Sunday, June 21, 2009

Pakistan stop Sri Lanka at 138-6 in T20 final


Abdul Razzaq claimed three wickets as a fired-up Pakistan restricted Sri Lanka to 138-6 in the World Twenty20 final at Lord's here on Sunday.

Sri Lanka, the only unbeaten team in the tournament, were dealt quick blows after captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to take first strike on a slow wicket.

The Lankans slumped to 2-2 in the first nine balls and that became 34-4 before Sangakkara himself led the rescue act with a defiant unbeaten 64 from 52 balls.

Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews put on 68 valuable runs for the unbroken seventh wicket as Sri Lanka plundered 59 runs in the final five overs.

Mathews returned unbeaten on 35 off 24 balls.

"I kept bowling at the stumps. I knew their guys would go for me so I bowled a full length," said Razzaq.

Pakistan got off to a sensational start in the sell-out final when teenage fast bowler Mohammad Aamir sent back the in-form Tillekaratne Dilshan with the fifth ball of the match.

Dilshan, the tournament's leading scorer with 317 runs, miscued a pull shot off the speedy left-armer and was caught at backward square-leg by Shahzaib Hasan for zero.

Four balls later, Shahzaib grabbed his second catch at mid-off as Jehan Mubarak skied a leading edge off Razzaq, who shared the new ball with Aamir.

Sanath Jayasuriya counter-attacked with a six and four in Razzaq's second over, but the bowler hit back two balls later as the left-handed veteran edged a ball on to his stumps after making 17.

Razzaq, who replaced the injured Yasir Arafat after ending his links with the rebel Indian Cricket League, struck again in his third over when Misbah-ul Haq dived to his right at slip to remove Mahela Jayawardene for one.

Chamara Silva brought up Sri Lanka's 50 in the 10th over when he pulled off-spinner Shoaib Malik to the square-leg fence, and then helped Sangakkara take 11 runs in the next over from Shahid Afridi.

The total moved to 67-4 in the 12th when seamer Umar Gul struck with his third ball to have Silva tapping a catch to Saeed Ajmal at mid-wicket after making 14.

Tailender Isuru Udana, who was surprisingly promoted to number seven, lasted only five balls when Afridi breached his defence to peg pack the stumps and make Sri Lanka 70-6 in 13 overs.

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