Sri Lanka Eke Out Narrow Four-Run Victory Over Afghanistan In 1st T20I | Cricket News

Rookie Sri Lankan quick bowler Matheesha Pathirana claimed 4 wickets to assist rescue the hosts after their batting collapse and hand Afghanistan a slim four-run defeat in Saturday’s T20 opener. Sri Lanka have been all out for 160 with six balls remaining and Afghan opener Ibrahim Zadran led the reply, batting by means of the innings with 67 not out. But his chase was bereft of assist with the following top-scorer Karim Janat making 20 at quantity seven earlier than Pathirana despatched him again.

Pathirana, 21, was given man of the match honours for less than his second profession T20 match after two fast dismissals that left Afghanistan nonetheless quick by 11 on the finish of the penultimate over.

Afghan seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi took three wickets to assist bowl out Sri Lanka after their late-innings collapse.

The hosts have been properly positioned at 146-5 heading into the final 4 overs however misplaced the final 5 wickets for simply 14 runs from 25 deliveries.

All-rounder captain Wanindu Hasaranga top-scored for Sri Lanka with 67 after selling himself to quantity six, quickly steadying a lacklustre innings in a 72-run partnership with Sadeera Samarawickrama.

He made his second T20 half-century in simply 24 deliveries with a sublime boundary by means of further cowl off Qais Ahmed.

The partnership was damaged within the subsequent over when Samarawickrama chanced a single to covers however a direct hit from Ibrahim Zadran discovered him run out.

Hasaranga adopted quickly afterwards after a miscalculated drive to long-off, simply caught by Ibrahim Zadran off Naveen-ul-Haq.

Sri Lanka gained the solitary Test of the tour and swept their ODI sequence towards Afghanistan 3-0.

Dambulla hosts the remaining two T20 matches of the sequence on Monday and Wednesday.

(Except for the headline, this story has been edited by Mahaz News employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)