Zaman century propels Pakistan to 3-wicket win against Sri Lanka in tri-series cricket final

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Opener Fakhar Zaman overcame a bruised knee and a lean run to score 127 and lead Pakistan past Sri Lanka by three wickets in the final of the one-day international cricket tri-series on Saturday.

Zaman’s entertaining 12th ODI hundred and man-of-the-series Arafat Minhas’ robust 61 off 31 balls took Pakistan to a winning 331-7 in 48.3 overs. The Sri Lanka bowlers found it hard to control the wet ball because of dew.

Kamindu Mendis’ 131, his maiden ODI century, earlier propelled Sri Lanka to 325-8 while batting first for the first time in the tournament.

England was knocked out after losing three of its four games that included Sri Lanka’s second highest ever chase of 430 at Rawalpindi and Pakistan’s scintillating one-wicket win at Lahore.

Zaman and Minhas star in chase

Zaman came into the final with only 31 runs in his last four innings and spent most of the time in the dressing room after he injured his right knee while fielding.

Pakistan lost Maaz Sadaqat for 5 and Babar Azam for a five-ball duck, much to the disappointment of the 31,265 home fans at Gaddafi Stadium, but Zaman revived the chase with 19-year-old Saad Baig, who made 74 off 75 balls. They put up a better-than-a-run-a-ball 149-run partnership against scrappy Sri Lanka bowling and fielding.

Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana, making his first appearance in the tri-series, missed out on claiming Zaman on 69 and 106, when he couldn’t hold onto a return catch. Theekshana dropped Zaman again, a sitter on the boundary, after he reached his century off 84 balls.

Zaman’s 99-ball knock, including 11 fours and six sixes, finally ended in the 34th over when he was clean-bowled by Dilshan Madushanka with Pakistan still 106 runs from victory. Madushanka took 3-63.

The wet ball couldn’t help Sri Lanka as the young pair of Minhas and Hasan Nawaz (37 not out) kept their nerves in a 94-run stand by rotating the strike consistently.

Asitha Fernando, who conceded 72 runs, added to the drama by bagging the wickets of Minhas and Faheem Ashraf off successive balls with Pakistan needing two for victory. Skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi smashed Madushanka for a winning six over midwicket.

“We made a great comeback in the bowling in the last 10 overs,” Afridi said. “There was a collapse again (in batting) but Fakhar played a brilliant knock. I always say Fakhar scores in big games … Saad, Arafat, and Hasan Nawaz have all made crucial contributions which is good for Pakistan cricket.”

Mendis and Rathnayake lift Sri Lanka

Kamindu Mendis and opening partner Avishka Fernando (38) gave Sri Lanka a solid start of 87 then Mendis and the in-form Pavan Rathnayake contributed another stand of 146 with brisk scoring in the middle overs.

Afridi trapped Mendis lbw off a fuller delivery in the 42nd over. His 128-ball knock featured 12 fours and two sixes. He consistently rotated the strike with Rathnayake, who was denied his third century in the tournament when he holed out to long-on in the 45th after scoring 77 off 65 balls.

Pakistan, without an unwell Shadab Khan, pulled Sri Lanka back in the death overs through the pace bowlers. Sri Lanka scored 87-6 in the final 10 overs as Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf all bagged two wickets each.

“We were short by 25-30 runs,” Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis said. “Our bowling unit did well in the powerplay (but) our mistakes in the fielding cost us which we need to work on moving forward. There are a lot of positives to take from this series … (and) there is room for improvement.”

___

See AP’s full cricket coverage here