http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 A left stranded
Duckworth Lewis method declared Sri Lanka A victor when bad light forced the players from the field at the end of 48th over with the hosts just 4 runs behind the winning line set by Pakistan A.
In the match played at P Sara Oval, Colombo on 2nd September, Pakistan A were able to amass 241 runs at the loss of six wickets from their allotted fifty overs. In reply, Sri Lanka was just four runs behind the target with two overs yet to be bowled when bad light forced the players from the ground.
The early close of play made the umpires consult the cruel Duckworth Lewis System for a result. Sri Lanka was four runs short of victory while Pakistan required only one wicket to script its second win of the tri-series with newcomers on the crease. But as always happens, the Duckworth Lewis system favoured the batting side, Sri Lanka A. As per D/L calculations the hosts were seven runs ahead of their 48-over target so Sri Lanka A was declared the winner by 7 runs.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Manzoor-c74308 and skipper Ghumman proved themselves to be partners in the real sense as both departed following each other in a single over bowled by Suranga Lakmal. Both nicked Lakmal to keeper Chandimal behind the stumps after scoring 11 runs each. The difference was number of balls faced and the number of boundaries struck. Manzoor’s 11 came through 23 balls plundering two boundaries while Ghumman took 31 balls to log 11 runs including one four as well.
The departure of opening partners in the ninth over with only 25 on the board brought a fresh pair of Asad Shafiq and Aamer Sajjad to the crease. The responsibility was duly felt by the 24-year old Asad Shafiq, who took the initiative of setting the side on its way to a competitive score. A flurry of boundaries from Shafiq calmed the nerves of Azeem Ghumman. Both the partners brought fifty up for the side. After two quick wickets in one over, Sri Lankan bowlers had to wait for 18 overs for another success.
In the meanwhile, fluent Asad http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shafiq-c89281 cruised to his individual half century as well. Shafiq and Sajjad took the team’s total to three digit figures. Both the partners shared a 75-run partnership for a third wicket stand with the bulk coming from Asad Shafiq. Sajjad departed moments after bringing the team total to 100 runs, for side slashing Prasanna to Surgana Lakmal. Sajjad scored 22 runs after facing 56 balls hitting a boundary as well.
Asad Shafiq shared another half century stand with left-handed batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sheharyar-Ghani-c89904. Ghani bludgeoned with the bat hitting five muscular boundaries in his 35-run cameo that came from 34 balls. That became 155 for 4 when Sheharyar Ghani mistimed Thushara safely into the hands of Siriwardana in the 36th over. Hammad Azam was the next batsman to partner fluent Asad Shafiq and the pair earned the side only 25 more runs for the fifth wicket stand before the newcomer was caught and bowled by Kandamby. Asad Shafiq recorded his third ton in List A cricket. He remained unbeaten at 109 from as many deliveries as Pakistan amassed 241 for 6 from 50 overs.
Sri Lanka A’s run chase relied solely on Dimuth Karunaratne’s century as rest of the cast, except Prasanna, failed to get past 20 even. It was Karunaratne’s 106 of 115 balls that took the hosts to the brink of victory before bad light halted the game with two overs to spare. The D/L method declared Sri Lanka winner by 7 runs. The results could have been different had the bad light not forced play to an early close, as the batsmen, Thushara and Lakmal, were both newcomers and Pakistani bowlers were quite set against the batting line-up of Sri Lanka.
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