Sri Lanka 239 for 6 (Atapattu 77*, Chandana 64) beat Pakistan 230 for 5 (Younis Khan 45) by 9 runs
scorecard

Sri Lanka held their nerve under pressure to grab a thrilling nine-run win over Pakistan in their day-night Sharjah Cup match.

Chasing Sri Lanka's 239 for 6, Pakistan appeared to be heading for victory when they needed 19 off the last 18 deliveries with five wickets in hand.

But seamers Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa allowed the sixth-wicket pair of Wasim Akram and Rashid Latif only nine runs in the last three overs to restrict Pakistan to 230 for 5.

Sri Lanka, who have eight points from three matches, will qualify for Wednesday's final if they defeat New Zealand in their last league match on Sunday.

Pakistan, left with four points, must defeat the Kiwis on Monday to stay in contention for the final.

Sri Lanka's hero was Upul Chandana, who hit a career-best 64 and then provided two valuable breaks in the field to set up his team's win.

Chandana ran out opener Imran Nazir with a direct hit from point to break a 72-run partnership for the second wicket with Yousuf Youhana.

He then grabbed a difficult return catch to dismiss the dangerous Inzamam-ul Haq (37) and end a 85-run stand with top-scorer Younis Khan (45).

Akram ended up unbeaten on 36 off 29 balls and Latif was on 11 not out, but the pair faltered when it mattered most.

During a riveting encounter before a full house of 18,000, Akram became the first man to take 450 wickets in one-day internationals and Shoaib Akhtar bowled his fastest delivery ever at 159.6 km an hour.

Akram, the only bowler to take more than 400 wickets in both Tests and one-dayers, teamed up with his long-time sparring partner Waqar Younis to reduce Sri Lanka to 41 for 4, before Man of the Match Marvan Atapattu shored things up with an unbeaten 77.

Atapattu put on 91 for the fifth wicket with Russel Arnold (41) and a run-a-ball 107 for the sixth with Chandana.

Chandana was bowled off the final delivery of the innings after helping Sri Lanka plunder 70 runs in the last 10 overs.

English umpire David Shepherd, standing in his 100th one-dayer, watched from close range as Sri Lanka fought back after the early demolition by Waqar and Akram.

Waqar, thrashed for 18 runs in his first two overs, hit back by uprooting Sanath Jayasuriya's middle stump in the sixth over.

Waqar earned another success in his next over when Latif picked up a brilliant diving catch to remove Romesh Kaluwitharana for 7.

Akram, playing his 327th one-dayer, moved from 449 wickets to 451 in the space of two deliveries, when he had Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene caught behind. At that stage Sri Lanka were in all sorts of trouble, but Arnold – who survived the hat-trick ball – Atapattu and Chandana had other ideas.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd