| 0.0 : A warm welcome to Match 7 of the World Cup 2019 between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in Cardiff. After the Kiwi debacle, Sri Lanka and would look to put their last performance to rest and start with a fresh mind. Their batting did not click in the last match and they would want it to come good today, especially their middle order. As far as Afghanistan is concerned, they lost to Australia in the last match but would aim to put their learnings from that match here. Mohammad Nabi, Hazrat Zazai and Ra |
| WEATHER - OVERCAST CONDITIONS! Does it mean it will rain? Oops... don't say that. It means extended work hours. Joking... this could also mean early finish, isn't it? The ball will move around a bit and the batters will be tested. |
| TOSS - Time for the spin of the coin. Gulbadin Naib flips it, Heads is the call from Dimuth Karunaratne but it is a Tail. AFGHANISTAN WILL CHASE. |
| Afghanistan skipper, Gulbadin Naib, says that he would like to bowl first due to the suitable conditions. Reckons it is a good toss to win. On their first game, Gulbadin says that they learnt a lot from that match against Australia. On Sri Lanka today, Naib says that he does not want to look into the past and reckons that the Lankans are a champion side and the Afghans would have to be at their best. Informs that he is playing the same XI from the Australia match. |
| Sri Lankan captain, Dimuth Karunaratne, says that in the last match also they batted first, so they know how the conditions will be. Says that it is not a 300-wicket but wants his batsmen to asses the wicket well. On captaincy issues, Karunaratne says that it is not easy but credits the former players for giving him advice. Informs that Nuwan Pradeep comes in place for Jeevan Mendis. |
| Afghanistan (Unchanged Playing XI) - Mohammad Shahzad(WK), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib(C), Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Hamid Hassan. |
| Sri Lanka (Playing XI) - Lahiru Thirimanne, Dimuth Karunaratne(C), Kusal Perera(WK), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Nuwan Pradeep (IN FOR JEEVAN MENDIS), Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga. |
| Afghanistan would want that their spin trio of Nabi, Rashid and Mujeeb come to the party. That did not happen against Australia. But today, they might want their seamers to take some wickets upfront. On the other hand, Sri Lanka were blown away by the rampaging Kiwi attack the other day. They would want that their senior players like Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga take more responsibility and the rest of the players show a better application and fight. |
| It is time for the national anthems. Apa Sri Lanka Namo Namo Namo Namo Matha... is first, followed by the Afghan one. |
| The national anthems are done and dusted and it is time for the game to begin! The Afghans get together in a huddle and Gulbadin Naib has some last minute instructions. Out come Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Perera to open for Sri Lanka. So Thirimanne drops down the order today. Dawlat Zadran to begin the proceedings to the Lankan skipper. Here we go! |
| 0.1 : D Zadran to D Karunaratne, On a good length but down the leg side, Karunaratne looks to flick but misses and is hit on the pads. |
| 0.2 : D Zadran to D Karunaratne, On a good length again, Dimuth rises with the bounce and taps it to the off side. |
| 0.3 : D Zadran to D Karunaratne, Again, extra bounce and this time, a bottom edge is induced. DK looked to push it to point. |
| 0.4 : D Zadran to D Karunaratne, Landed outside off, punched straight to point. |
| 0.5 : D Zadran to D Karunaratne, WIDE. Full and swinging but misdirected. It is pitched around leg and the swing takes it down the leg side. The skipper looks to flick but misses and Mohammad Shahzad dives to his right and collects. Sri Lanka are off the mark. |
| D Zadran to D Karunaratne, FOUR! Sri Lanka are away now! A short ball, down the leg side, Karunaratne looks to tuck it away but the ball bounces, takes the glove and races towards fine leg. Rahmat Shah gives it a chase from first slip but in vain. |
| 0.6 : D Zadran to D Karunaratne, Around off, pushed towards the off side. |
| Hamid Hassan to bowl with the second new ball. |
| 1.1 : H Hassan to K Perera, FOUR! Nice shot. Hamid starts with a short delivery, Perera pulls it through square leg for a boundary. |
| 1.2 : H Hassan to K Perera, Good running between the wickets. Length delivery outside off, Perera taps it through cover-point. The batsmen get three runs. |
| Three slips in place. Good aggression, making a statement that you have decided to bowl and want to make it count. |
| 1.3 : H Hassan to D Karunaratne, Good running between the wickets. Bowls it down the leg side, Karunaratne looks to flick but gets it off his pads. It goes towards Shahzad who does well to stop it with one hand. The batsmen take a single in the process. The umpire gives it as a leg bye. |
| 1.4 : H Hassan to K Perera, FOUR! FEROCIOUS! This is the Kusal Perera we know. See ball, hammer ball. Full outside off, Perera blasts it down the ground, to the left of mid off. |
| 1.5 : H Hassan to K Perera, Punched off the back foot by the batsman. The batsmen have run through for a single. |
| 1.6 : H Hassan to D Karunaratne, Full and outside off, Karunaratne drives it through covers. The batsmen pick up a couple. |
| 2.1 : D Zadran to K Perera, OUCH! On the rib cage. A short ball, around middle and leg, Perera looks to tuck it to the leg side but misses and is hit on the chest. |
| 2.2 : D Zadran to K Perera, A short ball, helped with a pull towards long leg for a single. |
| 2.3 : D Zadran to D Karunaratne, Outside off, left alone. |
| 2.4 : D Zadran to D Karunaratne, Outside off, getting right behind the line to push it towards point. |
| Dimuth Karunaratne stays side-on while playing a short ball, Does not get opened up and hence, does not gets squared up either by the ball movement. Gets right behind the line of the ball and plays it correctly. |
| 2.5 : D Zadran to D Karunaratne, The batsman defends it from within the crease. |
| 2.6 : D Zadran to D Karunaratne, A bouncer to end the over, Dimuth ducks. |
| 3.1 : H Hassan to K Perera, Length delivery on off, Perera looks to defend but gets an inside edge. It goes towards the leg side for a single. |
| 3.2 : H Hassan to D Karunaratne, FIVE WIDES! Lack of control and some frustration early for Afghanistan. This was fired down the leg side and it took off after pitching. Mohammad Shahzad had to put his skates on to get to his right but could not quite get there. Poor delivery from Hamid Hassan. Hamid bowls it down the leg side, Karunaratne looks to flick but misses it. It goes past the keeper for a boundary. |
| H Hassan to D Karunaratne, Length delivery outside off, the skipper guides it towards third man for a boundary. |
| 3.3 : H Hassan to K Perera, FOUR! Up and over mid off! So much of Sanath Jayasuriya in that shot. Excellent shot. Full and outside off, Perera hits it over wide mid off for a boundary. This is good batting from Kusal Perera. |
| 3.4 : H Hassan to K Perera, On a length on leg, Kusal flicks it towards square leg for a single. |
| 3.5 : H Hassan to D Karunaratne, FOUR! Another boundary! This is more of a placement. Worked wide of mid on. Good shot from the skipper. Full on middle, Karunaratne flicks it through mid-wicket for a boundary. |
| 3.6 : H Hassan to D Karunaratne, Good shot from the skipper. Full on middle, Karunaratne flicks it through mid-wicket for a boundary. 16 runs have come from the over. Big over for Sri Lanka. |
| 4.1 : D Zadran to K Perera, On middle, extra bounce, pushed back uppishly towards the bowler. |
| 4.2 : D Zadran to K Perera, FOUR! Looks Perera has started from where he left in last match. Short ball on the body, Perera is lined up for it and he muscles it to mid-wicket. No need to run for those. |
| Sujith says, 'The way Sri Lanka are going, I reckon 400 is on the cards!' |
| 4.3 : D Zadran to K Perera, FIVE WIDES! Another bonus. Short and dug in the middle of the pitch, Perera stays where he is and the ball goes way over the keeper to the fine leg fence. Kusal is not happy. |
| It has started to DRIZZLE!!! |
| D Zadran to K Perera, Full and outside off, driven through mid off for a single. |
| 4.4 : D Zadran to D Karunaratne, Length ball outside off, Dimuth leaves it for the keeper to do the rest. |
| 4.5 : D Zadran to D Karunaratne, WIDE! Dawlat strays in line. Bowls a length ball down leg and rightly wided by the umpire. |
| D Zadran to D Karunaratne, FOUR LEG BYES! Another ill-directed delivery. |
| 4.6 : D Zadran to D Karunaratne, The batsman has attempted to put bat on ball - but fails. |
| First bowling change. Mujeeb Ur Rahman into the attack. |
| 5.1 : Ur Rahman to K Perera, IN THE AIR BUT SAFE! Flighted delivery on middle, Perera sweeps it over square leg. Rashid Khan picks it in one bounce. The batsmen take a single. |
| 5.2 : Ur Rahman to D Karunaratne, Floated on middle, Karunaratne flicks it to long on for a single. |
| 5.3 : Ur Rahman to K Perera, Tossed up on off, Perera plays it towards mid off for a single. |
| 5.4 : Ur Rahman to D Karunaratne, Flighted delivery on off, the skipper plays it to off side. |
| 5.5 : Ur Rahman to D Karunaratne, Tossed up on middle, Karunarante defends it off the front foot. |
| 5.6 : Ur Rahman to D Karunaratne, FOUR! Nice shot. Full on middle, Karunaratne flicks it through mid-wicket for a boundary. |
| Another bowling change. Mohammad Nabi coming in now. |
| 6.1 : M Nabi to K Perera, Nice drift, full and on middle, Kusal comes down the track and flicks it towards short mid-wicket. Was almost beaten in the flight but adjusted well. |
| 6.2 : M Nabi to K Perera, Full and around middle and leg, swept through square leg for a single. |
| 6.3 : M Nabi to D Karunaratne, Fired on middle and leg, worked straight to short mid-wicket. |
| 6.4 : M Nabi to D Karunaratne, Full on middle, pushed through mid on for a run. |
| 6.5 : M Nabi to K Perera, Around off, pushed back to the bowler. |
| 6.6 : M Nabi to K Perera, Full and down the leg side, Perera misses his sweep and the ball goes off his pads. A leg bye taken. |
| 7.1 : Ur Rahman to K Perera, WIDE. Full and down the leg side, Perera looks to sweep but misses. |
| Ur Rahman to K Perera, Around off, watchfully pushed towards mid-wicket. |
| 7.2 : Ur Rahman to K Perera, FOUR! High, but not quite handsome. Kusal comes down the track and Mujeeb fires it wider outside off. Perera still goes through with the shot and swings it high over mid-wicket. Najibullah Zadran has to cover a lot of distance to his left from long on and cannot get there. |
| 7.3 : Ur Rahman to K Perera, FOUR! Perera waits and slaps this short length delivery through covers and the ball crosses the fence with ease. |
| 7.4 : Ur Rahman to K Perera, Pushes this back to the bowler. |
| 7.5 : Ur Rahman to K Perera, Laps this straight to Hazrat Zazai at short fine leg. |
| 7.6 : Ur Rahman to K Perera, Looks to cut but mistimes it towards cover. |
| 8.1 : M Nabi to D Karunaratne, Tossed up on middle, Karunaratne drives it towards mid on for a single. |
| 8.2 : M Nabi to K Perera, Short delivery on middle, Perera pulls it through square leg for a single. |
| 8.3 : M Nabi to D Karunaratne, Tossed up on middle, Karunaratne flicks it through square leg. The fielder in the deep does well to stop it and goes for a direct hit at the bowler's end but misses it. The batsmen get two runs. |
| 8.4 : M Nabi to D Karunaratne, Flighted delivery on middle, Karunaratne plays it back towards the bowler. |
| 8.5 : M Nabi to D Karunaratne, Tossed up on middle, Dimuth drives it to long on for a run. |
| 8.6 : M Nabi to K Perera, Short delivery on off, Perera makes room and cuts it to point. |
| 9.1 : Ur Rahman to D Karunaratne, On middle, pushed down to long on for a single. |
| 0.0 : Kusal Perera is playing a lot straighter today. Many times, he looks to play across which gets him into trouble. That is his strength but also becomes his weakness. |
| 9.2 : Ur Rahman to K Perera, Outside off, punched through the covers for a quick single. Good running. |
| 9.3 : Ur Rahman to D Karunaratne, Full and outside off, Karunaratne reverse sweeps it straight to short third man. |
| 9.4 : Ur Rahman to D Karunaratne, Outside off, punched off the back foot. |
| 9.5 : Ur Rahman to D Karunaratne, The batsman has driven it through mid on for a single. |
| 9.6 : Ur Rahman to K Perera, Full and around off, watchfully defended. |
| POWERPLAY 2 time. 4 fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle till the 40th over. |
| Gulbadin Naib brings himself on. A slip in place. |
| 10.1 : G Naib to D Karunaratne, On middle and leg, flicked through mid-wicket for a single. |
| 0.0 : The clouds seem to be clearing. The conditions are getting more and more pleasant. The pitch is easing out as well. |
| 10.2 : G Naib to K Perera, On a length on middle, Perera tucks it towards short mid-wicket for a single. |
| 10.3 : G Naib to D Karunaratne, Length delivery on off, Karunaratne plays it to covers. |
| 10.4 : G Naib to D Karunaratne, On a length on middle, Karunaratne plays it to the left of the bowler where Gulbadin Naib goes for the catch but it was very far from him. It goes to mid on. |
| 10.5 : G Naib to D Karunaratne, Length delivery on middle, Dimuth flicks it through mid-wicket for a single. |
| 10.6 : G Naib to K Perera, Short delivery on middle, Perera pulls it towards mid-wicket for a single. Just 4 runs have come from the over. |
| Change of ends for Mohammad Nabi. 2-0-7-0 so far. |
| 11.1 : M Nabi to K Perera, Short ball, pulled away for a single. |
| 11.2 : M Nabi to D Karunaratne, Flatter on the pads, Dimuth flicks it to mid-wicket. |
| 11.3 : M Nabi to D Karunaratne, Fired in on middle and leg, Karunaratne looks to defend it back to the bowler but gets beaten by the pace and gets stuck on the pads. |
| 11.4 : M Nabi to D Karunaratne, Dimuth looks to push this flatter one to off side but gets hit on the pads. An appeal from the bowler but the ball is going down leg. |
| Naib is going off the park. While putting in the dive on the previous ball to stop it, his left elbow seems to have got hurt. |
| 11.5 : M Nabi to D Karunaratne, Works this down the leg side, Naib dives over the ball and makes a half-stop. A single taken. |
| 11.6 : M Nabi to K Perera, Driven through mid off by the batsman. They pick up a single. |
| Naib is back on the park but does not seem 100 percent. A little bit of blood is oozing out from his left elbow's wound. He is bowling though. |
| 12.1 : G Naib to K Perera, Flicked away for a single. |
| 12.2 : G Naib to D Karunaratne, Length delivery on leg, Karunaratne flicks it through square leg. The batsmen get two runs. |
| 12.3 : G Naib to D Karunaratne, Full on leg, Dimuth flicks it towards square leg for a single. |
| 12.4 : G Naib to K Perera, Naib bowls a short delivery on leg, Perera pulls it towards square leg for a run. |
| 12.5 : G Naib to D Karunaratne, On a length on middle, Karunaratne looks to drive but gets it off the inner half of the bat. It goes towards bowler who goes for the catch but it falls short of him. |
| 12.6 : G Naib to D Karunaratne, Full and outside off, Karunaratne drives it towards mid off. The fielder goes for a direct hit at the bowler's end but misses it. The batsmen take a single. |
| 13.1 : M Nabi to D Karunaratne, OUT! In the air and taken! Afghanistan strike at last. Full and around middle, Karunaratne comes down the track and looks to place it over the infield. But there is no power and he holes out to long on, where Najibullah Zadran takes a simple catch. The bat-face got closed at the last moment. End of a 92-run opening stand. |
| 0.0 : Lahiru Thirimanne walks in at number 3, replacing his skipper. |
| 13.2 : M Nabi to K Perera, Outside off, punched off the back foot for a single. |
| 13.3 : M Nabi to L Thirimanne, The batsman works it down the leg side. They pick up a single. |
| 13.4 : M Nabi to K Perera, Comes down the track and looks to defend but misses and wears it on the pads. |
| 13.5 : M Nabi to K Perera, The batsman rocks onto the back foot and punches the ball. One run added to the total. |
| 13.6 : M Nabi to L Thirimanne, Full and outside off, driven straight to cover. |
| 14.1 : G Naib to K Perera, Length delivery outside off, Perera plays it towards mid off. The fielder misfields and then picks the ball and fires a direct hit at the bowler's end. The batsmen take a run. |
| 14.2 : G Naib to L Thirimanne, On a good length on off, Thirimanne defends it off the front foot. |
| 14.3 : G Naib to L Thirimanne, Full and outside off, Thirimanne looks to drive but gets an outside edge. It goes towards third man for a run. |
| 14.4 : G Naib to K Perera, On a length on leg, Perera nudges it towards square leg for a single. |
| 14.5 : G Naib to L Thirimanne, NO BALL! Gulbadin Naib oversteps! Full on off, Thirimanne drives it back towards the bowler. The next delivery will be a Free Hit. |
| FREE HIT TIME! |
| G Naib to L Thirimanne, FREE HIT! FOUR! Nice shot. Lahiru Thirimanne makes full use of the Free Hit. Short delivery on middle, Thirimanne pulls it straight over the bowler's head for a boundary. |
| 14.6 : G Naib to L Thirimanne, Full on middle, Lahiru drives it towards wide mid on for a single. 9 runs have come from the over. |
| 15.1 : R Khan to L Thirimanne, Full and down the leg side, flicked through mid-wicket for three runs. |
| 15.2 : R Khan to K Perera, Outside off, pushed uppishly! The ball holds on the pitch and Kusal just hangs his bat. It flies to the right of Rashid who is to his left in his follow-through and hence cannot reach. Rashid smiles. |
| 15.3 : R Khan to L Thirimanne, On middle and leg, flicked straight to short mid-wicket. |
| 15.4 : R Khan to L Thirimanne, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 15.5 : R Khan to L Thirimanne, Outside off, punched through the off side for a run. |
| 15.6 : R Khan to K Perera, Full on middle, flicked through mid-wicket but straight to the fielder. |
| DRINKS BREAK. |
| 16.1 : G Naib to L Thirimanne, On a good length and outside off, Thirimanne shoulders his arms to this one. |
| 16.2 : G Naib to L Thirimanne, Length delivery on off, Thirimanne defends it off the front foot. |
| 16.3 : G Naib to L Thirimanne, On a length and outside off, Thirimanne taps it towards point where Zazai fires a direct hit at the bowler's end but Kusal Perera was well in. The batsmen get two runs. |
| 16.4 : G Naib to L Thirimanne, NO BALL! Naib oversteps! Length delivery on off, Thirimanne plays it towards point for a single. |
| G Naib to K Perera, FREE HIT! WIDE! Bowls it wide outside off, Perera offers no shot to this one. Free Hit continues. |
| G Naib to K Perera, FREE HIT! WIDE! Naib again bowls it wide outside off, Perera lets it go. |
| G Naib to K Perera, FREE HIT! FOUR! Fifty for Kusal Perera. Nice shot. Length delivery outside off, Perera lofts it over covers for a boundary. He has made good use of the Free Hit. |
| 16.5 : G Naib to K Perera, Length delivery outside off, Perera cuts it through point. The batsmen get two runs. |
| 16.6 : G Naib to K Perera, NO BALL! Again Gulbadin oversteps! This is poor stuff from Naib. Length delivery on off, Kusal plays it through point. The batsmen get two runs. |
| G Naib to K Perera, FREE HIT! FOUR! Kusal Perera again makes good use of the Free Hit. Short and outside off, Perera slaps it through covers for a boundary. End of a long over from the skipper. 19 runs have come from the over. An expensive over from Afghanistan. |
| 17.1 : R Khan to L Thirimanne, Tossed up delivery defended to the off side. |
| 17.2 : R Khan to L Thirimanne, Lahiru defends this tossed up delivery back to Rashid Khan. |
| 17.3 : R Khan to L Thirimanne, Flatter one on the stumps, defended to off side. |
| 17.4 : R Khan to L Thirimanne, Tossed up delivery tucked to short fine for a quick single. |
| 17.5 : R Khan to K Perera, Flatter outside off, punched to long off for a single. |
| 17.6 : R Khan to L Thirimanne, Low full toss outside off, driven to long off for a run. |
| Hamid Hassan is back on. 2-0-30-0 so far. |
| 18.1 : H Hassan to L Thirimanne, On middle and leg, flicked through mid-wicket for a single. |
| 18.2 : H Hassan to K Perera, On a length and outside off, Perera dabs it towards third man for a run. |
| 18.3 : H Hassan to L Thirimanne, BEATEN! Excellent delivery from Hamid. Good length delivery outside off, Thirimanne looks to guide but misses it due to the extra bounce on this one. |
| 18.4 : H Hassan to L Thirimanne, On a length and outside off, Lahiru guides it towards third man for a single. |
| 18.5 : H Hassan to K Perera, On a good length and outside off, Perera looks to drive but gets an outside edge. It goes towards third man where Nabi tries to collect the ball but misfields. He picks the ball and fires a throw at the keeper's end. The batsmen get a single. |
| 18.6 : H Hassan to L Thirimanne, Full and outside off, Thirimanne looks to drive but gets an outside edge. It goes towards third man where Nabi does well to stop it with a dive. The batsmen take a single. |
| 19.1 : R Khan to L Thirimanne, Outside off, pushed through the covers for a couple. |
| 19.2 : R Khan to L Thirimanne, Flatter one outside off, Lahiru lets it go. |
| 19.3 : R Khan to L Thirimanne, Huge shout for LBW, turned down. Impact seemed to be outside off. Rashid bowls a leg spinner! Thirimanne fails to pick it and looks to defend it but gets it on the pads. An appeal from the bowler but the umpire thinks otherwise. |
| 19.4 : R Khan to L Thirimanne, Fuller one on pads, defended to the bowler. |
| 19.5 : R Khan to L Thirimanne, Flatter one outside off, Thirimanne drives down the ground where Rashid dives in his follow-through and saves a few runs for his team. |
| 19.6 : R Khan to L Thirimanne, On middle and leg, Tossed up on the pads, tucked to backward square leg region for a single. |
| 20.1 : H Hassan to L Thirimanne, On a length on middle, Thirimanne nudges it towards square leg. The batsmen pick up a couple. |
| 20.2 : H Hassan to L Thirimanne, Length delivery outside off, Thirimanne guides it towards third man for a single. |
| 20.3 : H Hassan to K Perera, BEATEN! Beauty of a delivery. On a good length and just outside off, Perera looks to defend but misses it due to the seam movement on this one. |
| 20.4 : H Hassan to K Perera, Length delivery outside off, Perera cuts it towards point. The batsmen get two runs. |
| 20.5 : H Hassan to K Perera, Bowls a bouncer, Perera lets it sail through to the keeper. |
| 20.6 : H Hassan to K Perera, Play and a miss! On a good length and outside off, Perera looks to guide but misses it. |
| Mohammad Nabi is back on. |
| 21.1 : M Nabi to L Thirimanne, Full and outside off, watchfully defended. |
| 21.2 : M Nabi to L Thirimanne, OUT! Dragged on! Nabi gets the second wicket. Outside off, Thirimanne plays a nothing shot, aiming to punch it towards the off side but there is no movement of the feet. Gets a thick inside edge onto the stumps. |
| MASSIVE BREAKING NEWS - DALE STEYN HAS BEEN RULED OUT OF THE WORLD CUP. The recurring shoulder injury has brought him more problems. |
| Kusal Mendis walks in at number 4, replacing Thirimanne. |
| 21.3 : M Nabi to K Mendis, EDGED, BUT SAFE! Full and outside off, Mendis lunges to defend but the ball spins away, takes the outside edge and goes past first slip. Two runs taken. |
| 21.4 : M Nabi to K Mendis, OUT! Edged and taken this time! Nabi gets the second wicket in the over. Full and outside off, Mendis looks to defend but the ball goes straight on, takes the outside edge and goes straight to Rahmat Shah at first slip! Nabi is all smiles. All the three wickets have gone to him! |
| Angelo Mathews walks in at number 5, replacing Mendis. |
| 21.5 : M Nabi to A Mathews, Around off, watchfully defended. |
| 21.6 : M Nabi to A Mathews, OUT! Third wicket in the over and Nabi has four! Outside off again, Mathews goes back to punch but gets a thick outside edge. It takes the outside edge, hits Shahzad's pads and lobs slowly to first slip where Rahmat Shah reacts sharply. Goes to his left and takes the deflection nicely! What an over from Nabi - 0, W, 2, W, 0, W! |
| Dhananjaya de Silva comes out at number 6 to face the music. |
| 22.1 : H Hassan to K Perera, Short ball outside off, Perera pulls it to mid-wicket where a fumble allows him to take a couple. |
| 22.2 : H Hassan to K Perera, Short ball on the body, Perera looks to pull but gets a top edge towards mid-wicket and the batsman cross for a single. |
| 22.3 : H Hassan to de Silva, Length ball outside off, defended to the off side. |
| 22.4 : H Hassan to de Silva, Peach! Lovely bowling from Hassan. He bowls one in the corridor of uncertainty and de Silva who was camping on the back foot looks to defend from the crease but the ball whizzes past the outside edge. |
| 22.5 : H Hassan to de Silva, Length ball outside off, defended off the front foot towards the off side. |
| 22.6 : H Hassan to de Silva, OUT! This was coming as de Silva was looking uncomfortable to face Hassan. |
| Thisara Perera walks in at number 7, replacing de Silva. |
| 23.1 : M Nabi to K Perera, Tossed up on middle, Kusal defends it off the back foot. |
| 23.2 : M Nabi to K Perera, Short delivery on off, Kusal makes room and cuts it through point for a single. 150 up for Sri Lanka. |
| 23.3 : M Nabi to T Perera, Tossed up on middle, Thisara looks to defend but it goes off the inner half of the bat. It goes to mid-wicket. |
| 23.4 : M Nabi to T Perera, Flighted delivery on off, Thisara comes forward and taps it to off side. The batsmen take a quick run. |
| 23.5 : M Nabi to K Perera, Tossed up on middle, Kusal keeps it out. |
| 23.6 : M Nabi to K Perera, Floated delivery on off, Kusal plays it towards point. The fielder goes for a direct hit at the bowler's end but misses it. The batsmen take a run. |
| 24.1 : H Hassan to K Perera, A short ball, pulled straight to short mid-wicket. |
| 24.2 : H Hassan to K Perera, Outside off, a play and a miss. |
| 24.3 : H Hassan to K Perera, Around a good length on off stump, solidly defended. |
| 24.4 : H Hassan to K Perera, A short ball, pulled through mid-wicket for a single. |
| 24.5 : H Hassan to T Perera, MIX-UP, BUT SAFE! On a length outside off, Thisara punches it towards point. He takes a couple of steps but then stops. Kusal Perera too, takes a couple of steps but stops. Eventually, they go through for the single but the direct hit is not struck. |
| 24.6 : H Hassan to K Perera, Short and outside off, cut through point for a run. |
| 25.1 : M Nabi to K Perera, Tossed up on middle, Kusal makes room and plays it back towards Nabi. |
| 25.2 : M Nabi to K Perera, Short and outside off, Kusal makes room and slaps it towards covers where the fielder misfields and it goes to the fielder in the deep. Dawlat Zadran fumbles and does well to cut it off. The batsmen get two runs. |
| 25.3 : M Nabi to K Perera, WIDE! Bowls it down the leg side, Kusal looks to flick but misses it. |
| M Nabi to K Perera, Tossed up on leg, Kusal looks to flick but gets hit on the pads. It goes towards the leg side. The batsmen take a single. The umpire gives it as a leg bye. |
| IS THAT A RUN OUT? There was a miscommunication and Thisara Perera had to go back. The throw came in and Shahzad took the bails off but did he do so in time? Certainly looks so from the replays! |
| 25.4 : M Nabi to T Perera, OUT! Thisara is indeed short and has to go! 6th wicket down for Sri Lanka. This was unnecessary from Sri Lanka. Tossed up on off, Thisara comes forward and drives it towards covers where Najibullah picks the ball fast and throws it quickly to Shahzad at the keeper's end. Mohammad Shahzad whips the bails off in a flash. Thisara Perera is well short of his ground. This is disaster from Sri Lanka. They wanted this partnership to go on. |
| Isuru Udana is the new player. Make no mistake, he can tonk the ball a long way. Right now, Sri Lanka someone who can stay for a while... |
| 25.5 : M Nabi to I Udana, Full and outside off, driven straight to cover. |
| 25.6 : M Nabi to I Udana, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. 4 runs and a wicket from the over. A productive over for Afghanistan. |
