Sri Lanka defeat Pakistan by 19 runs

London, June 12 (IANS) Sri Lanka made a convincing start in the Super Eights of the World Twenty20 with a 19-run win over Pakistan at Lord’s here Friday. Electing to bat, Sri Lanka limped to a modest 150 for seven in 20 overs but were hauled back into the match by their bowlers, who stopped the Pakistani run chase at 131 for nine. Tillakaratne Dilshan anchored the Sri Lankan innings with a quick 46 and added 81 runs with Sanath Jayasuriya for the opening stand.

The Sri Lankans looked well settled for a big total but Shahid Afridi (2-23) removed both the openers within 8 runs to arrest the run flow. The rest of the Sri Lankan batsmen failed to put up any partnership and fell like ninepins.

Pakistan struggled from the start, losing Salman Butt in the third ball of the innings. They were soon reduced to 35-3 before skipper Younus Khan (50) and Misbah-ul-Haq (21) shared a 66-run stand for the fourth wicket to arrest the rot. Misbah was caught by Chamara Silva off Muttiah Murlitharan in the 16th over and much rested on Younis’ shoulder. However, once the Pakistan skipper edged Lasith Malinga (3-17) behind, it triggred a collapse and Pakistan lost their last six wickets for just 30 runs.

Sri Lanka Innings

Tillakaratne Dilshan b Shahid Afridi 46 (39)
Sanath Jayasuriya c Younis Khan b Shahid Afridi 26 (24)
Kumar Sangakkara st Kamran Akmal b Saeed Ajmal 15 (16)
Mahela Jayawardene c Shahid Afridi b Saeed Ajmal 19 (18)
Chamara Silva c Kamran Akmal b Umar Gul 8 (6)
Jehan Mubarak run out (Shoaib Malik/Kamran Akmal) 5 (10)
Angelo Mathews not out 9 (8)
Nuwan Kulasekara lbw b Umar Gul 0 (1)
Lasith Malinga not out 2 (1)

Extras: (lb 7, w 10, nb 3) 20
Total: (for seven wickets in 20 overs) 150

Fall of wickets: 1-81 (Jayasuriya, 8.6 overs), 2-89 (Dilshan, 10.5), 3-110 (Sangakkara, 13.6), 4-128 (Silva, 16.1), 5-132 (Jayawardene, 17.1), 6-148 (Mubarak, 19.4), 7-148 (Kulasekara, 19.5)

Bowling:
Sohail Tanvir 2-0-29-0
Mohammad Aamer 4-0-26-0
Umar Gul 4-0-34-2
Shahid Afridi 4-0-23-2
Saeed Ajmal 4-0-26-2
Shoaib Malik 2-0-5-0

Pakistan Innings

Salman Butt b Mathews 0 (3)
Kamran Akmal run out (Silva/Mathews) 5 (9)
Shoaib Malik c Kulasekara b Malinga 28 (20)
Younis Khan c Sangakkara b Malinga 50 (37)
Misbah-ul-Haq c Silva b Muralitharan 21 (28)
Shahid Afridi c Dilshan b Muralitharan 0 (1)
Fawad Alam c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 12 (11)
Sohail Tanvir c & b Malinga 3 (7)
Umar Gul not out 9 (4)
Mohammad Aamer run out (Mathews/Kulasekara) 0(0)
Saeed Ajmal not out 0 (0)

Extras: (b 1, w 2) 3
Total: (for nine wickets in 20 overs) 131

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Salman Butt, 0.3 overs), 2-34 (Shoaib Malik, 5.1), 3-35 (Kamran Akmal, 5.3), 4-101 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 15.3), 5-101 (Shahid Afridi, 15.4), 6-108 (Younis Khan, 16.4), 7-121 (Sohail Tanvir, 18.6), 8-123 (Fawad Alam, 19.3), 9-124 (Mohammad Aamer, 19.4)

Bowling:
Angelo Mathews 4-0-23-1
Nuwan Kulasekara 4-0-30-1
Lasith Malinga 4-0-17-3
Muttiah Muralitharan 4-0-28-2
Ajantha Mendis 3-0-24-0
Sanath Jayasuriya 1-0-8-0

Man of the Match: Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka)