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Sri Lanka wraps up cup in style

World champion Sri Lanka added the Independence Cup cricket ti- tle by making a formidable 309 and beating Pakistan by 85 runs in the second match of the best-of-three finals yesterday.

Sri Lanka won the first match by 115 runs in Mohali on Sat- ur- day.

Pakistan's batsmen succumbed to the pressure of chasing an asking rate of more than six runs an over on a turning Calcutta pitch and the side folded for 224 runs in 43.1 overs.

Pakistan's hopes of overhauling the Sri Lankan total was jolted when it lost both openers in the first six overs with only 34 runs on the board.

Saeed Anwar, who scored a world record 194 earlier in the tournament, was brilliantly caught by Muttiah Muralitharan at mid-off, off left-armer Chaminda Vaas while Shahid Afridi was caught by Ar- avinda De Silva in the covers off the bowling of Sajeeva De Sil- va.

Captain Rameez Raja's 98 run stand with hard-hitting Ijaz Ahmed, in 110 balls, was the only major partnership of the Pakistan innings.

Pakistan collapsed after Raja's dismissal at 193 and lost its last five wickets for a meagre 31 runs.

Muralitharan claimed three for 40 in his 10 overs.

Earlier, Sri Lanka amassed 309 in 49.4 overs following a breezy start aided by a middle order onslaught.

Sri Lanka was led by captain Arjuna Ranatunga who top scored with 59 runs off 78 balls with three fours and one six.

He shared steady partnerships of 67 with Aravinda De Silva for the fourth wicket and 73 with Hashan Tillekeratne for the fifth.