| 26.1 : H Hassan to K Perera, Length ball outside off, punched to extra cover for a single. |
| 26.2 : H Hassan to I Udana, Short of good length outside off, Defended off the back foot to the off side. |
| 26.3 : H Hassan to I Udana, Length delivery on the stumps, defended back to the bowler. |
| 26.4 : H Hassan to I Udana, Short ball outside off, Udana looks to break the shackles here. He looks to slap it over the infield but ends up hitting it to mid off. |
| 26.5 : H Hassan to I Udana, FIVE WIDES! Another bonus for Sri Lanka. A bouncer, well above everyone and down to the fence behind. This is poor stuff from the bowler. |
| H Hassan to I Udana, Length ball outside off, played to point for a single. |
| 26.6 : H Hassan to K Perera, Pitching on a length and outside off, Perera looks to defend but gets beaten on the outside edge. |
| 27.1 : M Nabi to I Udana, SIX! Powerful shot! First six of the innings. Tossed up on off, Dhananjaya lofts it with ease over long off for a maximum. |
| 27.2 : M Nabi to I Udana, Floated delivery on off, Udana drives it to long off for a single. |
| 27.3 : M Nabi to K Perera, Flighted delivery on off, Kusal plays it off the back foot towards Nabi. |
| 27.4 : M Nabi to K Perera, Floated delivery on middle, Perera defends it out. |
| 27.5 : M Nabi to K Perera, Flighted delivery on middle and leg, Perera defends it off the back foot. |
| 27.6 : M Nabi to K Perera, Tossed up on off, Kusal comes down the track and looks to defend but gets an inside edge onto the pads. Nabi appeals for lbw but the umpire shakes his head. |
| 28.1 : R Khan to I Udana, Full and outside off, pushed towards cover for a single. |
| 28.2 : R Khan to K Perera, Tossed up around off, watchfully defended back to the bowler. |
| 28.3 : R Khan to K Perera, Outside off, punched wide of mid off for a run. |
| 28.4 : R Khan to I Udana, Full and around off, watchfully kept out. |
| 28.5 : R Khan to I Udana, Around off, defended from the crease. |
| 28.6 : R Khan to I Udana, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 29.1 : M Nabi to K Perera, Short and outside off, Perera mistimes his cut towards point. |
| 29.2 : M Nabi to K Perera, Flighted delivery on off, Kusal plays it to off side. |
| 29.3 : M Nabi to K Perera, Floated delivery outside off, Perera punches it to covers. |
| 29.4 : M Nabi to K Perera, Short and outside off, Kusal makes room and slaps it through covers for a single. |
| 29.5 : M Nabi to I Udana, Floated delivery on off, Udana defends it off the front foot. |
| 29.6 : M Nabi to I Udana, Flighted delivery on middle, Udana drives it towards mid on for a single. |
| 30.1 : R Khan to I Udana, Full and outside off, pushed towards cover. |
| 30.2 : R Khan to I Udana, Flatter one on the stumps, defended to off side off the back foot. |
| 30.3 : R Khan to I Udana, Short outside off, Udana cuts it straight to point. |
| 30.4 : R Khan to I Udana, Leg spinner on the stumps defended to the off side. |
| 30.5 : R Khan to I Udana, Googly on the stump, Udana crouches low to defend it on the pitch. |
| 30.6 : R Khan to I Udana, Tossed up delivery on the stumps, defended back to the bowler. Rashid bowls the first maiden of the match. |
| Dawlat Zadran returns. 3-0-17-0 so far. |
| The umbrellas are up in the stands. The rain drops are falling. The forecast was for a start-stop game. Right now, the game is continuing... |
| 31.1 : D Zadran to K Perera, Dawlat bowls a yorker on middle, Kusal does well to dig it out. |
| 31.2 : D Zadran to K Perera, Full on off, Perera looks to go big but gets an inside edge. It goes towards fine leg for a single. |
| 31.3 : D Zadran to I Udana, OUT! BOWLED! The stumps are knocked over. Soft dismissal. This is poor shot selection from Isuru Udana. Dawlat bowls it on a good length on middle, Udana makes room and looks to go big but misses it and gets bowled. Kusal Perera is running out of partners here. |
| DRINKS BREAK. What a turnaround. Who would have thought at 144/1 that Sri Lanka would be in tatters? But that is why this game is so lovely. Because it is unpredictable. Some good bowling, poor batting and atrocious shot-making have resulted in this situation. The Lankans desperately need someone to hang around with Kusal Perera. The run rate is decent, so if they play the entire 50 overs, they should cross 250 with ease. Can someone hang around with Kusal? |
| Suranga Lakmal is the new man in. |
| 31.4 : D Zadran to S Lakmal, Excellent keeping from Mohammad Shahzad. Bowls a bouncer, Lakmal does well to duck under it. |
| 31.5 : D Zadran to S Lakmal, On a good length on off, Lakmal looks to defend but gets an outside edge due to the extra bounce on this one. It goes towards Shahzad where he collects it in one bounce. In the process, Lakmal gets hit on the right thumb. That is a nasty blow for him. |
| The physio has come out to the middle. It is Lakmal's right thumb, of the arm with which he bowls. Not good for Sri Lanka. |
| 31.6 : D Zadran to S Lakmal, Short and outside off, Lakmal guides it towards third man for a single. 2 runs and a wicket from the over. This is good bowling from Afghanistan. |
| 32.1 : R Khan to S Lakmal, Flatter one on the stumps, Lakmal flicks it to mid-wicket and gets off the mark. |
| 32.2 : R Khan to K Perera, OUT! Rashid gets his first wicket of the match. He slips in a leg spinner outside off, Perera looks to reverse sweep it behind square on the off side but could only glove it for the keeper to pouch one. Misery for Lanka. They are falling like nine pins here. Lone warrior for the Lankans falls to the pressure. |
| Lasith Malinga walks in at number 10, replacing Kusal Perera. |
| 32.3 : R Khan to L Malinga, Ohhh! Rashid is making life difficult for the Lankan tail. Malinga now gets beaten. He looks to cut this flatter one but the ball goes past the edge. |
| 32.4 : R Khan to L Malinga, Defends this length ball to the leg side by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 32.5 : R Khan to L Malinga, Rashid bowls one down leg and Malinga looks to flick but gets hit on the pads and the ball runs to fine leg, where it gets fielded and batsmen cross for a couple. Leg byes signaled by the umpire. |
| 32.6 : R Khan to L Malinga, Ohhh... almost! This was the quicker one outside off, the googly and Malinga did not pick it. He came forward initially but then went back to push it away. Was very lucky because he was comprehensively beaten. The bat came in the way, else that would have been plumb LBW. |
| Oh dear. The heavens have opened up! It was drizzling for quite a while and eventually, the umpires have decided to call for the covers. The rain is falling pretty heavily and steadily. No wind around to move the clouds away. Sri Lanka may not mind this. |
| 2 PM LOCAL (1300 GMT) UPDATE - Nothing much to report from Cardiff. It is still pelting down and the forecast says for more of the same for at least an hour. No overs have been lost as of now but one does not expect the Lankans to resume their innings again. Fingers crossed. |
| 2.30 PM LOCAL (1330 GMT) UPDATE - Cut, copy and paste from the previous update. We now though, have started losing overs. Hopefully, we get some news soon. |
| 3.15 PM LOCAL (1415 GMT) UPDATE - We should have had an update by now but sadly, there is nothing new to report. The inspection has been pushed to 3.45 pm local. The conditions have grown a bit overcast as well. |
| 3.30 PM LOCAL (1430 GMT) UPDATE - Great news, folks! The covers are off and we are all set for the game to begin! The match has been reduced to 41-overs-per-side and we shall let you know the details soon. Hold onto your seats! The restart is scheduled at 4 PM LOCAL (1500 GMT). |
| We are back on! As you must have guessed, Powerplay 2 has been stopped at over number 33. The remaining 8 overs are now all in Powerplay 3. 4 bowlers can bowl a maximum of 8 overs while 1 can bowl 9. |
| The players are slowly making their way out to the middle. Good news is, it has got brighter and the floodlights HAVE NOT been switched on. Wait. IT HAS STARTED TO DRIZZLE AGAIN. But the game continues. Dawlat Zadran to bowl to Suranga Lakmal. |
| 33.1 : D Zadran to S Lakmal, Length delivery outside off, Lakmal cuts it towards point for a single. |
| 33.2 : D Zadran to L Malinga, Bowls a short delivery outside off, Malinga leaves it alone. |
| 33.3 : D Zadran to L Malinga, On a good length on middle, Malinga defends it off the back foot. |
| 33.4 : D Zadran to L Malinga, FOUR! That has been smashed! Length delivery on off, Malinga makes room and lofts it over mid off for a boundary. |
| 33.5 : D Zadran to L Malinga, Full on leg, Malinga looks to flick but gets it off the pads. It goes towards leg side for a single. The umpire gives it as a leg bye. |
| 33.6 : D Zadran to S Lakmal, Length delivery on off, Lakmal makes room and taps it towards point for a single. 7 runs have come from the over. |
| Rashid Khan continues. |
| 34.1 : R Khan to S Lakmal, Punched through cover for a single. |
| 34.2 : R Khan to L Malinga, Flatter on the stumps, defended to the leg side. |
| 34.3 : R Khan to L Malinga, Tossed up on the stumps, defended to the off side. |
| 34.4 : R Khan to L Malinga, Rashid bowls this one just outside off, defended to covers. |
| 34.5 : R Khan to L Malinga, Malinga eases this length ball outside off towards covers. |
| 34.6 : R Khan to L Malinga, Flatter one outside off, Malinga runs down to short third man. |
