Lanka overcome Pak to get off to a winning start

 Speedster Lasith Malinga’s brilliant five-wicket haul under pressure and opener Lahiru Thirimanne’s second ODI century helped Sri Lanka script a thrilling 12-run win over Pakistan in a nail-biting opening match of the Asia Cup, here on Tuesday.

Malinga produced a sensational spell of death bowling, picking up key wickets at crucial junctures, to ensure the win for his side with seven balls to spare at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium.

Chasing an impsoing 297 for victory, Pakistan were on course for a remarkable victory before Malinga came up with a fiery spell to bowl out the ‘Men in Green’ for 284 in 48.5 overs.

Malinga first sent back dangerman Shahid Afridi (4) and well-settled skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (73) in a span of three deliveries in his eighth over before returning back to dismiss Saeed Ajmal (10) and Bilawal Bhatti (18) in his final over to finish with figures of 5 for 52.

Earlier, Thirimanne struck a fine 110-ball 102 to power Sri Lanka to a challenging 296 for six.

Thirimanne hit 11 fours and a six in his innings and starred in a 161-run stand with Kumar Sangakkara (67) for the second wicket to lay the foundation for a huge score.
Pakistan tried to make a comeback in the middle overs as they picked up a few wickets, before skipper Angelo Matthews provided the late charge, cracking a 50-ball 55, to take Sri Lanka close to the 300-mark.

Pakistan failed to build partnerships at the top during their run chase as they lost their first four wickets for 121 before Misbah and Umar Akmal (74) led a sensational fightback with attacking fifties.

Both added 121 runs for the fifth-wicket partnership to bring Pakistan back into the game but Malinga held his nerves and produced a match-winning spell to grab full points for his team.

With six wickets in hand and still requiring 175 runs to win, Pakistan looked in all sorts of trouble with their innings in complete disarray.

But the pair of wicketkeeper-batsman Akmal and Misbah combined well and launched a counter offensive against the Lankans to regain the lost ground.

Both played aggressively and treated the loose deliveries with disdain to take Pakistan to 240 for 4, requiring 57 off 48 balls.

Lakmal returned to scalp the prized wicket of Akmal, who couldn’t stop himself as he went for a massive drive on the up but only managed an outside edge to keeper Sangakkara.

Akmal’s 72-ball stay at the crease was decorated with seven fours and three sixes.

Pakistan lost the plot after that and could not recover from the jolt as they lost the last five wickets for just 43 runs. Misbah also ran out of his patience and was dismissed for 73 (84 balls, 4x4, 2x6) by Malinga.

SRI LANKA 
Kusal c Umar b Gul    14
Thirimanne b Ajmal    102
S’kkara c Shehzad b Gul    67   
Jayawardeneb Afridi    13
Mathews (not out)    55
Thisara c Shehzad b Afridi    6
De Silva (run out)    2
Chandimal (not out)    19
Extras (B-4, LB-6, W-8)    18
Total (for 6 wkts, 50 overs)    296
Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-189, 3-204, 4-224, 5-245, 6-251.
Bowling: Hafeez 9-0-54-0, Gul 8-0-38-2, Junaid 9-0-61-0, Bhatti 4-0-27-0, Ajmal 10-0-50-1, Afridi 10-0-56-2.
PAKISTAN
Sharjeel c Mathews b Lakmal    26
Shehzad b de Silva    28
Hafeez lbw Mathews    18
Maqsood c de Silva b S’nayake    17
Misbah c S’nayake b Malinga    73
U Akmal c S’kkara b Lakmal    74
Afridi c Chandimal b Malinga    4
Bhatti b Malinga    18
Gul c de Silva b Malinga    2
Ajmal lbw Malinga    10
Junaid (not out)    1
Extras (LB-3, W-10)    13
Total (all out, 48.5 overs)    284
Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-77, 3-83, 4-121, 5-242, 6-252, 7-254, 8-262, 9-281.
Bowling: Malinga 9.5-0-52-5, Lakmal 9-1-65-2, Senanayake 9-0-47-1, De Silva 10-1-56-1, Perera 6-0-36-0, Mathews 5-1-25-1.