Pakistan chase down 326 to beat Sri Lanka in Lahore and claim tri-series tournament
Taha’s report has landed which is my cue to get out of here. Congratulations Pakistan and thanks for your company, the OBO will return…
I think we can all agree that tri-tournaments are a much better spectacle than bilateral series, this one has thrown up some brilliant moments and genuinely thrilling matches. That was a suitably fitting final, both sides were in it for the entire game until Minhas and Nawaz showed the mettle to get Pakistan home.
Bosh! Shaheen slams a SIX over midwicket to seal victory for his side! That’s a brilliant chase - the joint-highest in an ODI final. The crowd are jubilant and the players stream onto the pitch too. This means plenty.
Just the 16 runs and two wickets off Asitha Fernando’s ninth over.
Pakistan need two runs to win and have twelve balls (and three wickets) in which to get them.
Two in two! Faheem Ashraf goes for a golden steering a catch straight down deep square’s gullet.
… and then he gets out. What a shame, he deserved to be there at the end but a mis-timed pull is claimed by the bowler and Minhas has to walk off with the finish line tantalisingly close.
Arafat Minhas clobbers two SIXES in a row to get Pakistan nearly, nearly over the line.
He then drives Fernando down the ground for four more to leave just two runs needed to win…
47th over: Pakistan 308-5 (Nawaz 36, Minhas 45) Shot! Madushanka goes full and Arafat Minhas is waiting for it, lofting a hold the pose check drive over mid on for SIX. That’s the shot of the evening and you sense Sri Lanka know the jig us up now. Nawaz gets in on the act with a squared drive for four. What a partnership this has been, Pakistan were wobbling but they rebuilt calmly and are now taking them over the line in style.
46th over: Pakistan 295-5 (Nawaz 31, Minhas 38) That’s the big over that could seal it for Pakistan! Minhas clears the front leg and maaaaarmalises a SIX off Shanaka into the stands behind the midwicket boundary. Nawaz dabs deftly for four and in total fifteen crucial runs come off the 46th over. That leaves Pakistan red hot favourites with 31 needed to win off 24 balls. Sri Lanka need to go bang bang bang (bang bang).
45th over: Pakistan 280-5 (Nawaz 25, Minhas 29) Four singles off Fernando’s first four balls and the umpires decide it is time for a change of ball. Maybe this one will hoop around corners? Not if pitched there – Arafat drills Fernando down the ground for four and bunts a full bunger for two to make it ten off the over. Rinse and repeat five times and Pakistan are home.
That’s a crucial fifty partnership stand between this pair too. 46 needed from 30 balls.
44th over: Pakistan 270-5 (Nawaz 21, Minhas 23) Theekshana is bowled out, six runs off his final over leave him with figures of 1-57. Asitha Fernando is coming back into the attack with three overs up his sleeve. Time to strike. 56 from 36.
43rd over: Pakistan 264-5 (Nawaz 21, Minhas 17) Pakistan get their first boundary in over ten overs and it needed a mis-field at cover to help them on their way. Minhas drives and two becomes four. 62 from 42.
42nd over: Pakistan 257-5 (Nawaz 18, Minhas 13) Pakistan are sputtering here, they still can’t find the fence and the worm is only getting taller. Wellalage finishes his ten with 1-58.
41st over: Pakistan 249-5 (Nawaz 15, Minhas 8) I’ve just raided my five year old’s trick or treat sweet supply in anticipation of a spicy finish. The Skittles should kick in soon. 77 off 54…
40th over: Pakistan 244-5 (Nawaz 13, Minhas 5) No boundary for seven overs and counting, Pakistan just dealing in singles, Sri Lanka licking their lips. We’re into the last ten overs so another fielder can patrol the deep.
39th over: Pakistan 238-5 (Nawaz 10, Minhas 2) The runs have dried up and the bowling and fielding is much tighter. Just three runs off Wellalage’s ninth over, we’re going to the wire folks, ain’t no thang. 88 from 66. Five wickets remaining… put a couple wickets on that.
38th over: Pakistan 235-5 (Nawaz 8, Minhas 1) Sri Lanka sense their moment and tighten the screws just a little. Theekshana goes over, goes round and limits the runs to just five off the over. The required rate is up at eights.
37th over: Pakistan 230-5 (Nawaz 4, Minhas 0) Two new batters at the crease now for Pakistan, Arafat Minhas and Hasan Nawaz. 96 needed from 78 balls, I reckon this is going to get squeaky.
