SRI LANKA A 58 RUNS AWAY FROM VICTORY.

With Sri Lanka’s innings to start on 2.10pm local time, rain came down at 2.00pm and two hours play was lost due to rain. Though Sri Lanka had to make just 3.44 runs an over before the showers came down, after rain it went up to 4.48 according to the Duckworth Lewis system.

Avishka Gunawardene and Upeka Fernando opened the batting for Sri Lanka.

Gunawardene started off positively smashing anything pitched short. In the 5th over of the innings bowled by Irfan Fazil, the left hander smashed 11 runs. The seamers third and fourth deliveries were smashed for fours. Pakistan could have dismissed Gunawardene if Azam Hussain had held onto a chance fielding at mid-on. Gunawardene trying to pull a delivery, mistimed it and Azam’s diving effort was not sufficient to send the batsman back to the pavilion.

Sri Lanka were 35 for none at the end of the fifth over.

However Gunawardene failed to make use of the chance and he perished in the next over bowled by Shabir Ahamed. The batsman drived ambitiously at a good length delivery and was caught by Humayan Farhat behind the stumps. He made 14 in 23 balls.

Danish Kaneria, was brought in from Maligawatta End, replacing Irfan Fazil, whose four overs cost 34 runs. The home team’s 50 runs came in the 9th over of the match in the 9th over.

In the last ball of the ninth over, Sri Lanka lost Upeka Fernando with the score on 56. The Sri Lankan opener drived Shabir Ahamed but Hasan Raza at mid-off, took a low catch to send the batman back to the pavilion for 26.

SRI LANKA A SET A VICTORY TARGET OF 173.

Pakistan A, having elected to bat first, had a reasonable start, but the middle order collapsed and none of the Pakistani batsmen were able to go past 40 run mark.

With the score on nelson, bulky, Mishbah ul Haq was run out in an unfortunate way. Hasan Raza who was involved in the run out of Taufiq Umar earlier, pushed the ball to extra cover and set out for a single, Misbah responded quickly, but dropped the bat before Kumar Sangakkara brought down the stumps. The decision was referred to the third umpire, Peter Manuel, who ruled the batsman out. He was gone for nine off 17 balls.

Pakistan needed Hasan Raza to play another captain’s knock, which he has done so often in this tour. But he too perished with the score on 113. The right-hander trying to drive Muthumudalige Pushpakumara on the off side, edged the ball to Sangakkara behind the stumps. He made 26 in 58 minutes off 50 deliveries.

None of the Pakistani batsmen were able to play a long innings and their running between the wickets was poor as well. Irfan Fazil promoted in the batting order ahead of Yasir Arafat and Humayan Farhat, drove a delivery to extra cover and having run the first run fast went back for the second, but Arafat sent the batsman back. Even though Upeka Fernando didn’t field the ball cleanly and his throw was wayward, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara had enough time to run out the batsman. Fazil made eight in 19 balls.

Hard hitting, Humayan Farhat made just seven. The right-hander lofted the ball straight into the hands of Suresh Perera at long off, off the bowling of Pushpakumara.

There was a brief revival when Shabir Ahamed and Yaisir Arafat put on 24 runs for the 8th wicket. However, Suresh Perera made the breakthrough, when he clean bowled Arafat, with a good length delivery, as the batsman tried to drive. In his very next ball, Perera claimed his second wicket, as he trapped 15-year-old Azam Hussain leg before wicket for a duck. The batsman played forward, and completely missed the delivery, which kept low. Perera, who was on a hat trick, squandered the opportunity by bowling a wide in the first ball of his next over.

However, he ended the Pakistani inning in his eighth over, when T.M Dilshan fielding at extra cover took an easy catch to dismiss Shabir Ahamed. Though he bowled five wides he ended with impressive figures of (7.2-0-24-3.) Muthumudalige Pushpakumara, who was given his first chance in the tour claimed two wickets for 37 in his eight overs.

Sri Lanka have to make 173 in 50 overs maintaining a run rate of 3.44 an over.

PAKISTAN MAKE SLOW PROGRESS.

Thilan Samraweera, got the second Pakistani wicket, when he dismissed Faisal Naved, the highest scorer of the second match. The dismissal was identical to the first one. The batsman trying to drive the ball on the on-side top edged to Niroshan Bandaratillake at square leg. Faisal made 33 in 83 minutes in 46 balls with the help of two boundaries.

That ended the 35 run second wicket partnership between Faisal and Taufiq and brought Hasan Raza to the wicket. This time the captain with the helmet on.

With the score on 85, sharp fielding by Chamra Silva gave Sri Lanka the third Pakistani wicket. Hasan Raza, pushed a Niroshan Bandarathillake delivery to short extra cover and set out for a quick single. His partner, Taufiq Umar responded too, but before he marked his ground Kumar Sangakkara went down and brought the bails down. The decision was referred to the third umpire, Peter Manuel, who ruled the batsman out.

Taufiq made 24 in 83 minutes in 57 balls with the help of a solitary four.

The fall of Taqufiq’s didn’t bother Hasan who lofted his opposite number Thilan Samaraweera a the first six of the match in the very next over.

Pakistan’s 100 came in the 28th over in 125 minutes, with Hasan on 21 and Misbah ul Haq on three.

PAKISTAN A MAKE SLOW START.

In the absence of Akalanka Ganegama, Dinusha Fernando started off bowling from the Khettarama End, while Gayan Wijekoon was brought in from the Maligawatta End.

The Pakistani openers scored 20 runs in the first five overs.

Dinusha Fernando, claimed the first wicket in the morning in the seventh over of the day when he dismissed Imran Farhat. The left-hander tried to flick a delivery pitched on the leg stump behind square, but mistimed the shot and was caught at square leg by Niroshan Bandaratillake.

Another left-hander, Taufiq Umar, came in at the fall of Farhat, and the pair pushed the score up to 38 by the end of the 10th over.

Pakistan reached their 50 in 63 minutes in the 14th over of the game.

Captain, Thilan Samraweera, then introduced Suresh Perera, replacing Dinusha Fernando who had the figures of (7-028-1) from the Khettarama End, in the last over before the fielding restrictions ended.

PAKISTAN 'A' WIN THE TOSS AND ELECT TO BAT

Sri Lanka made four changes to the side, which lost the last game at P. Sara Stadium, Colombo on Monday. For this game, all rounders, Mutumudalige Pushpakumara and Gayan Wijekoon, batsman Upeka Fernando and spinner Niroshan Bandarathillake come in, replacing Shantha Kalavitigoda, Akalanka Ganegama, Sajeeva Weerakoon and Jehan Mubarak.

Pakistan meanwhile, have retained the same squad.

Sri Lanka won the first game by 71 runs at Moratuwa while Pakistan bounced back to win the second by 7 wickets.

PAKISTAN 'A' WIN THE TOSS AND ELECT TO BAT

Sri Lanka made four changes to the side, which lost the last game at P. Sara Stadium, Colombo on Monday. For this game, all rounders, Mutumudalige Pushpakumara and Gayan Wijekoon, batsman Upeka Fernando and spinner Niroshan Bandarathillake come in, replacing Shantha Kalavitigoda, Akalanka Ganegama, Sajeeva Weerakoon and Jehan Mubarak.

Pakistan meanwhile, have retained the same squad.

Sri Lanka won the first game by 71 runs at Moratuwa while Pakistan bounced back to win the second by 7 wickets.

© CricInfo

Date-stamped : 04 Jul2001 - 14:29