| 35.1 : D Zadran to S Lakmal, FOUR! Short and pulled away over mid-wicket! |
| 35.2 : D Zadran to S Lakmal, Dawlat bowls a good length delivery on middle, Lakmal defends it out. |
| 35.3 : D Zadran to S Lakmal, FOUR! This is even better. Poor delivery from Zadran. Short delivery again, Lakmal pulls it over mid on for a boundary. |
| 35.4 : D Zadran to S Lakmal, Good comeback by Zadran. Bowls a yorker on middle, Lakmal does well to dig it out. |
| 35.5 : D Zadran to S Lakmal, Short of a length delivery on leg, Lakmal looks to pull but gets an inside edge. It goes towards mid-wicket. The fielder picks the ball and fires a direct hit at the bowler's end. The batsmen take a run and he is safe. |
| 35.6 : D Zadran to L Malinga, OUT! BOWLED! Terrific delivery from Dawlat Zadran. He bowls a perfect yorker on middle, Malinga makes room to drive but misses it and gets bowled. Afghanistan are just one wicket away from wrapping up the innings. 9 runs and a wicket from the over. A productive over for Afghanistan. |
| Nuwan Pradeep is the last man in. 5 overs left. Even 15 runs could be premium. |
| 36.1 : R Khan to S Lakmal, Rashid drops this one short and Lakmal pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a single. |
| 36.2 : R Khan to N Pradeep, Tossed up delivery outside off, defended off the back foot by Pradeep. |
| 36.3 : R Khan to N Pradeep, This time Rashid brings out the googly, and it is too good for a number 11 batsman. Pradeep here looks to flick it towards the leg side but fails to pick the googly and the ball hits him on the pads. RK appeals but height might be an issue here and the umpire looks uninterested. |
| 36.4 : R Khan to N Pradeep, WIDE! This time Rashid loses his radar on the googly and slips it down the leg side, the umpire exercises his arms. |
| R Khan to N Pradeep, Flatter one around off, Pradeep defends it off the back foot by coming behind the line off the delivery. |
| 36.5 : R Khan to N Pradeep, OUT! Castled! Sri Lanka have been bowled out for 201. The slider, pitched outside off, going on with the arm, Pradeep looks to defend but misses. The ball hits his pads and hits the off stump. |
| THE REVISED TARGET FOR AFGHANISTAN IS 187 IN 41 OVERS. Gettable? You bet. Not many would have thought that would be possible, with the Lankans roaring at 144/1. But a tremendous 22nd over by Mohammad Nabi just broke their backbone and the Islanders could never recover. |
| An innings split into two halves. The first belonged to Sri Lanka, till the 22nd over, where they were butchering the Afghans. The bowling was not that great, with too many extras being conceded. The top order had begun well and had put on 144/1 in just 21.1 overs when the magician started to weave his magic. |
| Mohammad Nabi bowled a stunning 22nd over to get rid of Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews. After that, the Lankans could not muster even a fight. Their middle order was not upto scratch and just gave in to the continuous pressure. Kusal Perera tried to wage a lone battle but eventually, got dismissed for 78. |
| Rain then came around, in the 33rd over. After a lengthy 3-hour delay, play resumed and the Lankans managed to cross the 200-run mark. Nothing much to write about their batting, with 6 single figures. |
| 0.0 : The players are already back out in the middle. Mohammad Shahzad and Hazrat Zazai are out with their weapons of mass destruction. Lasith Malinga it will be to begin the show with the first new ball. Two slips in place. |
| 0.1 : L Malinga to M Shahzad, Swing to start. Plenty of it. Full and around off, watchfully pushed back to the bowler. |
| 0.2 : L Malinga to M Shahzad, Landed outside off, on a length, Shahzad looks to defend but the ball seams away and beats the outside edge. |
| 0.3 : L Malinga to M Shahzad, EDGED, DOES NOT CARRY! Tell you what, we have a run chase on our hands. Malinga lands this on a length again, outside off and gets the ball to swing. Shahzad looks to defend but the ball moves away and takes the outside edge. Luckily for him, because he went with soft hands, the ball does not carry to a diving second slip, who half stops it. A single taken. |
| 0.4 : L Malinga to H Zazai, Oooh.... a Mali special! This is what Malinga is known for. His slinging yorkers. This zooms in, almost gets underneath the bat but it comes down at the right time. The ball is jammed behind square leg and threatens to make it to the ropes but Nuwan Pradeep gives it a good chase from fine leg and stops the boundary. Two runs taken. |
| 0.5 : L Malinga to H Zazai, Another yorker! Again, Zazai manages to get bat to ball and work it towards square leg for a single. |
| 0.6 : L Malinga to M Shahzad, LEADING EDGE NOW! Gosh, this has been such an eventful over. But no wicket for Malinga. This is full and around middle, Shahzad looks to flick but the ball swings away late, takes the leading edge and goes through cover! Two runs taken. |
| Suranga Lakmal to bowl with the second new ball. |
| 1.1 : S Lakmal to H Zazai, How did that miss the stumps? BEATEN! Excellent start from Lakmal. Good length delivery outside off, Zazai looks to go big but misses it due to the inswing on this one. |
| 1.2 : S Lakmal to H Zazai, SIX! FETCH THAT! That is one way of dealing with good bowling. That has been whacked. Poor delivery from Suranga Lakmal. Short delivery, Zazai latches onto it and pulls it over mid-wicket for a maximum. |
| 1.3 : S Lakmal to H Zazai, Full on leg, Zazai lofts it over mid-wicket. It goes to the fielder on the bounce. The batsmen take a single. |
| 1.4 : S Lakmal to M Shahzad, Good length delivery on off, Shahzad defends it off the back foot. |
| 1.5 : S Lakmal to M Shahzad, FOUR! Good shot. Length delivery outside off, Shahzad taps it through cover-point. Two fielders are chasing the ball but it was racing away to the boundary. |
| 1.6 : S Lakmal to M Shahzad, FOUR! Good shot. Length delivery outside off, Shahzad taps it through point. Two fielders are chasing the ball but it was racing away to the boundary. 11 runs have come from the over. Big over for Afghanistan. |
| 2.1 : L Malinga to H Zazai, Outside off, pushed straight to cover. |
| 2.2 : L Malinga to H Zazai, Fuller in length outside off, driven to point. |
| 2.3 : L Malinga to H Zazai, FOUR! Glorious cover drive. Malinga looks for swing and in the process bowls a fuller one outside off, Zazai leans and drives it handsomely through the covers for a boundary. |
| 2.4 : L Malinga to H Zazai, Zazai drives this slower ball outside off to mid off. |
| 2.5 : L Malinga to H Zazai, Malinga bowls a fuller length on the stumps and Zazai drives it through the inner half of the bat to mid on. |
| 2.6 : L Malinga to H Zazai, Zazai tucks this length ball on the pads through square leg for a single. |
| 3.1 : S Lakmal to H Zazai, FOUR! Fantastic timing! Full on leg, Zazai drives it hard through mid on for a boundary. |
| 3.2 : S Lakmal to H Zazai, WIDE! Short delivery wide outside off, Zazai offers no shot to this one. |
| S Lakmal to H Zazai, Bowls a bouncer outside off, Zazai looks to pull but misses it. |
| 3.3 : S Lakmal to H Zazai, Full on middle, Zazai flicks it through mid-wicket for a single. |
| 3.4 : S Lakmal to M Shahzad, WIDE! Lakmal bowls it down the leg side, Shahzad looks to flick but misses it. |
| S Lakmal to M Shahzad, BEATEN! That is a jaffa! On a good length and just outside off, Shahzad looks to defend but misses it due to the inward movement on this one. |
| 3.5 : S Lakmal to M Shahzad, On a good length and outside off, Mohammad lets it go. |
| 3.6 : S Lakmal to M Shahzad, Outside off, Shahzad shoulders his arms to this one. |
| 4.1 : L Malinga to H Zazai, FOUR! 'TOCK!' That sound. Just tells you that you need not look where the ball has gone. Pulled over mid-wicket. |
| 4.2 : L Malinga to H Zazai, TOP EDGE, PUT DOWN! Aiyaiyo, Sri Lanka, not what you needed. Bowler not happy, coach not happy and poor fielder, he decides not to see anyone. Kusal Mendis at deep square leg just could not take this skier from a top edge was Zazai looked to pull. |
| 4.3 : L Malinga to M Shahzad, Length delivery outside off, Shahzad defends it to the leg side. |
| 4.4 : L Malinga to M Shahzad, OUT! Caught this time! The bowler is the same but the fielder is different. Malinga draws the first blood! He bowls a fuller one on the stumps and Shahzad comes inside the line of the delivery and flicks but doesn't bother to keep it down. The Lankan skipper fielding at short mid-wicket takes an easy catch by diving forward. Afghanistan loose their first. |
| Rahmat Shah comes in at number 3, replacing Shahzad. |
| Some issue here. Rahmat Shah is not happy with something behind the sightscreen and brings it to the attention of umpire Paul Wilson. The area in front of the sightscreen is white and hence the sunlight falling on those is reflecting right onto Rahmat's eyes. That is being covered now. The area, not the eyes. |
| 4.5 : L Malinga to R Shah, Pitching in and around off, Rahmat defends it by coming on the front foot. |
| 4.6 : L Malinga to R Shah, Length delivery outside off, Shah defends it to covers. Good comeback from Malinga after being hit for a boundary of the first ball. |
| First bowling change. Isuru Udana into the attack with his left-arm indippers. |
| 5.1 : I Udana to H Zazai, IN THE AIR... JUST SHORT! Slower ball, Zazai pushes and nearly chips a return catch. |
