WEDNESDAY, 6.30PM:
SRI Lanka beat Pakistan by a mammoth 115 runs in their Standard Bank Triangular cricket match at Willowmore Park on Wednesday. Chasing a score of 288 set by the Lankans, the Pakistanis were bundled out for a paltry 173 runs in 39,2 overs. Saeed Anwar top-scored for the Pakistanis, making 59 runs. Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan decimated the Pakistani batting line-up, taking 5/23.
WEDNESDAY, 3.30PM:
MARVAN ATAPATTU and Arjuna Ranatunga hammered out a fourth-wicket partnership of 138 to keep Sri Lanka in the race for the Standard Bank Series in their match against Pakistan at Willowmore Park on Wednesday.
The Sri Lankans entered the match facing a must-win situation, with only two points from four matches. Thanks once again to Atapattu and Ranatunga, the islanders managed to score 288 off 49,4 overs.
While the score seems imposing, it was not a very good effort considering the park is one of the smallest in the country, and that Sri Lanka were firmly in command at 232/3 going into the 41st over.
Atapattu and Ranatunga came together on Wednesday with Sri Lanka in trouble at 94/3. The men out were Sanath Jayasuriya (30) and Romesh Kalawithurana (33), who got the innings off to a rollicking 56-run start off just 8,2 overs.
Aravinda De Silva managed to score only two runs.
Dropped at slip by Inzamam when he had 14, Atapattu popped the ball millimetres short Younis at mid-on when he had 25, and should have been run out by the proverbial mile when he had 38. Riding his luck, the 25-year old reached his 50 off 80 balls.
Ranatunga, who hit five fours, reached his 50 off only 51 balls before being bowled by Akram for 78. Atapattu went on to score 94 off 123 balls before being bowled by Akram, after spending just over three hours at the crease.
Apart from a quick 20 by Dharmasena, the Lankan tail posed no threat, with Akram doing most of the mopping up to finish with 4/43 from 9,4 overs.
Scoreboard:
Sri Lanka innings:
S Jayasuriya b Mahmood 30 (69m 40b 4×4 1×6)
R Kaluwitharana c M Ahmed b Akram 33 (37m 26b 5×4)
M Atapattu b Akram 94 (181m 123b 7×4 1×6)
A De Silva b Razzak 2 (8m 7b)
A Ranatunga b Akram 78 (97m 72b 9×4)
P Wickramasinghe c Younis b Akram 0 (1m 1b)
R Mahanama run out (M Hussain) 2 (8m 4b)
M Jayawardene c Latif b Younis 0 (1m 1b)
K Dharmasena c Afridi b Younis 20 (24m 21b 1×4)
C Vaas run out (Youhana) 4 (8m 3b)
M Muralidharan not out 1 (3m 2b)
Extras (12lb 12w) 24
Total (all out) 288 — 49,4 overs 225 mins
Fall of wickets: 1/56 2/91 3/94 4/232 5/232 6/238 7/238 8/281 9/286
Bowling: Akram 9,4-1-43-4 (2w), Younis 10-0-86-2 (4w), Razzaq 9-1-50-1 (5w), Mahmood 10-0-33-1 (3w), M Ahmed 9-0-46-0, Afridi 2-0-18-0