SL VS AFG: Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan in thrilling T20 series opener

Dambulla: Matheesha Pathirana and Binura Fernando bowled brilliant death overs for Sri Lanka to beat Afghanistan by four runs in a T20 in Dambulla on Saturday night.

Captain Ibrahim Zadran batted Afghanistan to the brink of its first win of the tour but the side could score only nine runs in the last two overs when 14 were needed. Pathirana bowled the 19th over and took two wickets and allowed only three runs. He was named man of the match.

Fernando, who conceded 38 runs in his previous three overs, bowled the last over and started with four dot balls against Zadran, who refused singles to not expose No. 11 batter Fazalhaq Farooqi. That left Afghanistan to score 11 off the last two balls and Zadran scored two and finished with a meaningless eighth boundary. Zadran finished 67 not out off 55 balls.

Sri Lanka was all out for 160 in 19 overs with captain Wanindu Hasaranga scoring 67 off 32 deliveries including three sixes and seven boundaries.

Fast bowler Farooqi took 3-25 while Naveen-ul -Haq and Azmatullah Omarzai took two wickets each.

Pathirana, playing his second T20, returned 4-24. Dasun Shanaka had 2-17 including two wickets in the same over.

Earlier, Sri Lanka lost in-form opening batter Pathum Nissanka on six when he slashed at Farooqi and was caught behind.

Sri Lanka was 55-4 when Hasaranga joined Sadeera Samarawickama and the pair added 72 runs for the fifth wicket. After Samarawickrama was run out for 25, Sri Lanka lost wickets quickly to be bowled out with one over to spare.

Sri Lanka won the one-off test, and swept the one-day international series 3-0. The second of three T20s is on Monday. Agencies

Also Read: Former Sri Lanka batter Sanath Jayasuriya heaps praise on Pathum Nissanka for his double-century in ODI against Afghanistan

Also Watch: