Magnificent Mathews brings Sri Lanka victory
Sri Lanka win ODI series 3-1 :
Elmo Rodrigopulle Reporting
A magnificent unbeaten knock of 80 with four fours and two sixes by
Vice Captain and player of the match, Angelo Mathews helped Sri Lanka
beat Pakistan by two wickets with two balls to spare and take the ODI
series 3-1 under lights at the R.Premadasa Stadium, yesterday.
It was great thinking by skipper Mahela Jayawardena to drop Sanjeewa
Weerakoon and play all rounder Jeevan Mendis. He did so to strengthen
the batting if Sr Lanka had to chase.
Mendis obliged in style and justified his inclusion with 19 and a
stand of 37 with Mathews for the 8th wicket which put Sri Lanka on the
road to victory. Then Mathews and Nuwan Kulesekera 10 put on 36 for the
9th wicket to secure an exciting victory.
When Sri Lanka chased a target of 248 for victory, it was paramount
that the three big batting guns Tillekeratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara
and Mahela Jayawardena fire to get there.
The first gun was silenced when Sohail Tanvir bowling good pace
knocked back Tillekeratne Dilshan’s leg stump with a stunning Yorker for
10 at 18 and then the bowler sent Upul Thranga’s off stump cart wheeling
for 2 at 19. It was not the start the Lankans were looking for.
The second gun Kumar Sangakkara fired, but not sufficiently for 40
with 3 fours in 68 balls and at 97 was stumped off Afridi and then the
gun that could have destroyed the opposition Mahela Jayawardena was
silenced.
Next ball Afridi caught and bowled him with a slow ball for no score
at the same score 97. Dinesh Chandimal played a plucky innings making 54
with 4 fours in 74 balls.
The early morning showers had not affected the ground nor the wicket
and when Captains Mahela Jayawardena and Misba Ul-Haq walked out to spin
the coin the sun was shining.
Misbah was lucky with the toss this time and elected to bat. Pakistan
made two changes shedding Younis Khan and Saeed Ajmal and bringing in
Imran farahat and Mohammed Sami. Sri Lanka tinkered with the winning
team.
They dropped left arm spinner Sajeewa Weerakoon who made his debut in
the previous game and tossed in leg spinning all rounder Jeevan Mendis
adding muscle to the batting if they were to chase. Pity when one
considers the dropping of Weerakoon. However he must be thankful for
small mercies.
The dropping of Khan whose form has been wretched did not come as a
surprise. Off spinner Ajmal has won many matches for the Pakistanis and
his dropping was inexplicable.
The wicket which was covered played easy and Mohammed Hafeez and
Imran Farhat gave them a fair start putting on 22, before Hafeez who has
not been having a good series was bowled through the gate by a
Kulesekera inswinger for 6.
But it was left hander Farhat who provided the sparks that was
missing in the Pakistani batting. He raced to his 12th fifty in ODI
cricket in 56 balls hitting 9 well timed boundaries. His square driving
was exquisite.
When Farhat and Azhar Ali had put on 60 in 73 balls and seemed to be
going strong, it was that man Thisara ‘Midas’ Perera again.
Everything he touches seems to be turning to gold these days.
It was he broke the threatening stand when he induced Farhat to pull
a short ball to Dinesh Chandimal who took a well judged catch at mid
wicket. He made 56 in 63 balls.
Pakistan lost Azhar Ali for 30 in 49 balls, Asad Shafiq for 38 in 46
balls when Misbah and Umar Akmal hurried the scoring putting on 61 runs
in as many balls, before Misbah trying to hoist Mendis out of the ground
found Perera taking the catch at mid wicket. Misbah made 32 in 48 balls.
Sahid Afridi who is hopelessly out of form went for 9 and Sohail
Tanvir made 11. But the best batting of the innings came from right
hander Umar Akmal who found form at last. He was in a belligerent mood
and raced to his 15th ODI 50 in 49 balls with 5 fours and two massive
sixes off Thisara Perera. He remained unbeaten on 55 when the innings
ended at 247 for 7 in 50. It was a competitive score.
Of the Sri Lankan bowlers Nuwan Kulesekera had 2 for 53 and Jeevan
Mendis 2 for 30. The Sri Lankan fielding was excellent, especially on
the ground although one catch was dropped by Upul Tharanga.
Pakistan
Imran Farhat c Chandimal b Perera 56
Mohammad Hafeez b Kulasekara 6
Azhar Ali c Thirimanne b Mendis 30
Asad Shafiq run out 38
Misbah ul-Haq c Perera b Mendis 32
Umar Akmal not out 55
Shahid Afridi c Jayawardene b Kulasekara 9
Sohail Tanvir c Tharanga b Malinga 11
Umar Gul not out 2
Extras (b2, lb3, w3) 8
Total
(for seven wickets; 50 overs) 247
Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Hafeez), 2-82 (Farhat), 3-113 (Ali), 4-146 (Shafiq),
5-207 (Misbah), 6-229 (Afridi), 7-244 (Tanvir)
Bowling: Malinga 10-1-52-1 (w1), Kulasekara 10-1-53-2, Mathews 10-0-41-0,
Dilshan 3-0-12-0, Perera 8-0-54-1 (w1), Mendis 9-0-30-2 (w1).
Sri Lanka
U. Tharanga b Tanvir 2
T. Dilshan b Tanvir 10
K. Sangakkara st Ahmed b Afridi 40
D. Chandimal c Sami b Hafeez 54
M. Jayawardene c and b Afridi 0
A. Mathews not out 80
T. Perera run out 0
L. Thirimanne run out 11
J. Mendis c Shafiq b Tanvir 19
N. Kulasekara not out 10
Extras (lb10, w12) 22
Total (for eight wickets; 49.4 overs) 248
Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-19, 3-97, 4-97, 5-135, 6-138, 7-175, 8-212.
Bowling: Gul 10-1-43-0, Tanvir 10-0-42-3 (w7),
Hafeez 10-0-30-1, Sami 9.4-0-75-0 (w2), Afridi 10-0-48-2 (w3).
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