Sharjah: One-day cricket blossomed to its full glory at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the first match of the Cool & Cool Cup trophy five-match series, with the match ending in a nail-biting finish despite both teams scoring over 300 runs.
Mohammad Hafeez led Pakistan’s run spree with a hurricane century and ensured his team a 11 runs victory over Sri Lanka. Hafeez cracked 122 runs off 129 balls with seven boundaries and four sixes to help Pakistan post a mammoth 322 for 5 wickets in 50 overs but Sri Lanka chased the total brilliantly to just fall short of the target. They were bowled out for 311 runs in 49.4 overs.
Seekkuge Prasanna and Sachithra Senanayake took Sri Lanka closer to the target through a 87 runs partnership in 7.3 overs. The partnership ended when substitute Anwar Ali took a brilliant catch at cover off Sohail Tanvir to dismiss Senanayake for 42. Till the last man Prasanna, who hit a brave 42 runs fell to Junaid Khan, caught at mid off, Pakistan weren’t sure of a victory.
Earlier, Hafeez was provided excellent support by debutant opener Sharjeel Khan, who scored 61 runs off 61 balls with six boundaries and three sixers. Shoaib Maqsood too provident excellent support to Hafeez with a quick 73 runs studded with four sixes and two boundaries. Shahid Afridi too entertained the crowd with 34 runs off just 12 balls with three sixes and two boundaries.
Set to chase a run rate of 6.44 runs per over, Sri Lanka took up the challenge with Kusal Perera’s cracking 64 runs and Dinesh Chandimal scoring 46 runs. Afridi put the brakes on Sri Lanka’s batting with two quick wickets.
Sri Lanka fought back from 211 for 7 in 41.2 overs to almost pull off a victory. Junaid Khan picked three wickets for 44 including the prize wicket of Prasanna who threatened to steer his team past the target through some aggressive shots.
The day began with Pakistan winning the toss and electing to bat on a wicket that resembled a cement track tailor-made for batsmen. Opener Ahmed Shehzad began confidently by playing a lovely straight drive off Suranga Lakmal. The inform Khan, making his One-day debut, made his aggressive intentions clear by hitting none other than the fearsome Malinga for a six to deep mid wicket in the fourth over of the day. He also picked two boundaries off Malinga in the same over.
In the seventh over, Shehzad’s 20-ball stay at the wicket for nine runs ended when he was adjudged leg before to Lakmal. Though he requested for a review, the umpires judged that he did not appeal immediately and hence the verdict stayed. Hawk Eye showed he could not have got a favourable decision as the ball would have hit the top of the middle stump.
After this drama, Hafeez joined Khan. He settled down by hitting two successive boundaries off Lakmal. His electrifying drive through the covers proved he is set for a long stay at the wicket.
In the 13th over, Khan punished Thisara Perera severely through some lovely shots. He began by hitting him for a lofted shot over mid off for a one bounce boundary. One ball later he hit two effortless sixes, the first six sailed over long on and the next was hit deep into the crowd at mid wicket.
Khan reached his half century through a sparkling drive through mid on after stepping out of the crease. He became the eighth Pakistan batsman to score a half century on debut.
Pakistan went past the 100-run mark in the 20th over with Hafeez hitting Tillakaratne Dilshan for a six over long on.
Seekuge Prasanna ended Khan’s run-a-ball knock by having him caught near the long on boundary line by Sachitra Senanayake. At the half way mark, Pakistan were 134 for 2 with Hafeez in full flow and Sohaib Maqsood settling down quickly.
Hafeez reached his 19th One-day half century. Maqsood hit Prasanna for a towering six and Pakistan went past the 150 runs mark in the 30th over. Hafeez too hit a parallel six to mid wicket off Senanayake. In the next seven overs, Pakistan hit 50 more runs to go past the 200 mark and a total of over 300 runs looked bright. Hafeez and Maqsood’s century partnership came in 17.4 overs.
Maqsood raced to his third half century in One-day internationals while Hafeez recorded his seventh century in One-day internationals in style by hitting a six off Lakmal over long on.
The pair put on 140 runs in 21.4 overs before Maqsood who also looked set for a century got run out for 73. Hafeez’s knock of 122 ended in the last over when he miscued a shot to be caught by Dinesh Chandimal at mid wicket off Lakmal.
Sri Lanka needed a good start. Kushal Perera and Tillakaratne Dilshan took their time to settle down. They put on 52 runs in the first ten overs. The first six of the innings came when Kushal pulled Junaid Khan to mid wicket in the 11th over. Dilshan fell to Junaid by pulling him to Mohammad Hafeez at deep square leg for 30 runs after putting on 66 runs with Perera.
Kumar Sangakkara joined Perera, who raced to his second half century in One Day Internationals. Sri Lanka reached the 100 run mark in the 20th over.
Thirteen runs later. Hafeez trapped Perera leg before for 64 runs. Perera and Sangakkara had added 47 runs in 9.5 overs. Sangakkara too followed after Afridi struck with the second ball of the 26th over, forcing him to edge to wicketkeeper Umar Akmal for 23 runs.
With two new pair in Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanna at the crease, the run rate dipped. Afridi had Thirimanna caught at mid wicket by Maqsood for 10 runs. Skipper Angelo Mathews joined Chandimal with the required rate climbing to 10.1 an over.
Chandimal opened out hitting Bilawal Bhatti for a six over long on. Sri Lanka went past the 200 run mark with Chandimal smashing Sohail Tanvir past backward point for a boundary.
In the 39th over Chandimal got run out for 46 runs after adding 73 runs in 10.2 overs with Mathews.
In the last ten overs, Sri Lanka needed 109 runs when Mathews too departed hitting Junaid Khan into the hands of Tanvir at mid off for 31. Seekkuge Prasanna and Sachithra Senanayake took Sri Lanka closer to the target through a 87 runs partnership in 7.3 overs. The partnership ended when substitute Anwar Ali took a brilliant catch at cover off Tanvir to dismiss Senanayake for 42.
