Pakistan come close but lose the thriller

SHARJAH - It was the best crowd for the event so far, and it was offered a treat throughout the afternoon and early evening, easily the best match of the event. Shoaib Akhtar bowled the fastest recorded ball in cricket history (at 159.6 kilometres per hour, just shy of his dearest wish of 100 mph), Wasim Akram notched his 450th scalp in one-day cricket, and there was rearguard action aplenty by both Sri Lanka and Pakistan. And this time round, as it went down the wire, Pakistan again lost it from a handshake's distance, by just nine runs.

This second loss against Sri Lanka means that the second spot for the final remains open.

In the last 20 overs, with the asking rate steep and the chase hotting up, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Wasim Akram hit some lusty blows yet failed to deliver the victory. And only because of some tremendous bowling by Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa who, when all Pakistan needed was a run a ball, between them conceded just nine runs in three overs and bowled neither a wide nor a no-ball. Their discipline and accuracy stood them in good stead when it seemed all but a lost cause. More so, as Akram had had bludgeoned them for 36 in just 29 deliveries with 4 fours and one six.

But they didn't allow him or Rashid Latif any room to score even a single boundary in the last three overs.

The two quick wickets, those of Inzamam (37, off balls, 2 fours, 1 six) and Younis (45, 55 balls, 3 fours, 2 sixes) in the 41st and 42nd over, didn't bring any jitters as Akram and Rashid went about the task of scoring runs at a brisk rate. And they were well on course till Vaas and Zoysa so effectively blocked their charge.

Chasing 240 for victory, Pakistan were off to a bad start, one for nought in the second over. But just as the Sri Lankan comeback was based on two partnerships, Pakistan's was on three, and in the meanwhile a few runs were taken off Muttiah Muralitharan while he was kept wicketless - a rarity indeed.

Youhana and Imran added 72 runs for the second wicket off 117 balls, