ABU DHABI: Medium pacer Hasan Ali finished with career best figures to once again anchor Pakistan’s convincing seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first Twenty20 in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

Hasan, who took 14 wickets in Pakistan’s preceding 5-0 whitewash of the one-day series, took 3-23 in 3.3 overs as Pakistan skittled Sri Lanka out for a paltry 102 in 18.3 overs.

Only Seekkuge Prasanna (23 not out) and debutant Sadeera Samarawickrama (23) put some resistance against a varied bowling attack.

Pakistan did lose Fakhar Zaman (six), Babar Azam (one) and Ahmed Shehzad (22) early, but were seen through to the target by Shoaib Malik (42 not out) and Mohammad Hafeez (25 not out) with 16 balls to spare.

Malik hit four boundaries in his 31-ball knock while Hafeez’s 23-ball innings had three hits to the ropes. It was again Pakistan’s bowling which led them to victory.

Sri Lanka lost wickets at regular intervals after looking to build the innings at 51-2 in the ninth over. But they lost their last eight wickets for another 51 runs and were bowled out for their second lowest Twenty20 total against Pakistan.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA:

M.D. Gunathilaka c Sarfraz b Usman 18
E.M.D.Y. Munaweera b Imad 0
S. Samarawickrama b Fahim 23
S.M.A. Priyanjan c Malik b Shadab 12
M.L. Udawatte lbw b Hafeez 8
S.S. Pathirana c and b Hasan 4
M.D. Shanaka st Sarfraz b Hafeez 0
S. Prasanna not out 23
N.L.T.C. Perera c Sarfraz b Usman 6
I. Udana b Hasan 0
J.R.M.V.M. Sanjaya c Fahim b Hasan 4

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-1) 4

TOTAL (all out, 18.3 overs) 102

FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-29, 3-51, 4-58, 5-66, 6-66, 7-68, 8-85, 9-87.

BOWLING: Imad Wasim 4-0-26-1 (1w); Usman Khan Shinwari 4-0-20-2; Hasan Ali 3.3-0-23-3 (1w); Fahim Ashraf 2-0-6-1; Shadab Khan 3-0-14-1; Mohammad Hafeez 2-1-10-2.

PAKISTAN:

Fakhar Zaman b Sanjaya 6
A. Shehzad c S’wickrama b Sanjaya 22
Babar Azam st S’wickrama b Pathirana 1
Shoaib Malik not out 42
Mohammad Hafeez not out 25

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-6) 7

TOTAL (for three wkts, 17.2 overs) 103

FALL OF WKTS: 1-10, 2-18, 3-64.

DID NOT BAT: Sarfraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Fahim Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Usman Khan Shinwari.

BOWLING: Sanjaya 4-0-20-2 (1w); Munaweera 1-0-5-0; Pathirana 4-0-25-1 (1w); Udana 3-0-18-0; Prasanna 3-0-18-0; Perera 2-0-14-0; Shanaka 0.2-0-3-0.

RESULT: Pakistan won by seven wickets to lead three-match series 1-0.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Usman Khan Shinwari.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2017