| 5.2 : I Udana to H Zazai, The batsman has flicked the ball off his pads. One run added to the total. |
| 5.3 : I Udana to R Shah, Full and outside off, driven sweetly through the covers but well stopped. Just a single. |
| 5.4 : I Udana to H Zazai, Full and outside off, driven straight to mid off. |
| 5.5 : I Udana to H Zazai, On middle and leg, worked through the leg side for a single. |
| 5.6 : I Udana to R Shah, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 6.1 : L Malinga to H Zazai, WIDE! Malinga bowls a slower ball wide outside off, Zazai does not bother to play that shot. |
| L Malinga to H Zazai, Full on middle, Zazai drives it towards mid on. |
| 6.2 : L Malinga to H Zazai, Length delivery on middle, Zazai flicks it towards square leg for a run. |
| 6.3 : L Malinga to R Shah, On a good length and outside off, Shah offers no shot. |
| 6.4 : L Malinga to R Shah, Good bounce on this one. Short delivery on leg, Shah manages to pull it through square leg for a single. |
| 6.5 : L Malinga to H Zazai, Length delivery on middle, Zazai nudges it towards fine leg for a run. |
| 6.6 : L Malinga to R Shah, Good length delivery on off, Shah defends it out. |
| 7.1 : I Udana to H Zazai, Udana bowls a yorker on middle, Zazai does well to dig it out. It goes towards Isuru who tries to stop it but it goes past him towards mid on for a single. |
| 7.2 : I Udana to R Shah, On a good length on middle, Shah looks to flick but gets an inside edge onto the pads. |
| 7.3 : I Udana to R Shah, Good length delivery on middle, Shah defends it out. |
| 7.4 : I Udana to R Shah, Full on off, Shah drives it to covers. |
| 7.5 : I Udana to R Shah, OUT! Afghanistan lose their second wicket and are in some trouble here. Udana bowls it on a good length and outside off, Shah looks to drive but gets an outside edge. It goes towards Mathews at first slip who takes a comfortable catch. Much-needed wicket for Sri Lanka. |
| Hashmatullah Shahidi walks in at number 4, replacing Rahmat. |
| 7.6 : I Udana to H Shahidi, Full and outside off, Shahidi looks to drive but gets an outside edge. It goes towards third man for a single. 2 runs and a wicket from the over. |
| POWERPLAY 2 time. 4 fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle till the 33rd over. Nuwan Pradeep into the attack as well. |
| 8.1 : N Pradeep to H Shahidi, Full and outside off, Shahidi looks to drive but is beaten. |
| 8.2 : N Pradeep to H Shahidi, Outside off, left alone. |
| 8.3 : N Pradeep to H Shahidi, Outside off, played through point for a single. |
| 8.4 : N Pradeep to H Zazai, OUT! The short-pitched stuff works! Directed at the body, Zazai pulls it away but straight to deep fine leg where Thisara Perera runs to his left and takes it nicely. In no time, Afghanistan have slipped from 34/0 to 44/3! |
| Mohammad Nabi walks in next, with his side in trouble. Afghanistan need a partnership. |
| 8.5 : N Pradeep to M Nabi, The batsman has flicked the ball off his pads. |
| 8.6 : N Pradeep to M Nabi, Punched off the back foot by the batsman. |
| 9.1 : I Udana to H Shahidi, Outside off, left alone. |
| 9.2 : I Udana to H Shahidi, That is a jaffa! Outside off, on a length, Shahidi looks to defend but the ball kicks off a length and beats the outside edge! |
| 9.3 : I Udana to H Shahidi, Outside off, tapped to the off side for a quick single. |
| 9.4 : I Udana to M Nabi, Outside off, played straight to point. |
| 9.5 : I Udana to M Nabi, That swings in a long way, Nabi is late in getting his bat down and gets a thick inside edge onto his pads. Almost was plumb LBW there. A run taken. |
| 9.6 : I Udana to H Shahidi, Around off, defended from the crease. |
| 10.1 : N Pradeep to M Nabi, Good length delivery on off, Nabi defends it off the back foot. |
| 10.2 : N Pradeep to M Nabi, Full on middle, Nabi plays it to mid on. |
| 10.3 : N Pradeep to M Nabi, On a good length on off, Nabi plays it to off side. |
| 10.4 : N Pradeep to M Nabi, Full on off, Nabi drives it to covers. |
| 10.5 : N Pradeep to M Nabi, FOUR! Good shot. Full on middle, Nabi lofts it over mid on for a boundary. |
| 10.6 : N Pradeep to M Nabi, Length delivery on middle, Nabi flicks it towards mid-wicket for a single. 5 runs have come from the over. |
| 11.1 : I Udana to M Nabi, Misfield and that costs three. Flicked through mid-wicket. |
| 11.2 : I Udana to H Shahidi, Full and outside off, watchfully defended. |
| 11.3 : I Udana to H Shahidi, Length ball on the stumps, defended to covers. |
| 11.4 : I Udana to H Shahidi, Length delivery outside off, defended to covers. |
| 11.5 : I Udana to H Shahidi, Shahidi punches this length ball, outside off to covers for a single. |
| Direct hit! Is that a wicket? No one is celebrating. In fact, the Lankans are more concerned with Suranga Lakmal going down in pain. |
| 11.6 : I Udana to M Nabi, SAFE. There was not a direct hit at all. In fact, Udana had disturbed the bails with his hand. |
| 12.1 : N Pradeep to H Shahidi, Length delivery on off, Shahidi plays it to mid off. |
| 12.2 : N Pradeep to H Shahidi, Pradeep bowls it on a good length on off, Shahidi looks to punch but gets an inside edge onto the pads. |
| 12.3 : N Pradeep to H Shahidi, Play and a miss! Good length delivery outside off, Shahidi looks to chase this one but misses it due to the away movement on this one. |
| 12.4 : N Pradeep to H Shahidi, Bowls a quick bouncer, Shahidi ducks under it at the last moment. |
| 12.5 : N Pradeep to H Shahidi, OUT! Caught behind! Extra bounce, gone fishing, high tide there and gone! Excellent delivery from Pradeep. He bowls it on a good length and outside off, Shahidi looks to push it but gets an outside edge due to the extra bounce on this one. It goes towards Kusal Perera who jumps and takes a good catch. Afghanistan are in deep trouble here. |
| Skipper Gulbadin Naib walks out at number 6, replacing Shahidi. |
| 12.6 : N Pradeep to G Naib, Full and outside off, Naib drives it to covers. Wicket maiden for Nuwan Pradeep. |
| Thisara Perera into the attack. |
| 13.1 : T Perera to M Nabi, Full and outside off, Nabi looks to defend but gets a thick inside edge onto his pads. |
| 13.2 : T Perera to M Nabi, Almost! Outside off, on a length, Nabi pushes and almost nicks it behind! |
| 13.3 : T Perera to M Nabi, The batsman defends it from within the crease. |
| 13.4 : T Perera to M Nabi, OUT! BOWLED! Thisara, you beauty! What a ball. On a length, outside off, Nabi looks to defend but the ball hits a patch of grass and seams back in. Nabi is beaten all ends up as the ball goes through the gate between bat and pad, or well, almost. Clips the pad and then hits the stumps. Thisara initially appeals for LBW before joyfully reacting to the sound of timber. Half the side gone. Are Afghanistan gone too? |
| Najibullah Zadran comes out to bat at number 7, replacing Nabi. |
| 13.5 : T Perera to N Zadran, Full and around off, watchfully defended. |
| 13.6 : T Perera to N Zadran, Outside off, driven through the covers for three runs. Nice way to get off the mark. |
| 14.1 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, Bowls a bumper, Zadran does well to duck under it. |
| 14.2 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, On a good length on off, Najibullah plays it to point. |
| 14.3 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, FOUR! What a shot! Full and outside off, Zadran drives it beautifully through covers for a boundary. |
| 14.4 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, Length delivery outside off, Zadran dabs it towards third man for a single. |
| 14.5 : N Pradeep to G Naib, Bowls a bouncer on leg, Naib does well to duck under it. |
| 14.6 : N Pradeep to G Naib, On a good length on middle, the skipper punches it to mid on. |
| 15.1 : T Perera to N Zadran, FOUR! Outside off, pushed through the covers. In the air... but safe! |
| 15.2 : T Perera to N Zadran, Length ball and in line with the stumps, defended back to the bowler off the back foot. |
| 15.3 : T Perera to N Zadran, FOUR! Classic cover drive! Through for a boundary! Second time in the over Zadran has found the fence. Perera bowls one outside off, Najibullah leans on and drives this through covers for a boundary. Beautiful to watch it from the left hander. |
| 15.4 : T Perera to N Zadran, Fuller length delivery outside off, Najibullah defends it towards the off side by getting right behind the line of the ball. |
| 15.5 : T Perera to N Zadran, Around off, watchfully blocked out. |
| 15.6 : T Perera to N Zadran, The batsman manages only a bottom edge on that one. |
| 16.1 : N Pradeep to G Naib, Outside off, edged through point for a single. |
| 16.2 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, On a good length on off, Zadran defends it off the back foot. |
| 16.3 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, WIDE! Bowls a bouncer on middle, Zadran lets it sail through to the keeper. |
| N Pradeep to N Zadran, Pradeep bowls it on a good length on off, Najibullah keeps it out. |
| 16.4 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, On a good length on middle, Zadran defends it off the back foot. |
| 16.5 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, Full and outside off, Zadran drives it through covers for a single. |
| Oops... Pradeep is asked to stop midway through his run up. Naib spots mid on moving around and stops the bowler correctly. |
| 16.6 : N Pradeep to G Naib, Full and outside off, Naib drives it to covers. Just 3 runs from the over. |
