May 23, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 06, 1428

ABU DHABI, May 22: Last-gasp cameos from Tillekeratne Dilshan and Lasith Malinga ensured that Sri Lanka came within sight of the 300-mark in the inconsequential third One-day International against Pakistan at Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Tuesday.

The 18 runs that came off the last over bowled by the otherwise impressive Rao Iftikhar meant that Pakistan needed to reach a target of 297 in order to complete a 3-0 whitewash.

Dilshan, who surprisingly came into bat at number eight, smashed 28 off only 14 balls and shared a 38-run ninth-wicket partnership with Malinga after Sri Lanka had lost five wickets for 33 runs between the 42nd and 47th overs.

Sri Lanka had dominated the initial proceedings thanks mainly to a 124-run partnership between captain Mahela Jayawardene and Chamara Silva. The duo mixed aggression with caution aptly as they penalised poor bowling with excellent shots all around the wicket. Mohammad Asif, stinginess personified under normal circumstances, was dispatched to all corners throughout the day and finished with a shocking one for 76.

Pakistan started the day with wholesale changes to the team that defeated Sri Lanka two days ago. Bringing in two debutants, Fawad Alam and Najaf Shah, they also recalled Mohammad Hafeez, Rao Iftikhar and Abdul Rehman.

Sri Lanka meanwhile brought back Sanath Jayasuriya and Malinga, and there was also a recall for Kaushal Lokuarachchi.

The aggression was clearly on display as Upul Tharanga took to Asif right from the start. Najaf troubled Jayasuriya in the initial part of the innings until the maestro cut him down to size with some lofted on-drives. But Rao Iftikhar's entry also brought out another Jayasuriya trademark. In Rao's second over, a consistent denial of width induced from Jayasuriya a lazy inside edge onto his stumps. Tharanga, who had peppered third man and point with boundaries, edged behind in Rao's next over.

Runs slowed as the perennially unheralded Rao found a tight channel to settle in and it was only the arrival of Jayawardene, and the return of Asif for an over, that sparked the scoring. Jayawardene took 12 from the over, the innings' 16th, including a six over long-on.

Rao struck again soon after though, just to keep Sri Lanka on a leash even as Abdur Rehman settled into some accurate left-arm spin.

Two wickets in two overs by the recalled Mohammad Hafeez, however, tilted the balance right back in Pakistan's favour. Jayawardene was bowled for 83 and Farvez Maharoof, Sri Lanka's top scorer before this match, went for only 10. A wicket apiece for Asif and Rehman ensured that Sri Lanka worked hard to achieve a decent total, which they did due to some sloppy fielding from Pakistan as well as a few lusty hits landing outside the boundary.

Rao was clearly the pick of the bowlers, finishing with 3 for 53 on his return to the team.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA:

W.U. Tharanga c Kamran b Rao Iftikhar 40

S.T. Jayasuriya b Rao Iftikhar 19

C.K. Kapugedera c Kamran b Rao Iftikhar 15

D.P.M.D. Jayawardene b Hafeez 83

L.P.C. Silva b Rehman 64

M.F. Maharoof c and b Hafeez 10

K.S. Lokuarachchi c Salman b Asif 2

T.M. Dilshan not out 28

H.A.P.W. Jayawardene run out 2

S.L. Malinga run out 11

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-5, W-9, NB-4) 22

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 296

FALL OF WKTS: 1-62, 2-73, 3-101, 4-225, 5-240, 6-244, 7-252, 8-258, 9-296.

DID NOT BAT: C.R.D. Fernando.

BOWLING: Mohammad Asif 10-1-76-1 (3nb); Najaf Shah 10-1-59-0 (1nb, 1w); Rao Iftikhar 10-0-53-3 (3w); Abdur Rehman 10-0-44-1 (1w); Mohammad Hafeez 10-0-55-2.

PAKISTAN: Mohammad Hafeez, Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Fawad Alam, Kamran Akmal, Abdur Rehman, Rao Iftikhar, Mohammad Asif, Najaf Shah.

UMPIRES: M.R. Benson (England) and R.B. Tiffin (Zimbabwe).

TV UMPIRE: S.L. Shastri (India).

MATCH REFEREE: J. Srinath (India).

—Agencies