COLOMBO: Aggressive batting by debutant Shehan Jayasuriya and Chamara Kapugedera lifted Sri Lanka to 172-7 in the second and final Twenty20 International against Pakistan in Colombo on Saturday.

Jayasuriya, a 23-year-old left-hander unrelated to Sri Lanka’s former captain Sanath Jayasuriya, smashed three fours and two sixes in his 32-ball 40 before he was fifth out.

But it was Kapugedera who boosted the total with an unbeaten 48 off 25 balls that contained four sixes and two boundaries.

Kapugedera put on 55 for the sixth wicket with Milinda Siriwardana (23) as the hosts plundered 59 runs in the final five overs at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

Sri Lanka president Maithripala Sirisena was among a packed crowd of 35,000 at the Premadasa stadium to watch the action after home team captain Lasith Malinga won the toss and elected to bat.

Openers Kusal Perera and Tillakaratne Dilshan were removed by the fourth over with the score at 32 before Jayasuriya and Dhananjaya de Silva (14) carried the total to 61 without further loss.

Pakistan, who won the first T20 match on Thursday, are hoping to complete a hat-trick of series wins on the current tour, having clinched the Tests 2-1 and the one-dayers 3-2.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA:

M.D.K.J. Perera b Malik 19

T.M. Dilshan c Hafeez b Anwar 10

D.S.N.F.G. Jayasuriya c Imad b Sohail 40

D.M. de Silva b Afridi 14

N.L.T.C. Perera st Rizwan b Malik 1

T.A.M. Siriwardana c Mukhtar b Irfan 23

C.K. Kapugedera not out 48

M.D. Shanaka run out 7

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-7) 10

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 20 overs) 172

Fall of wkts: 1-24, 2-32, 3-61, 4-64, 5-90, 6-145, 7-172.

DID NOT BAT: B. Fernando, J.D.F. Vandersay, S.L. Malinga.

BOWLING: Anwar Ali 4-0-40-1 (1w); Sohail Tanvir 4-0-44-1 (1w); Shoaib Malik 3-0-16-2; Mohammad Irfan 4-0-31-1; Shahid Afridi 4-0-30-1; Imad Wasim 3521-0-8-0 (5w).

PAKISTAN: Mukhtar Ahmed, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Anwar Ali, Imad Wasim, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Irfan.

UMPIRES: R.S.A. Palliyaguruge and R.R. Wimalasiri (both Sri Lanka).

TV UMPIRE: R.E.J. Martinesz (Sri Lanka).

MATCH REFEREE: J. Srinath (India).

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2015

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