Captain Angelo Mathews hit a vital knock of 47 runs off 44 balls to lead Sri lanka to a thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan on Friday in their second one-day international, leveling the five-match series at 1-1.
Mathews, who earlier sprained his groin while bowling, got useful contributions from Kumar Sangakkara (58) and Dinesh Chandimal (44) before Sachithra Senanayake hit the winning boundary to get Sri lanka to 287-8.
Mathews’ match-winning effort overshadowed Pakistan opening batsman Ahmed Shehzad’s career-best 124 and captain Misbah-ul-Haq’s unbeaten 59 that helped Pakistan notch a total of 284-4.
Sangakkara and Chandimal put the innings back on track by contributing 94 runs. Sangakkara reached 12,000 runs in ODIs when he reached 29 after some smart fielding by Pakistan ran out both openers Tillakaratne Dilshan (40) and Kusal Perera (16).
Offspinner Saeed Ajmal then hurried a middle-order collapse when Sangakkara got a thick inside edge back onto his stump while attempting an expansive sweep shot and Junaid Khan (3-52) clean bowled Chandimal and Thisara Perera as Sri lanka slipped to 5-173.
However, Nuwan Kulasekara, promoted in the batting order, smashed three fours and two big sixes in his quickfire 32 off 26 balls with left-arm seamer Sohail Tanvir being smashed for 30 runs in two overs.
Although Afridi had Kulasekara stumped and Khan had Seekkuge Prasanna clean bowled in quick succession Mathews and Dimuth Kuranaratne kept their cool.
With only four required in the last over Mathews perished off Afridi’s first ball before Senanayake cut the legspinner to point boundary for winning runs.
Brief Scores
Pakistan: 284-4 (Shehzad 124, Misbah 59 no; Prasanna 1-45) lost to Sri lanka: 287-8 (Sangakkara 58, Mathews 47, Chandimal 44; Junaid 3-52, Afridi 2-46) by two wickets.