Here we go folks… Salman tries to sweep and gets in a real mess, the ball skidding under his bat and onto the stumps.
36th over: Pakistan 226-4 (Agha 14, Nawaz 3) Just two off Madushanka’s eighth over. He’s got 3-43 which is a top effort. 100 needed from 84 balls.
35th over: Pakistan 224-4 (Agha 13, Nawaz 2) Wellalage rattles through an over for just four runs. 102 needed off 90 balls. A flutter of wickets would make things very interesting.
34th over: Pakistan 220-4 (Agha 11, Nawaz 0) Hasan Nawaz joins Salman Agha in the middle. Pakistan need 106 runs from 96 balls. Might we see a twist in the tale in the next hour or so? I wouldn’t rule it out.
Gone! Is it now ? Fakhar charges down and misses, stumps splattered. The crowd rise to acknowledge a fantastic and potentially tri-tournament winning century.
33rd over: Pakistan 216-3 ( Fakhar Zaman 124, Agha 10) Fakhar is in a hurry now, he pulls and cuts for two fours off Wellalage. It’s now or never for Sri Lanka, they have to get him out to get a sniff.
32nd over: Pakistan 204-3 ( Fakhar Zaman 113, Agha 10) Stop the clock. Fast eh? Fakhar slams the first ball back after the drinks break for SIX. Only a single off the rest of Madushanka’s over but Pakistan look to be strolling this. Ahem.
31st over: Pakistan 197-3 ( Fakhar Zaman 106, Agha 10) Wellalage back into the attack with his fifth over. Four singles picked off without fuss and time for a drink. I’m going to make a rapid cup of Kenco… time me time me!
30th over: Pakistan 193-3 ( Fakhar Zaman 104, Agha 8) There it is! Fakhar Zaman brings up his century in style with a rasping pull shot off Asitha Fernando. The ball flies like a tracer bullet to the square leg boundary, Fakhar removes his helmet, salutes the crowd and then drops to his knees in prayer. 83 balls for his 12th ODI ton and he’s given his side a huge chance at winning this tri-tournament.
29th over: Pakistan 182-3 ( Fakhar Zaman 97, Agha 4) Fakhar goes to 97 with a scorching drive through cover. He deserves a ton here.
28th over: Pakistan 174-3 ( Fakhar Zaman 91, Agha 2) Asitha Fernando back into the attack. Have a look? Nah. Fakhar dances down and slams him for SIX. Fernando does well to limit the damage to eleven runs from the over.
27th over: Pakistan 163-3 ( Fakhar Zaman 82, Agha 0) Can Sri Lanka get themselves back into this final? Salman Agha is the new batter, Pakistan need 163 from 23 overs.
Fakhar Zaman sweeps Theekshana for four and then bunts him down the ground for another. A single brings Baig on strike… GONE!
Caught and bowled chance chipped back and Theekshana grasps it. My word Sri Lanka needed that. A shame for Baig who batted beautifully and had a maiden ODI ton in his sights, he gave that away cheaply in the end.
26th over: Pakistan 154-2 ( Fakhar Zaman 73, Saad Baig 74) Shanaka goes short but Baig once again shows his command of the pull shot by bisecting the field on the leg side. A compact drive for two makes it nine off the over. Sri Lankan heads are beginning to go down.
25th over: Pakistan 145-2 ( Fakhar Zaman 70, Saad Baig 68) Now then! Theekshana spills a sharp return catch from Fakhar and that’s a tough but very take-able chance gone begging. The sort of chance Sri Lanka need to take to get themselves back into this final. The previous two balls had been hit for consecutive boundaries too, that hurts. Ten runs off the over.
24th over: Pakistan 135-2 ( Fakhar Zaman 61, Saad Baig 67) Fakhar is mostly using brute force and power whereas Baig is finding the boundaries with deft touches. More than one way to ice a run chase. Shanaka offers a smidge of width and is run down to deep third for four by Baig. Touch.
23rd over: Pakistan 128-2 ( Fakhar Zaman 59, Saad Baig 62) Pedal meet metal? Fakhar dances down the track to Wellalage and hits him into the stands at midwicket. The pitch looks even paced with plenty of true bounce, ominous signs for Sri Lanka.
22nd over: Pakistan 119-2 ( Fakhar Zaman 52, Saad Baig 60) The 100 partnership is duly notched and Fakhar then goes to his 20th ODI half century with a meaty smear for four into the leg side. He’s doing the business when it really matters again.
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