Pakistan fall short after heroic Afridi century

DAMBULLA, Sri Lanka, (Reuters) – Pakistan captain  Shahid Afridi narrowly failed to take his team to victory over  Sri Lanka with an heroic century in the opening match of the  Asia Cup.

After scoring 242 for nine, Sri Lanka reduced Pakistan to 32  for four before Afridi launched his counter-attack,

He struck seven sixes and eight fours in 109 from 76 balls  but was badly handicapped by cramp after reaching 92 and hobbled  his last 17 runs. Following his dismissal Pakistan succumbed for  226.

Afridi was particularly severe on Muttiah Muralittharan,  hitting the veteran off-spinner for five of his sixes.

Muralittharan, who conceded 71 from his 10 overs, gained his  revenge when wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara brought off an  outstanding reflex catch.

Fast bowler Lasith Malinga then took three wickets for four  runs off 11 balls on his way to a maiden five-wicket one-day  haul.

Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar celebrated his return to  the national team after a break of 13 months by taking three   for 41 after Sri Lanka had won the toss and batted first.

Akhtar broke through in the seventh over when opener Upul  Tharanga was caught at slip for 11. In his third spell he  captured the wickets of Chamara Kapugedera (2) and Farveez  Maharoof (1) as Sri Lanka slumped from 150 for three to 168 for  seven.

Angelo Mathews, with an unbeaten 55 off 61 balls, ensured  Sri Lanka got past 200. He added 71 with Nuwan Kulasekara (14)  and Lasith Malinga (16).

Sri Lanka’s top order was held together by the experienced  pair of Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, who shared a third  wicket partnership of 83 off 102 balls. Sangakkara scored 42 and  Jayawardene was unlucky to be given out lbw on 54 when he  reverse-swept Shoaib Malik and appeared to get an inside edge on  to his pad.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka innings
W. Tharanga  c Salman Butt b Shoaib Akhtar                            11
T. Dilshan  c Umar Amin b Mohammad Asif                             18
K. Sangakkara  c Umar Akmal b Shahid Afridi                         42
M. Jayawardene  lbw b Shoaib Malik                                          54
T. Samaraweera  c Umar Akmal b Abdul Razzaq                   17
A. Mathews  not out                                                                           55
C. Kapugedera  c Umar Akmal b Shoaib Akhtar                       2
M. Maharoof  c Kamran Akmal b Shoaib Akhtar                      1
N. Kulasekara  b Mohammad Aamer                                          14
L. Malinga  b Mohammad Aamer                                                 16
M. Muralitharan  not out                                                                   1
Extras (lb 5, w 6)                                                                                 11
Total (9 wickets; 50 overs)                                                          242
Fall of wickets: 1-31 2-36 3-119 4-150 5-150 6-160 7-168  8-211 9-239
Bowling: S. Akhtar 10-1-41-3, M. Asif 9-0-55-1 (w-1), M.  Aamer 10-1-57-2 (w-1), A. Razzaq 8-0-27-1 (w-2), S. Afridi  10-0-43-1 (w-1), S. Malik 3-0-14-1 9 (w-1)

Pakistan innings
S. Hasan c Malinga b Mathews                                                     11
S. Butt   b Malinga                                                                               0
U. Amin c Sangakkara b Malinga                                                 7
S. Malik c Sangakkara b Mathews                                                 8
U. Akmal run out                                                                             30
S. Afridi c Sangakkara b Muralitharan                                  109
K. Akmal run out                                                                              14
A. Razzaq not out                                                                            26
M. Aamer   b Malinga                                                                        5
S. Akhtar c Mathews b Malinga                                                     1
M. Asif   b Malinga                                                                              0
Extras   (w 10 lb 5)                                                                           15
Total   (all out; 47 overs)                                                           226
Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-11 3-28 4-32 5-105 6-154 7-205 8-217  9-219 10-226
Bowling: N. Kulasekara 9-1-25-0 (w-2), L. Malinga 10-0-34-5  (w-3), A. Mathews 10-1-38-2 (w-3), M. Maharoof 8-0-53-0 (w-1),  M. Muralitharan 10-0-71-1 (w-1)