Tanvir grabs four as Sri Lanka limited to 218-9

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Tanvir grabs four as Sri Lanka limited to 218-9

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Left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir grabbed 4-34 to help Pakistan limit Sri Lanka to 218-9.

23 November,2011 08:58 pm

In the fifth and final one-day cricket international played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Wednesday, Tanvir put Sri Lanka in early peril at 46-4 before Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews both hit half-centuries to spearhead a fightback.Left-hander Sangakkara lashed eight fours in a topscore of 78 off 100 balls while Mathews struck two fours and two sixes in 61 off 101 deliveries.The pair shared a fifth-wicket partnership of 118.Thisara Perera provided some late impetus with 25 off 18 balls.Tanvir led the attack while offspinners Saeed Ajmal (1-26) and Mohammad Hafeez (1-29) also enjoyed miserly 10-over spells.Sri Lanka, opting to bat on winning the toss, quickly lost its way against the new ball.Tanvir made the initial breakthrough when left-hander Upul Tharanga (3) nibbled tentatively outside off and nicked to wicketkeeper Umar Akmal.Umar Gul provided the key wicket of captain Tillakaratne Dilshan for 12, with Akmal again snapping up an edge behind.It was 32-3 when Tanvir claimed Dinesh Chandimal (7) to a catch at second slip by Younus Khan.Sri Lanka slumped further to 46-4 in the 11th over when yet another edge provided Junaid Khan with his first wicket.Chamara Silva, included in place of injured veteran Mahela Jayawardene, was caught at first slip by Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq.Sangakkara started the revival with some brilliant strokeplay, including three boundaries in one Tanvir over, and found an able ally in Mathews.The pair gradually rebuilt the innings, and Sangakkaras 50, off 55 balls, pushed Sri Lanka past three figures in the 23rd over.Sangakkara also passed another landmark in his decorated career when he reached 68, going past Pakistans Mohammad Yousuf into 10th all-time on the list of runscorers in one-dayers.Mathews followed his partner to 50, off 88 balls, and Sri Lanka was nicely placed at 164-4 in the 39th over.But once Sangakkara fell, driving Hafeez straight to Misbah at extra cover, the innings hit the rocks again.Jeevan Mendis (2) was stumped off Afridi and Mathews departed at 180-7, bowled behind his back by Ajmal.Perera dominated an eighth-wicket stand of 34 off 39 balls with Seekkuge Prasanna to push Sri Lanka to some respectability.Tanvir removed Perera and Lasith Malinga in the final over to boost his figures.