Sri Lanka claim consolation win in dead rubber

Sri Lanka 368-4 (Perera 116) beat
Pakistan 203 (Ali 35) by 165 runs
Fifth One-Day International in Hambantota
Scorecard

Kusal Perera smashed a blazing ton as Sri Lanka bulldozed Pakistan to win the fifth and final One-Day International in Hambantota by 165 runs after setting the visitors a target of 369, ending the series on a high albeit losing it 3-2.

Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first. Sri Lanka were steady reaching 22 for no loss after five overs but consecutive fours from Perera (116) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (62) in successive overs, got them going.

Sri Lanka managed 64 for no loss in the first 10 overs. Perera continued his onslaught and got to his fifty in just 41 balls with seven fours and a six.

Perera continued to accelerate, hammering Imad Wasim (0-27) for two sixes in the 16th over to take Sri Lanka to 110 for no loss.

Perera gave a very tough chance off the bowling of Yasir Shah (0-73) in the 22nd over when on 78.

Dilshan brought up his fifty in the same over off 60 balls with a four. In the next over he became the fourth Sri Lankan player and 11th overall to make 10,000 ODI runs.

However, Sri Lanka’s second highest opening partnership against Pakistan ended on 164 in the 26th over when Dilshan was run out thanks to the brilliance of Ahmed Shehzad.

Perera reached his second ODI century as early as in the 28th over in just 90 balls taking Sri Lanka to 175 for one.

Perera too, was unfortunately run out after looking in sublime touch, attempting a second run. Rahat Ali (2-74) then got Lahiru Thirimanne (30) as Pakistan looked to stage a comeback.

Dinesh Chandimal (29), who looked in good touch, edged one to the wicket-keeper as Sri Lanka went to 254 for four after 41 overs.

However, what followed was carnage from Angelo Mathews (70 not out) and Milinda Siriwardana (52 not out).

The two batsmen plundered 114 runs in the next nine overs. Mathews went berserk bringing up his half-century in just 31 balls with a four in the 47th over.

Siriwardana brought up his fifty off the penultimate ball with a six, off just 25 balls.

Pakistan started the chase steadily moving to 46 for no loss after nine overs.

However, with the pressure of run-rate on them, Shehzad (18) was stumped. Azhar Ali (35) got going with five fours but was run out attempting a suicidal single.

Sarfraz Ahmed (27) added 45 in 42 balls with Mohammad Hafeez (37) but from then on the chase was totally derailed starting with the wicket of Hafeez who was trapped lbw by Mathews (1-9) getting his 100th ODI wicket.

Sarfraz was run out soon after; Pakistan went from 116 for two in the 20th over to 140 for five in the 25th over and could never recover from the mini collapse in spite of cameos from the lower order.

Eventually Pakistan were all out for 203 in 37.2 overs losing by a massive margin of 165 runs.

Pakistan had already won the series but Sri Lanka managed to win some confidence back ending the series 3-2 in Pakistan’s favour.

For Sri Lanka Sachitra Senanayake (3-39) was the pick of the bowlers but it was Perera who had set up the game nicely with his scintillating century.

© Cricket World 2015