Lanka put it past Pak once again

Cricket: One-day series: Kapugedera, Thushara fashion six-wicket win

Left-arm pace bowler Thilan Thushara claimed three wickets as Sri Lanka bowled out Pakistan for a below-par 168 in 47 overs. Sri Lanka made a shaky start, collapsing to 44 for three after the loss of Upul Tharanga (10), Sanath Jayasuriya (30) and Kumar Sangakkara (two), but eventually won with 6.2 overs to spare.

The hosts were guided home by middle-order batsman Chamara Kapugedera, who top-scored with a stylish 67 not out from 97 balls with eight fours and one six.

Thilan Samaraweera gave him solid support with 38 from 69 balls. The duo added 95 runs in an unbroken fifth- wicket partnership to guide Sri Lanka out of danger and towards an easy win in the five-match series. Sri Lanka fully capitalised on winning the toss, with all their bowlers troubling Pakistan's batsmen on a pitch offering lateral movement.

Thushara followed a three-wicket haul in the first one-dayer with three for 33 from nine overs, claiming the wickets of Kamran Akmal (13), Shoaib Malik (0) and Fawad Alam (10).

Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan also excelled with two for 41 from his allotted 10 overs.

Captain Younis Khan made a painstaking 23 off 73 deliveries. Tail-ender Mohammad Aamer was the innings top-scorer with an unbeaten 24.

Pakistan position would have been even more woeful were it not for a 38-run stand for the eighth wicket between Abdul Razzaq (17) and Umar Gul (14), and a 40-run stand for the last wicket between Aamer and Saeed Ajmal (16).

SCORE BOARD

PAKISTAN

Jamshed c J’dene b Kulasekera    0
L Akmal c S’weera b Thushara    13
Younis c K’dera b M’tharan    23
Malik lbw Thushara    0
U Akmal c Sangakkara b Mathews    18
Alam c Sangakkara b Thushara    10
Afridi c Jayasuriya b Muralitharan    7
Razzaq c Thushara b Jayasuriya    17
Gul (run out)    14
Aamer (not out)    24
Ajmal (run out)    16

Extras (B-4, LB-4, W-18)    26
Total (all out, 47 overs)    168

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-21, 3-21, 4-53, 5-67, 6-78, 7-87, 8-125, 9-128.

Bowling: Kulasekera 8-2-17-1, Malinga 10-0-37-0, Thushara 9-2-33-3, Mathews 7-1-15-1, Muralitharan 10-0-41-2, Jayasuriya 3-0-17-1.

SRI LANKA

Tharanga c Jamshed b Aamer    10
Jayasuriya c U Akmal b Razzaq    30
Sangakkara (run out)    2
Jayawardene c Younis b Afridi    12
Kapugedera (not out)    67
Samaraweera (not out)    38

Extras (B-2, LB-4, W-2, NB-2)    10     
Total (for 4 wkts, 43.4 overs)    169

Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-44, 3-44, 4-74.

Bowling: Mohammad Aamer 9.4-2-31-1, Abdul Razzaq 10-1-35-1, Umar Gul 8-0-30-0, Shahid Afridi 8-0-39-1, Saeed Ajmal 6-0-21-0, Malik 2-0-7-0.