Sri Lanka win thriller

Skipper Waqar Younis bowled well for Pakistan

Sharjah Cup, match four: Sri Lanka 239-5 (50 overs) beat Pakistan 230-5 (50 overs) by nine runs

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Sri Lanka's bowlers held their nerve in the closing overs to secure a narrow win for their side in a gripping climax to the fourth match of the triangular competition.

Pakistan looked poised for victory with only 23 needed off the final four overs, but Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan and Nuwan Zoysa did not allow a single boundary.

Veteran Wasim Akram did his best with an unbeaten 36 off 29 balls but it was not enough as Pakistan fell short of what appeared to be a relatively modest target.

He had earlier reached 450 wickets in one-day internationals by taking two for 30, but a stand of 107 for Sri Lanka between Marvan Atapattu (77 not out) and Upul Chandana (64) ultimately proved decisive.

Early setbacks

Pakistan began the game in confident mood, following their victory over New Zealand on Thursday, and Akram and skipper Waqar Younis were soon among the wickets.

Jayasuriya loses his middle stump

Akram made the initial breakthrough by bowling Sanath Jayasuriya for 23 and the removed Kumar Sangakkara, courtesy of a tremendous diving catch by Rashid Latif.

Sri Lanka slumped to 41 for four as Waqar dismissed Romesh Kaluwitharana and Mahela Jayawardene for seven and one respectively, also to catches behind the wicket.

Atapattu took on the responsibility of rebuilding the innings and he received able support from Russel Arnold, who helped add 91 before falling to 41 when he pulled Shahid Afridi to mid-wicket.

The real acceleration came from Chandana, however, and he hit nine boundaries in a 58-ball knock, which came to end when he was bowled by the final ball of the innings from Shoaib Akhtar.

Accurate bowling

Pakistan lost Afridi in the second over of their innings, caught by Muttiah Muralitharan off Zoysa for nought.

Imran Nazir and Yousuf Youhana batted senisibly to add 71 for the second wicket, but both then fell in the space of five overs with Nazir (34) run out by Chandana and Youhana (38) lbw to paceman Charitha Buddhika

There was no panic from Pakistan as Inzamam-ul-Haq and Younis Khan lifted the scoring rate in a fourth wicket stand of 85 in 16 overs.

Inzamam gave a return catch to Chandana after making 38 and Younis, perhaps more importantly, was run out for 45 by sub TM Dilshan's direct hit from backward square leg.

It left Pakistan on 185 for five, but Akram hit a six and four fours to bring them in sight of their target.

Sri Lanka turned the tables to leave Pakistan needing 13 off the last over and Vaas was on the spot to secure the win.

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Sri Lanka: ST Jayasuriya (captain), RS Kaluwitharana, MS Atapattu, DPMD Jayawardene, RP Arnold, K Sangakkara, UDU Chandana, WPUJC Vaas, DNT Zoysa, M Muralitharan, TCB Fernando.

Pakistan: Waqar Younis (captain), Shahid Afridi, Imran Nazir, Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Abdur Razzaq, Rashid Latif, Wasim Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Akhtar.