| 17.1 : T Perera to N Zadran, Outside off, a play and a miss. Thisara appeals for a catch but it is turned down. |
| 17.2 : T Perera to N Zadran, Punched off the back foot by the batsman. |
| 17.3 : T Perera to N Zadran, Full and outside off, Najibullah looks to drive but the ball moves away and almost takes the outside edge. Kusal Perera fumbles and parries it towards third man. A bye taken. |
| Direct hit! In or out? |
| 17.4 : T Perera to G Naib, Outside off, Naib punches this through mid off and sets off for a quick single. The fielder scores a direct hit at the bowler's end and it is referred upstairs but replays show that the batsman is in. |
| 17.5 : T Perera to N Zadran, It's been driven superbly through the covers for a couple of runs. |
| 17.6 : T Perera to N Zadran, WIDE. A bouncer on middle, Najibullah ducks. |
| T Perera to N Zadran, ANOTHER WIDE. A short ball again, Najibullah ducks again. Wided for height. |
| T Perera to N Zadran, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| Malinga is back on. |
| 18.1 : L Malinga to G Naib, FOUR! Classic straight drive from the skipper. Full on middle, Naib drives it straight past the bowler through mid on for a boundary. |
| 18.2 : L Malinga to G Naib, FOUR! Consecutive boundaries for Gulbadin Naib. Malinga bowls a short delivery, Naib pulls it hard through mid-wicket for a boundary. |
| 18.3 : L Malinga to G Naib, Good comeback by Lasith. On a good length on middle, Naib defends it off the back foot. |
| 18.4 : L Malinga to G Naib, WIDE! Bowls a short delivery down the leg side, Naib lets it go. |
| L Malinga to G Naib, Short delivery on middle, Naib pulls it through mid-wicket for a single. |
| 18.5 : L Malinga to N Zadran, Full and outside off, Zadran plays it to point. |
| 18.6 : L Malinga to N Zadran, Full on leg, Zadran flicks it towards square leg. The batsmen come back for the second. Good running between the wickets but hang on the umpire has signalled it as one short. 11 runs have come from the over. Much-needed over for Afghanistan. |
| 19.1 : T Perera to G Naib, Full and around off, pushed towards mid on. |
| 19.2 : T Perera to G Naib, The batsman drives the ball straight down the ground. |
| 19.3 : T Perera to G Naib, Full and around off, driven through mid off for a single. |
| 19.4 : L Malinga to N Zadran, Pushes this straight to cover. |
| 19.5 : T Perera to N Zadran, Outside off, steered towards third man for a run. |
| 19.6 : T Perera to G Naib, Landed outside off, another dab to third man for one more. |
| DRINKS BREAK. |
| Suranga Lakmal returns. 2-0-18-0 so far. |
| 20.1 : S Lakmal to G Naib, Full on middle, Naib chips it uppishly towards mid on where it fell short of the fielder. |
| 20.2 : S Lakmal to G Naib, Good length delivery on middle, the skipper looks to defend but gets an inside edge onto the thigh pad. |
| 20.3 : S Lakmal to G Naib, Length delivery on off, Naib plays it to covers. |
| 20.4 : S Lakmal to G Naib, Full on off, Naib drives it to mid off. Four dots in a row. |
| 20.5 : S Lakmal to G Naib, On a length on middle, Naib flicks it towards mid-wicket for a single. |
| 20.6 : S Lakmal to N Zadran, Full and outside off, Zadran slices it over point. The fielder in the deep dives and does well to stop it and saves runs for the team. The batsmen get two runs. |
| Isuru Udana is back on. 4-0-13-1 so far. |
| 21.1 : I Udana to G Naib, Oohh... Outside off, on a length, Naib looks to punch it through the off side but the ball comes in, takes the inside edge and goes past the stumps towards long leg. A couple of runs taken. |
| 21.2 : I Udana to G Naib, Full and around off, watchfully defended. |
| 21.3 : I Udana to G Naib, A bouncer, around off, Gulbadin ducks. |
| It is ironic but the floodlights are being switched on when the ground is bathed in sunshine. |
| 21.4 : I Udana to G Naib, Full and around middle, worked through square leg for a couple. |
| 21.5 : I Udana to G Naib, Around off, solidly defended. |
| 21.6 : I Udana to G Naib, On middle and leg, flicked through square leg for a couple. |
| Change of ends for Nuwan Pradeep. 5-1-14-2 so far. |
| 22.1 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, On a good length around middle, defended back to the bowler. |
| 22.2 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, A bouncer pitched outside leg, Najibullah ducks. |
| 22.3 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, Full and around off, driven straight to mid off. |
| 22.4 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, WIDE. A short ball, around middle and leg, going down with the angle, Zadran ducks and it is wided. |
| N Pradeep to N Zadran, Full and around off, watchfully defended. |
| 22.5 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, Defended off the back foot by the batsman. |
| 22.6 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, WIDE. This is getting away from Sri Lanka now. A 50-run stand for the 6th wicket and the runs required are 80. A bouncer, on middle and leg, NZ ducks again. |
| N Pradeep to N Zadran, Landed outside off, played straight to point. |
| First sign of spin. Dhananjaya de Silva introduced. |
| 23.1 : de Silva to G Naib, Full and outside off, pushed back to the bowler. |
| 23.2 : de Silva to G Naib, Around off, spinning in, worked through square leg for a single. 79 more needed from 106 balls. |
| 23.3 : de Silva to N Zadran, Fired in outside off, watchfully pushed back to the bowler. |
| 23.4 : de Silva to N Zadran, Mix-up, but safe! Down the leg side, Najibullah tickles it towards short fine leg and sets for a single but then stops. However, Naib calls him through and they decide to go through for the run. Lasith Malinga is a bit slow from short fine leg and returns a weak throw to the bowler. |
| 23.5 : de Silva to G Naib, Pushes this through mid on for a run. |
| 23.6 : de Silva to N Zadran, FOUR! Oh ho ho! Full and around leg, Zadran gets down and reverse sweeps it through point for a boundary! |
| 24.1 : N Pradeep to G Naib, Full and outside off, driven through the covers for a single. This is the time when Sri Lanka will start getting nervous again. Things are getting too easy for Afghanistan. |
| 24.2 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, Outside off, steered towards third man for a run. |
| 24.3 : N Pradeep to G Naib, Full on middle, pushed straight to mid on. |
| The ball is doing very little now. So you will find a lot of bowlers bowl cross-seam at this stage. Meanwhile, plenty of dark clouds are back to watch this exciting game. |
| 24.4 : N Pradeep to G Naib, FIVE WIDES! Oh dear... that is a monster. Banged in the middle of the deck, shoots upward and goes well above everyone. Poor Kusal Perera has no chance even with a leap. |
| N Pradeep to G Naib, Around off, well blocked out. |
| Naib has been adjudged LBW! He has taken the review though. Is this missing leg? No inside edge. And... it is CLIPPING LEG STUMP! Naib has to go! |
| 24.5 : N Pradeep to G Naib, OUT! LBW! Massive moment in the game and the well-strung partnership has been cut short. On a length outside off, Naib stays back to defend but the ball pitches and then shoots through. The skipper is hit on the pads and up goes Pradeep in an appeal. Umpire Wilson thinks for a while and then raises his finger! Naib almost immediately takes it upstairs but Hawk Eye shows the ball to be clipping the outer half of leg stump, which means, the umpire's call will stay! Naib |
| Rashid Khan walks in next. Can he hang around with Najib? |
| 24.6 : N Pradeep to R Khan, Outside off, driven through the covers for a single. |
| Suranga Lakmal is back on. 3-0-21-0 so far. |
| 25.1 : S Lakmal to R Khan, A length ball, down the leg side, Rashid misses his flick. The ball goes off his pads behind and Kusal Perera goes up in an appeal but the umpire turns it down. |
| 25.2 : S Lakmal to R Khan, Outside off, punched off the back foot for a single. |
| 25.3 : S Lakmal to N Zadran, Full and around off, well defended. |
| 25.4 : S Lakmal to N Zadran, Outside off, punched back down the ground. |
| 25.5 : S Lakmal to N Zadran, Full and around off, solidly defended. |
| 25.6 : S Lakmal to N Zadran, Outside off, solidly defended from the crease. |
| 26.1 : N Pradeep to R Khan, OUT! BOWLED! Is that the second-last nail in the coffin? Pradeep has turned it around for the Lankans. This is pure fast bowling. On a length, around off, Rashid looks to defend but the ball jags back in, takes the front pad and then hits the stumps! 64 more needed from 89 balls. |
| 0.0 : Dawlat Zadran comes in at number 9. All he needs to do is hang in there with Najibullah. |
| 26.2 : N Pradeep to D Zadran, Huge LBW shout! NOT OUT! Full and fast but going down the leg side, Dawlat just tries to keep it out but misses and is hit on the back pad. |
| 26.3 : N Pradeep to D Zadran, Full and around off, driven straight to mid off. |
| 26.4 : N Pradeep to D Zadran, MISFIELD, FOUR! Fielding in shambles. You stop, I stop, ahhh... the ball goes through. Full and around off, Dawlat drives this down the ground. First, Pradeep tries to stop it by getting down to his right. Misses. Second, Lasith Malinga gets across from mid on and slides but misses. Angelo Mathews then gets across from mid off and cannot stop it either! He gets up, runs after the ball, gets to it but takes it along with him into the ropes! |
| 26.5 : N Pradeep to D Zadran, Outside off, Zadran feels for it but misses. |
