accurate
Pakistani attack, which revelled on the slow wicket.
Veteran Sanath Jayasuriya failed to take advantage of two dropped
catches and fell for 15, while opening partner Upul Tharanga struggled
to make 17.
Skipper Kumar Sangakkara hit 36 and Jayawardene scored 33 in his
300th one-day international, but none of the other top order batsmen
settled in. The duo put on 48 for the third wicket before Sri Lanka lost
four wickets for 38 runs to slip from a promising 93-2 in the 22nd over.
Pakistan surprisingly left out 19-year-old batsman Umar Akmal despite
his unbeaten century in a practice match on Monday.
Sri Lanka were bolstered by the return of Muralitharan, the world’s
leading wicket-taker in both Test and one-day cricket, and fast bowler
Lasith Malinga.
The second match will be played at the same venue on Saturday.
DAMBULLA, AFP
SRI LANKA
U. Tharanga c Akmal b Razzaq 17
S. Jayasuriya c Aamer b Gul 15
K. Sangakkara c Afridi b Ajmal 36
M. Jayawardene run out 33
C. Kapugedera c Akmal b Afridi 8
T. Samaraweera c Younus b Razzaq 10
A. Mathews c and b Aamer 43
N. Kulasekera c Razzaq b Aamer 16
M. Muralitharan b Aamer 32
T. Thushara not out 8
L. Malinga not out 4
EXTRAS: (b1, lb4, w4, nb1) 10
TOTAL (for 9 wkts) 232
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-31 (Jayasuriya), 2-45 (Tharanga), 3-93 (Sangakkara), 4-105 (Kapugedera),
5-125 (Samaraweera), 6-131 (Jayawardene), 7-173 (Kulasekera), 8-204 (Mathews), 9-223 (Muralitharan).
BOWLING: Aamer 10-0-45-3 (w1, nb1), Razzaq 10-0-33-2 (w1), Gul 8-0-46-1 (w1),
Ajmal 10-0-40-1, Younus 2-0-13-0 (w1), Afridi 10-1-50-1
PAKISTAN
KAMRAN AKMAL b Thushara 20
Shoaib Malik b Kulasekera 9
Shahid Afridi c Sangakkara b Thushara 27
Mohammad Yousuf c Sangakkara b Kulasekera 4
Younus Khan c Mathews b Thushara 12
Misbah-ul Haq c and b Muralitharan 9
Fawad Alam c Sangakkara b Jayasuriya 31
Abdul Razzaq lbw b Muralitharan 17
Umar Gul b Malinga 33
Mohammad Aamer run out 23
Saeed Ajmal not out 0
EXTRAS: (lb5, w5, nb1) 11
TOTAL (all out, 44.4 overs) 196
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-29 (Malik), 2-41 (Akmal), 3-48 (Yousuf), 4-73 (Afridi),
5-78 (Younus), 6-95 (Misbah), 7-134 (Alam), 8-134 (Razzaq), 9-196 (Aamer), 10-196 (Gul).
BOWLING: Kulasekera 7-1-30-2, Malinga 8.4-0-50-1 (w2, nb1), Thushara 8-0-29-3 (w2),
Muralitharan 10-0-46-2, Mathews 5-0-22-0 (w1), Jayasuriya 6-0-14-1 |
