RAWALPINDI: Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera grabbed 4-20 and stifled Pakistan in the final over as Sri Lanka breezed into the final of the T20 tri-series with a six-run victory on Thursday.
Pakistan, which had already qualified for Saturday’s final with three successive wins, was held to 178-7 with captain Salman Ali Agha’s career-best unbeaten 63 going in vain.
Opening batter Kamil Mishra’s 76 off 48 balls had earlier anchored Sri Lanka to 184-5 in a game the team had to win in order to reach the final instead of Zimbabwe.
“Proud of how the boys bounced back,” Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka said. “Everybody contributed. … Of course Chameera (exhibited) world-class bowling.”
Chameera dented Pakistan’s chase with figures of 3-3 in the power play and then returned for the final over to concede just three runs when Pakistan required 10 for victory.
The tall fast bowler deceived Sahibzada Farhan (9) with a slower ball and had him caught at short cover before pinning Pakistan’s premier batter Babar Azam lbw for two-ball duck.
Left-handed batter Saim Ayub (27) once again couldn’t convert his aggressive start off 18 balls before he dragged Eshan Malinga back onto his stumps. Chameera had Pakistan on the mat at 4-43 in the sixth over when Fakhar Zaman holed out at mid-on.
Agha and Usman Khan (33) put the chase back on track with an aggressive 56-run stand before Wanindu Hasaranga broke through in the 13th over and Khan sliced a catch to short third.
But Agha and Mohammad Nawaz (27) cut lose in the death overs with a rapid 70-run stand off 36 balls before Malinga struck in the penultimate over and had Nawaz caught at long-on. Chameera then sealed the game by hitting the right lengths.
Earlier, after being asked to bat first, Mishara and Kusal Mendis (40) gave Sri Lanka a breezy start of 58-1 inside the first six overs after Salman Mirza had Pathum Nissanka (8) bowled in the third over.
Mendis smashed six boundaries and a six before he was undone by Abrar Ahmed’s quicker delivery that skidded into him and had him trapped plumb leg before wicket.
But Mishara kept scoring at a good pace as he swept well in front of the wicket before he eventually perished in the 17th over when he holed out at deep mid-wicket.
Janith Liyanage (24 not out) and captain Shanaka (17 not out) then smashed 24 runs of the final two overs of Mirza and Mohammad Wasim which proved enough for Sri Lanka to defend.
“I think it was gettable with the dew coming in but we lost too many wickets in the powerplay and gave away too many runs in the powerplay,” Agha said. “If you give too many runs in the powerplay, you’ll always be chasing the game. I would have been happier if I had finished the game but it was good to spend some time out in the middle.”
