Pakistan secure series win

A total of 313 was more than enough for Pakistan to overcome Sri Lanka today, they won by 98 runs.

Batting first, they maintained a high scoring rate throughout the innings, so a relatively poor showing in the latter overs didn’t stop them from putting up an excellent score.

The openers made a brisk start, making the most of the half-volleys and leg-side bowling served up by the second-string opening pair of Dilhara Fernando and Ruchira Perera. Imran Nazir fell early, but not before striking four crisp boundaries.

This laid the way for a classy 98-run partnership between Salman Butt and Yasir Hameed. They stroked the ball around the park, keeping it on the deck but still managing to penetrate the infield. Both have been out of the set up for a while, but did their case no harm today, each scoring a half century. Hameed fell immediately after marking his, offering a return catch to the impressive Malinga Bandara.

Bandara accounted for Butt, 74, four overs later, in a spell of 3-56. Once those two had gone, no Pakistani batsman really settled down and maybe a score, but despite the regular wickets the scoreboard rattled along. Tillakaratne Dilshan did something to slow the runs down, he was the cheapest of the Sri Lankan bowlers, but there was far from anything special coming from the other end.

Mohammad Yousuf, Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik all scored some runs, while Mohammad Sami added a handy 22 down the order. Farveez Maharoof helped himself to three wickets, and Pakistan finished on 313.

Even with their weakened batting line-up, it was by no means a score out of Sri Lanka’s reach. They sent Chamara Kapugedera up to open with Upul Tharanga, and he made a breezy 20 before he was cleaned up by some swing from Sami. At number three was debutant Malinda Warnapura, who made just five before a successful lbw appeal by Asif sent him on his way.

This only succeeding in bringing in Mahela Jayawardene, who with Tharanga, looked to be giving Sri Lanka the upper hand. He clipped and pulled elegantly, while Tharanga continued to favour the drive. They took Sri Lanka past 100 in the 15th over, but shortly after that, their progress was brought to a grinding half.

It was his pyrotechnics with the bat that starred on Friday, but Shahid Afridi’s bowling took centre stage today. He broke the vital partnership between Tharanga and Jayawardene in the 19th over, removing the young left-handed for 48. To say he was mixing it up would be an understatement; he varied almost every delivery, always keeping the batsman guessing.

With Shoaib Malik bringing himself on to do a tidy job at the other end, runs became rather hard to come by. Afridi added the scalps of Chamara Silva and Prasanna Jayawardene, while Malik dismissed Tillakaratne Dilshan, to put the match beyond the Sri Lankans.

Good a batsman as he is, the task was too much for Jayawardene, and he fell to Asif for 61. The seam bowlers returned to mop up the tail and give the Pakistanis a 98 run victory, but at one stage it did look like it would have been a lot closer than it eventually turned out to be.

Pakistan 313-9
Salman Butt 74, Yasir Hameed 50
Malinga Bandara 3-56, Farveez Maharoof 3-65

Sri Lanka 215 all out
Mahela Jayawardene 61, Upul Tharanga 48
Shahid Afridi 3-37, Mohammad Sami 2-27

Pakistan win by 98 runs and lead the 3 match series 2-0

Cricket Web Man of the Match: Salman Butt