June 11, 2007	Monday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 25, 1428

CHENNAI, June 10: Fast bowler Dilhara Fernando grabbed four wickets as Asia XI clinched the Afro-Asia cricket series with a 31-run win over Africa XI in the second One-day International here on Saturday (also partially reported in Sunday’s edition).

Asia restricted their rivals to 306 under lights after posting a challenging 337-7 to gain an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The final game will be played here on Sunday.

Sri Lankan Fernando finished with 4-36 off 10 overs, his best in 115 One-day Internationals.

Africa XI, who lost the opening match by 34 runs on Wednesday, were well-served by Mark Boucher (73) and Boeta Dippenaar (67) before Fernando swung the match in his team's favour by striking at the right time.

Fernando broke a 60-run stand for the second wicket between Dippenaar and Vusi Sibanda (35) in his opening spell and then removed Boucher just when the South African wicket-keeper had been putting pressure on Asia.

The Sri Lankan had Zimbabwean Sibanda caught by wicket-keeper Mahendra Dhoni and then bowled skipper Justin Kemp in the same over. In his second spell, he dismissed the well-set Boucher to dash Africa's hopes of levelling the series.

South Africans Boucher and Dippenaar sustained their team's chances with impressive knocks as they batted confidently against both pace and spin on an easy-paced track. The pair added 79 for the fourth wicket.

Boucher hit two sixes and four boundaries in his 71-ball knock and Dippenaar nine fours in his 72-ball innings.

Scoreboard

ASIA XI:

V. Sehwag c M. Morkel b Chigumbura 52

S.T. Jayasuriya c Dippenaar b Odoyo 11

S.C. Ganguly c sub b Chigumbura 88

M.S. Dhoni c A. Morkel 33

D.P.M.D. Jayawardene run out 45

Mohammad Yousuf c Boucher b M. Morkel 51

Yuvraj Singh not out 30

Mohammad Rafique c de Villiers b M. Morkel 1

Zaheer Khan not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-8, W-14, NB-4) 26

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 50 overs) 337

FALL OF WKTS: 1-37, 2-77, 3-134, 4-214, 5-298, 6-331, 7-333.

BOWLING: J.A. Morkel 6-0-49-1 (1nb, 3w); M. Morkel 10-1-48-2 (1nb, 1w); Odoyo 8-0-60-1 (3w); Chigumbura 10-0-84-2 (1nb, 1w); Botha 10-1-51-0 (1nb, 3w); Sibanda 6-1-37-0 (3w).

AFRICA XI:

A.B. de Villiers c Dhoni b Asif 13

V. Sibanda c Dhoni b Fernando 35

H.H. Dippenaar c sub b Yuvraj 67

J.M. Kemp b Fernando 0

M.V. Boucher c Asif b Fernando 73

S.M. Pollock c Asif b Sehwag 35

J.A. Morkel c Ganguly b Rafique 13

E. Chigumbura c sub b Rafique 7

J. Botha b Fernando 13

T.M. Odoyo not out 12

M. Morkel b Asif 25

EXTRAS (LB-4, W-8, NB-1) 13

TOTAL (all out, 49.5 overs) 306

FALL OF WKTS: 1-20, 2-80, 3-80, 4-159,

5-217, 6-234, 7-247, 8-263, 9-263.

BOWLING: Mohammad Asif 9.5-0-82-2 (1nb, 1w); Zaheer Khan 2.4-0-9-0; Jayawardene 2.2-0-19-0 (3w); Fernando 10-0-36-4 (1w); Mohammad Rafique 10-0-62-2 (1w); Yuvraj Singh 7-0-43-1; Ganguly 3-0-14-0; Sehwag 5-0-37-1.

RESULT: Asia XI won by 31 runs.

UMPIRES: A.L. Hill (New Zealand) and P.D. Parker (Australia).

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

MATCH REFEREE: B.C. Broad (England).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Dilhara Fernando.—AFP