Sri Lanka win Sharjah final

Sri Lanka won the Sharjah triangular series cricket tournamant, beating Pakistan by 77 runs in the final on Friday.

Batting first, the Lankans fully exploited glaring fielding lapses from Pakistan to score 297 for seven from their 50 overs. They then dismissed Pakistan for 220 in 44.4 overs.

Marvan Atapattu, who made 89 off 119 balls, was adjudged the man of the match.

Making the most of dropped catches, Marvan Atapattu (89), captain Sanath Jayasuriya (70) and Mahela Jayawardene (67) punished moderate Pakistan bowling.

The highpoints of the Sri Lanka innings were stands of 114 for the second wicket between Jayasuriya and Atapattu, and 111 for the third between Atapattu and Jayawardene.

They lifted Sri Lanka to the tournament's highest score, beating the 278 for nine that Pakistan scored against them in the round-robin stage.

Sri Lanka lost Romesh Kaluwitharana (7) when he ran himself out after being sent back by Jayasuriya, but they were never threatened.

Jayasuriya, curbing his natural instinct for strokes early in the innings, opened up in the 14th over, lashing Abdur Razzaq for 20 in one over.

He hoisted the first 50 of the innings in the same over with a six and celebrated the feat with another lofted drive over the ropes.

Jayasuriya, who reached his 50 off 72 balls with two fours and three sixes, eventually fell to off-spinner Shoaib Malik in the 27th over, having faced 90 balls and struck four fours and three sixes.

Atapattu, dropped by Inzamam-ul-Haq on 50 and bowled by Waqar Younis on 72 off a no-ball, kept up the tempo before running himself out in the 44th over to an accurate throw from Saeed Anwar. He made his runs off 119 balls, with five fours and a six.

Jayawardene, earning lives on five and 36 when substitute Yasir Arafat and Saqlain Mushtaq missed sitters, also made most of the chances, hitting his runs off 58 balls with five fours and three sixes.

Off-spinner Saqlain did take three quick wickets during last stages of the innings, but his haul failed to prevent Sri Lanka plundering 127 in the last 12 overs.

Mail Cricket Editor