Afghanistan threatened to produce a shock victory over Sri lanka at the World Cup on Sunday before the favorites dug themselves out of deep trouble in the run chase and pulled off a four-wicket win.
The Afghans made a respectable 232 after being sent in to bat, and fiercely defended that total. The bowlers were performing jubilant cartwheels as Sri lanka lurched from 2-2 to 18-3 and 51-4. A Mahela Jayawardene 100 and 44 from captain Angelo Mathews salvaged the situation, but Sri lanka was still a shaky 178-6.
However Thisara Perera’s unbeaten 47 off 32 balls guided his team to victory, denying the Afghans a first World Cup victory but not denying them any admirers after coming so close to beating the former champions.
Sri lanka lost lahiru Thirimanne to the opening ball of the innings, and when experienced duo Tillakaratne Dilshan (0) and Kumar Sangakkara (7) departed in quick succession, lanka were under genuine pressure.
When Hamid Hassan bowled Sangakkara with a superb delivery at 18-3 in the sixth over, his reaction was unrestrained: he threw himself into a wild cartwheel which left him sprawling on the pitch.
But the 126-run stand between Jayawardene and Mathews set Sri lanka on its way to victory. “We probably dodged a bullet today,” Jayawardene said. “All credit to Afghanistan. They batted very well in tough conditions and then bowled beautifully.”
Jayawardene made a nervous start, reflective of his lack of form, but showed his class in building a match-winning 118-ball innings. He made his 19th century in one-day internationals and fourth in World Cups.
He and Mathews gave Sri lanka the firm upper hand, but there was another twist when Mathews was run out and Jayawardene fell one run later, caught at third man to give Hamid Hassan his third wicket.
Perera made 47 of the 58-run stand with Jeevan Mendis that guided Sri lanka home. The win put Sri lanka’s campaign back on track. Earlier, Asghar Stanikzai made 54 in 88-run stand for the third wicket with Samiullah Shenwari (38) to lift Afghanistan to 232.
BRIEF SCORES
Afghanistan: 232 (Asghar Stanikzai 54, Samiullah Shenwari 38; lasith Malinga 3/41, Angelo Mathews 3/41) lose to Sri lanka: 236/6 in 48.2 overs (Mahela Jayawardene 100, Thisara Perera 47, Angelo Mathews 44; Hamid Hassan 3/45)