HAMBANTOTA (Sri Lanka), June 1: Seam bowler Nuwan Kulasekara picked up wickets with his first two balls to help Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 37 runs in a low-scoring opening Twenty20 International at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium here on Friday.
Batting first after winning the toss Sri Lanka made 132 runs. Thisara Perera made 32 in 16 balls in a late blow to give his team a decent total after Pakistan seamer Sohail Tanvir skittled the home side's top order.
In reply Kulasekara dismissed Mohammad Hafeez, leading Pakistan for the first time, and debutant wicket-keeper Shakeel Ansar off successive balls in the first over of Pakistan's innings to swing the momentum in favour of the hosts as the tourists were eventually dismissed for 95 runs in the 18th over.
Recalled Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad offered some fight by top-scoring with 36 in a 42-ball innings before being eighth man out.
Seamer Anjelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga and spinner Sachithra Senanayake also picked up two wickets each.
Perera, who was named Man-of-the-Match, was also outstanding in the field, claiming a remarkable full-length catch at third man to dismiss Shoaib Malik for nine and finishing off the Pakistan innings by having Saeed Ajmal caught behind for five.
Earlier, left-armer Sohail dismissed Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene (2), Tillakaratne Dilshan (5) and Kumar Sangakkara (19) to reduce the hosts to 31-3 after they won the toss and elected to bat first.
Sri Lanka did not fully recover despite some late aggressive batting by Perera, who struck two sixes and as many four fours and Lahiru Thirimanne (30 off 25 deliveries).
Sohail finished with 3-12 in his four overs while off-spinner Saeed Ajmal returned 2-20.
Sohail struck with the third ball of the match when he surprised Jayawardene with a rising ball to give a high catch to Shoaib Malik.
Dilshan flicked Tanvir to Umar Gul at square leg and Sangakkara, after a promising start and hitting three boundaries, edged a ball on to the stumps.—Agencies
Scoreboard
SRI LANKA: D.P.M.D. Jayawardene c Malik b Sohail 2 T.M. Dilshan c Umar Gul b Sohail 5 K.C. Sangakkara b Sohail 19 L.D. Chandimal b Sami 10 A.D. Mathews b Saeed 9 H.D.R.L. Thirimanne c Umar Gul b Saeed 30 K.S. Lokuarachchi run out 11 N.L.T.C. Perera not out 32 K.M.D.N. Kulasekara not out 6 EXTRAS (B-1, LB-3, W-4) 8 TOTAL (for seven wkts, 20 overs) 132 FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-11, 3-31, 4-39, 5-65, 6-89, 7-89. DID NOT BAT: S.M.S.M. Senanayake, S.L. Malinga. BOWLING: Sohail Tanvir 4-0-12-3 (1w); Umar Gul 4-0-43-0 (3w); Mohammad Sami 2-0-22-1; Shahid Afridi 2-0-9-0; Mohammad Hafeez 4-0-22-0; Saeed Ajmal 4-0-20-2. PAKISTAN: Mohammad Hafeez c Dilshan b Kulasekara 0 Ahmed Shehzad b Senanayake 36 Shakeel Ansar c Dilshan b Kulasekara 0 Khalid Latif c Sangakkara b Mathews 3 Shoaib Malik c Perera b Mathews 9 Umar Akmal c Kulasekara b Malinga 12 Shahid Afridi c Lokuarachchi b Senanayake 1 Sohail Tanvir run out 1 Umar Gul c Thirimanne b Malinga 5 Mohammad Sami not out 4 Saeed Ajmal c Sangakkara b Perera 5 EXTRAS (LB-2, W-17) 19 TOTAL (all out, 17.4 overs) 95 FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-0, 3-12, 4-46, 5-68, 6-70, 7-71, 8-85, 9-87. BOWLING: Kulasekara 3-0-13-2 (1w); Malinga 3-0-12-2; Mathews 4-1-8-2; Perera 2.4-0-23-1 (1w); Lokuarachchi 2-0-17-0 (2w); Senanayake 3-0-20-2 (1w). RESULT: Sri Lanka won by 37 runs. UMPIRES: E.A.R. de Silva and R.E.J. Martinesz (both Sri Lanka). TV UMPIRE: R.S.A. Palliyaguruge (Sri Lanka) MATCH REFEREE: B.C. Broad (England). MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Thisara Perera. SECOND MATCH: Hambantota (D/N), Sunday.