| 26.6 : N Pradeep to D Zadran, Played to the point region by the batsman. |
| Someone is on the ground. It is Dawlat Zadran. He is getting some treatment on his back. All ready now. |
| 27.1 : S Lakmal to N Zadran, On a good length outside off, punched through the covers for a single. |
| 27.2 : S Lakmal to D Zadran, Outside off, punched off the back foot. |
| 27.3 : S Lakmal to D Zadran, A short ball, down the leg side, Dawlat looks to hook but misses. |
| 27.4 : S Lakmal to D Zadran, Around off, worked through mid-wicket for a quick single. |
| 27.5 : S Lakmal to N Zadran, Outside off, pushed to point for a quick run again. |
| 27.6 : S Lakmal to D Zadran, A bouncer outside off, Dawlat ducks to let that through. |
| Another delay. Dawlat Zadran is not happy with his back and is down again. The physio is back on. |
| 28.1 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, BEATEN! Good shape on this one. Good length delivery outside off, Najibullah looks to poke at this one but misses it due to the away movement on this one. |
| 28.2 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, IN THE AIR BUT SAFE! Lakmal bowls it full and outside off, Najibullah lofts it over point where the fielder goes for the catch but it falls just short of him. The batsmen decide against the run. |
| 28.3 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, Bowls a bouncer outside off, Najibullah does well to leave it. |
| 28.4 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, Length delivery on middle, Najibullah flicks it towards square leg. The batsmen pick up a couple. In the process, Dawlat Zadran is struggling with his running here. |
| 28.5 : N Pradeep to N Zadran, On a length on middle, Najibullah flicks it towards square leg for a single. |
| 28.6 : N Pradeep to D Zadran, Bowls a bouncer, Dawlat lets it sail through to the keeper. |
| 29.1 : S Lakmal to N Zadran, On a length outside off, worked through mid-wicket for a single. |
| 29.2 : S Lakmal to D Zadran, Outside off, punched off the back foot. |
| 29.3 : S Lakmal to D Zadran, Outside off, punched back to the bowler. |
| 29.4 : S Lakmal to D Zadran, Another back foot punch towards the bowler. |
| 29.5 : S Lakmal to D Zadran, Full on middle, driven through mid on for a quick run. Dawlat is hobbling around... |
| 29.6 : S Lakmal to N Zadran, Outside off, a play and a miss. |
| Lasith Malinga is back on. 5-0-31-1 so far. |
| 30.1 : L Malinga to D Zadran, WIDE! Bowls a slower ball down the leg side, Dawlat looks to flick but misses it. |
| L Malinga to D Zadran, Good ball from Malinga. Bowls a yorker on middle, Dawlat does well to dig it out and plays it to mid on. |
| 30.2 : L Malinga to D Zadran, OUCH! Bowls a quick short delivery, Dawlat takes his eyes off the ball and looks to pull but misses it and gets hit on the grille of the helmet. |
| 30.3 : L Malinga to D Zadran, Low full toss on middle, Dawlat flicks it to mid-wicket. |
| 30.4 : L Malinga to D Zadran, OUT! BOWLED! A Malinga special. Yorker, you miss, he hits. Dawlat makes room and looks to dig it out but misses it and gets bowled. Beautiful bowling from Malinga. Sri Lanka are two wickets away from winning the match. |
| Hamid Hassan is the new man in. |
| 30.5 : L Malinga to H Hassan, Another yorker, pushed towards mid on. |
| 30.6 : L Malinga to H Hassan, The batsman just manages to keep the yorker out. Good ball bowled by the bowler. 1 run and a wicket from the over. Terrific over from Lasith Malinga. |
| Isuru Udana returns. 5-0-19-1 so far. |
| 31.1 : I Udana to N Zadran, On a good length outside off, Najibullah feels for it but misses. |
| 31.2 : I Udana to N Zadran, FOUR! Up and over! Short and outside off, Najibullah backs away and slaps it over cover. Nearly goes all the way! |
| 31.3 : I Udana to N Zadran, Another short ball, right at the face of the batsman, Zadran backs away, looking to play a paddle-pull but misses. |
| 31.4 : I Udana to N Zadran, FOUR! Off the outside edge! Full and outside off, Najibullah swings hard but gets a thick outside edge which beats third man to his right. Hang on. It is a no ball because three fielders are inside the circle instead of 5! |
| FREE HIT COMING UP! |
| I Udana to N Zadran, A good short ball, Najibullah backs away, missing out on the pull. He looks at the square leg umpire but does not get a wide. Is furious with himself. |
| 31.5 : I Udana to N Zadran, Outside off, a short ball, another hook and a miss. |
| 31.6 : I Udana to N Zadran, OUT! A run out ends Najibullah's fighting innings. A bit unfortunate for him too. Full and outside off, Zadran drives it towards mid off and sets off for a single. Dimuth Karunaratne fields it at that position and has a shy at the bowler's end. Najibullah has to run around the bowler and hence loses a big chunk of time. It is a direct hit and Zadran is well short! |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman is the last man in. |
| 32.1 : L Malinga to Ur Rahman, Bowls a yorker on leg, Mujeeb flicks it towards leg side for a single. |
| 32.2 : L Malinga to H Hassan, Bowls a short delivery outside off, Hassan looks to pull but misses it. |
| 32.3 : L Malinga to H Hassan, SIX! Powerful shot. Full on leg, Hassan lofts it cleanly over long on for a biggie. |
| 32.4 : L Malinga to H Hassan, OUT! TIMBER! Perfect yorker and SRI LANKA WIN BY 34 RUNS (DLS METHOD)! Toe-crusher from Lasith Malinga. Bowls a yorker on middle, Hassan looks to dig it out but misses it and gets bowled. You can hear the sound of the death rattle. |
| Wow. What a game. Truly sensational. Sri Lanka are alive and kicking. They were always expected to win this one (Were they? My colleagues will not agree) and at the halfway mark, were looking in a really bad shape. But the bowling, spurred by Malinga and Pradeep, led their team to a wonderful win. |
| Normally, in an ODI, chasing 187 in 41 overs is no difficult task. But Sri Lanka made it difficult for Afghanistan. The Afghans got off to a decent start, adding 34 for the opening wicket but Shahzad's wicket opened the floodgates. They slipped from 34/0 to 57/5 and it really seemed like the game was over at that point of time. But no Afghan game is over without a fightback. |
| Just like the Australia game, the lower middle order stood out in this match for Afghanistan. Captain Gulbadin Naib came to the fore and stitched a 64-run stand for the 6th wicket with Najibullah Zadran. At that stage, it seemed like the tables were turning. But Dimuth Karunaratne threw the ball to Nuwan Pradeep and he swung the game around. |
| Pradeep bowled with sheer pace and got rid of Naib and Rashid and the Afghans were pegged back once more. And then, when they were hunting for singles and twos, Malinga strut his stuff, bowling yorkers at will and ending the fight. The wickets column might show only the likes of Pradeep and Malinga getting acknowledgement but the whole bowling unit needs to receive praise for keeping the pressure on the opposition. |
| Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka orchestrated an unbelievable collapse, rising to 144/1 and then falling in a heap to post 201. Kusal Perera was the lone warrior with his 78. Did the pitch spice up due to the rain? There was a 3-hour delay due to showers and that perhaps played in the hands of the Lankans, even though 15 runs were wiped off their final score. Please stay tuned for the presentation... |
| NUWAN PRADEEP has been named the MAN OF THE MATCH. But Thisara Perera comes up for a chat with Pommie Mbangwa instead. Thisara says that he is really happy with his bowling as 186 is really difficult to defend. Says that on this type of a wicket, if one bowls in the right lengths, it is difficult to score. Praises himself, saying that normally he is a good fielder. Calls his bowling unit as an experienced one and says that they believed that they could defend this total. |
| Afghanistan skipper, Gulbadin Naib, feels that Afghanistan did not bowl in the right areas at the start and that is where the game was lost. Admits that they did bowl well in the middle period but that wastage of the new balls hurt them. On the wicket, Naib says that it was not easy for batting so all the bowlers had to do was to keep hitting a consistent line and length. Praises the Sri Lankan side for coming out firing with the ball. On the revised target of 187, Gulbadin says that it was not |
| Victorious Sri Lankan captain, Dimuth Karunaratne, says that the only negative part in this game was the collapse with the bat after the terrific start. Praises the bowling and fielding altogether. Stresses that his side has experience and hence the unit was positive that it could defend the total. On his advice to the bowlers during the innings break, Dimuth says that breaking the opening stand was the key as the Afghan openers usually go hard. Admits that the middle order is a worry and aims t |
| Right then. Sri Lanka stay alive (not that they were out anyway) and are upto 6th place. Their net run rate is very poor but they will take the 2 points for now. Tough luck for Afghanistan, who will feel that they should have had this in the bag. No time to fret though! The carnival continues and India, one of the title contenders, announce themselves on Wednesday, as they take on South Africa at Southampton at 10.30 am local (0930 GMT). It is a double header and the second game is between New Z |
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