ABU DHABI: All-rounder Shadab Khan hit a last over six to give Pakistan a sensational two-wicket win in the second Twenty20 international against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
Needing 12 off the final over, and eight from the last three balls, Shadab smashed Sri Lankan pacer Vikum Sanjaya for a six and then took a couple off the next delivery to help Pakistan chase down a modest 125-run target in 19.5 overs.
Shadab remained not out with an eight-ball 16 with a six and a boundary to give Pakistan an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
The final match in Lahore on Sunday remains of great significance as it will see Sri Lanka return to Pakistan eight years after the team was targeted in a deadly ambush in the same city in 2009.
Earlier Friday, fast bowler Faheen Ashraf derailed the Sri Lankan innings with figures of 3-16 as he became the first Pakistan player to achieve a hat-trick in Twenty20 Internationals.
That gave Pakistan eight wickets in the space of just 20 balls for 18 runs as Sri Lanka ended on 124-9 in 20 overs.
Danushka Gunathilaka top-scored with a 48-ball 51 with four boundaries and a six but Ashraf’s feat stopped Sri Lanka from posting a challenging total.
Sri Lankan skipper Thisara Perera then grabbed 3-24 in his four overs to leave Pakistan in a spot of bother, removing Shoaib Malik for nine with the total at 55-4.
Skipper Sarfraz Ahmed (28) and Mohammad Hafeez (19) added 39 for the fifth wicket to bring Pakistan within 31 runs of victory.
But when Hafeez and Ahmed fell, Pakistan still needed 21 off 14 balls which Shadab made possible.
Sri Lanka had needed early wickets and they were lucky to get Fakhar Zaman (11) run out, Ahmed Shehzad (27) and Babar Azam for one.
“In that crunch situation, on this difficult pitch, that shot was a very difficult shot by Shadab,” said Ahmed.
“Our youngsters are putting up big performances and Ashraf was outstanding as bowler.”
Perera said his team did put up a good fight.
“As a captain, I’m really proud of them and a win was not too far away,” said Perera.
“Our set batsmen need to contribute, if we take the first two batters, our plan is that they have to play till the 15th over.”
It was Ashraf who sparkled in the first half.
Ashraf dismissed Isuru Udana (six), Mahela Udawatte and Dasun Shanaka off successive deliveries to become the sixth bowler to register a Twenty20 hat-trick.
Australia’s Brett Lee was the first to achieve a hat-trick in the shortest format with his feat coming against Bangladesh at Cape Town in 2007.
New Zealand’s Jacob Oram and Tim Southee and Sri Lankan duo Thisara Perera and Lasith Malinga were the others to achieve a Twenty20 hat-trick.
Sri Lanka, sent into bat for the second match in succession, got off to a solid start with openers Gunathilaka and Dilshan Munaweear put on 43 for the opening wicket.
Munaweera was dismissed for 19 before Sadeera Samarawickrama (31-ball 33) added 63 for the second wicket with Gunathilaka as Sri Lanka looked set for a 150-plus total with 106-1 in 16.1 overs.
But Sadeera, Seekkuge Prasanna and Perera were run outs before Ashraf came into his own.
This is only the second time a team has taken eight wickets in the last four overs in a T20. Pakistan did the same against Australia in the 2010 World Twenty20.
Shadab’s last-over six, Ashraf hat-trick seal Pakistan win
Shadab’s last-over six, Ashraf hat-trick seal Pakistan win
Barcelona pounces on Real Madrid stumble and regains lead of La Liga with a 3-0 win over Levante
- Barcelona moved one point ahead of Madrid, which had won eight in a row in the league before losing to Osasuna
MADRID: Barcelona took advantage of Real Madrid’s stumble and regained the Spanish league lead with a comfortable 3-0 win over relegation-threatened Levante on Sunday.
Marc Bernal, Frenkie de Jong and Fermín López scored a goal each as Barcelona ended a two-game losing streak to get back in front of rival Madrid, which lost 2-1 at Osasuna on Saturday.
Barcelona moved one point ahead of Madrid, which had won eight in a row in the league before losing to Osasuna.
Barcelona was coming off a 2-1 loss to Girona in the league and a 4-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals.
“It was important to win and earn three points again,” Barcelona defender João Cancelo said. “Soccer gives you these opportunities to rebound and that’s what we did today, playing well again after two bad games.”
Barcelona had earned a clean sheet only once in its previous six games in all competitions.
Good start for Barcelona
Bernal scored from close range four minutes into the match at the Camp Nou Stadium. The 18-year-old Bernal had scored his first goal with the first team two rounds ago in a win over Mallorca.
“They had an early chance but my goal helped us settle and gain some confidence,” Bernal said.
De Jong added to the lead from inside the area in the 32nd and López sealed the victory with a beautiful long-range shot in the 81st, with the ball ricocheting off the post before going into the net.
Levante’s Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan kept Barcelona from adding the fourth with a pair of outstanding saves in a row in the final minutes, first off a header by Raphinha and then off a point-blank strike from López on the rebound.
It was the fourth straight defeat for Levante, which sits in 19th place. It is one point ahead of last-place Oviedo, which has a game in hand.
Levante has only one victory in its last eight matches.
Pedri entered the match in the 66th to make his return to action after an injury layoff.
Other results
Sevilla won 1-0 at 10-man Getafe for its second win in its last 10 matches in all competitions.
Djibril Sow scored a 64th-minute winner for the visitors. Getafe played a man down from the 26th after a straight red card for Djene Dakonam.
The result left Sevilla in 11th place, immediately above Getafe.
Third-place Villarreal, Barcelona’s next league opponent, can restore a three-point gap to fourth-place Atletico Madrid if it beats Valencia at home later Sunday. Atletico beat Espanyol 4-2 at home on Saturday.
