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KARACHI, March 29: In a dramatic finish to the triangular tournament, Pakistan ?A? overcame fading light to defeat Sri Lanka ?A? by just one wicket to clinch the title at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on Tuesday.
What was supposed to be an easy chase after the hosts were bowled out for 192 in the 44th over, Pakistan ?A? needed a desperate last-wicket partnership of 30 between Yasir Arafat and Mohammad Asif to thwart Sri Lanka?s determined advance towards the trophy.
All-rounder Yasir (28 off 26 balls, three fours) and last man Asif (12 o0ff 16 balls, one four) had inched Pakistan ?A? ahead of Duckworth-Lewis asking-rate when darkness set in, forcing the umpires to call off play as the Sri Lankan pace bowlers returned to the attack.
Slow left-armer Malinga Bandara kept taking wickets as one after another Pakistani batsman squandered a good start after the top three batsmen had succumbed to the pace bowlers as he visitors slipped to 21 for three in the 10th over.
Misbahul Haq, the Pakistan ?A? skipper, hit three boundaries in making 29 off 43 balls before offering a return catch to Bandara. The spinner then disposed of Zulqarnain (15), Aamir Bashir (23) and Hasan Raza, the vice-captain who top-scored with a breezy 40 off 36 balls, including four fours and a brace of sixes.
After Hasan had perished, Bandara had Imran Tahir stumped off a wide for a first-ball duck to finish with five for 44 in 10 overs.
Earlier, Sri Lanka ?A? batsmen struggled against an unlikely bowler. Wajahatullah Wasti, who turns his arm over, bowled his way to remarkable analysis of four for 34 with his gentle off-spinners after Misbah opted to field first.
Michael Vandort and Russel Arnold scored a substantial portion ? approximately 77 per cent ? of the Sri Lankan runs. Vandort struck 10 fours and one on his way to 77 off 91 balls and put on 80 for the fourth wicket with the ever-reliable Arnold.
Arnold farmed a flimsy tail and was the last man to be dismissed after nudging and pushing to his fourth half-century of the tournament. The former left-hander?s 71 off 85 balls was embellished with seven boundaries.
None of Sri Lanka?s last six batsmen managed to reach double figures as the home side slumped from a healthy 145 for three to 192 ? losing seven wickets for 47 runs in 11.1 overs.
Pakistan ?A? kept their unblemished record intact with this fifth straight win. England ?A?, coached by Aussie great Rodney Marsh, were the third team in the nine-day competition.
Pakistan ?A? face the hosts in two ?Tests? with the first starting in Kandy from Sunday. The final game is slated for Dambulla from April 10 to 13.
What was supposed to be an easy chase after the hosts were bowled out for 192 in the 44th over, Pakistan ?A? needed a desperate last-wicket partnership of 30 between Yasir Arafat and Mohammad Asif to thwart Sri Lanka?s determined advance towards the trophy.
All-rounder Yasir (28 off 26 balls, three fours) and last man Asif (12 o0ff 16 balls, one four) had inched Pakistan ?A? ahead of Duckworth-Lewis asking-rate when darkness set in, forcing the umpires to call off play as the Sri Lankan pace bowlers returned to the attack.
Slow left-armer Malinga Bandara kept taking wickets as one after another Pakistani batsman squandered a good start after the top three batsmen had succumbed to the pace bowlers as he visitors slipped to 21 for three in the 10th over.
Misbahul Haq, the Pakistan ?A? skipper, hit three boundaries in making 29 off 43 balls before offering a return catch to Bandara. The spinner then disposed of Zulqarnain (15), Aamir Bashir (23) and Hasan Raza, the vice-captain who top-scored with a breezy 40 off 36 balls, including four fours and a brace of sixes.
After Hasan had perished, Bandara had Imran Tahir stumped off a wide for a first-ball duck to finish with five for 44 in 10 overs.
Earlier, Sri Lanka ?A? batsmen struggled against an unlikely bowler. Wajahatullah Wasti, who turns his arm over, bowled his way to remarkable analysis of four for 34 with his gentle off-spinners after Misbah opted to field first.
Michael Vandort and Russel Arnold scored a substantial portion ? approximately 77 per cent ? of the Sri Lankan runs. Vandort struck 10 fours and one on his way to 77 off 91 balls and put on 80 for the fourth wicket with the ever-reliable Arnold.
Arnold farmed a flimsy tail and was the last man to be dismissed after nudging and pushing to his fourth half-century of the tournament. The former left-hander?s 71 off 85 balls was embellished with seven boundaries.
None of Sri Lanka?s last six batsmen managed to reach double figures as the home side slumped from a healthy 145 for three to 192 ? losing seven wickets for 47 runs in 11.1 overs.
Pakistan ?A? kept their unblemished record intact with this fifth straight win. England ?A?, coached by Aussie great Rodney Marsh, were the third team in the nine-day competition.
Pakistan ?A? face the hosts in two ?Tests? with the first starting in Kandy from Sunday. The final game is slated for Dambulla from April 10 to 13.
| Scoreboard | ||||||||||
| SRI LANKA ?A?: | ||||||||||
| M.G. Vandort b Wajahat | 77 | |||||||||
| W.S. Jayantha c Hasan b Rauf | 0 | |||||||||
| H.A.P.W. Jayawardene b Asif | 11 | |||||||||
| M.K. Gajanayake c Zulqarnain b Asif | 0 | |||||||||
| R.P. Arnold c Hasan b Imran | 71 | |||||||||
| J. Mubarak c and b Wajahat | 2 | |||||||||
| W. Ramyakumara c Zulqarnain b Wajahat | 5 | |||||||||
| C.M. Bandara run out | 0 | |||||||||
| M.T.T. Mirando b Wajahat | 1 | |||||||||
| C.R.D. Fernando lbw b Imran | 2 | |||||||||
| P.N. Ranjith not out | 1 | |||||||||
| EXTRAS (B-4, LB-8, W-8, NB-2) | 22 | |||||||||
| TOTAL (all out, 43.4 overs) | 192 | |||||||||
| FALL OF WKTS: 1-10, 2-59, 3-65, 4-145, 5-149, 6-168, 7-170, 8-174, 9-177. | ||||||||||
| BOWLING: Mohammad Asif 8-0-28-2 (5w); Abdul Rauf 9-2-25-1 (1nb, 1w); Yasir Arafat 6-0-42-0 (1nb, 2w); Ashar Zaidi 7-0-19-0; Imran Tahir 6.4-0-32-2; Wajahatullah Wasti 7-2-34-4. | ||||||||||
| PAKISTAN ?A?: | ||||||||||
| Wajahatullah Wasti lbw b Ramyakumara | 1 | |||||||||
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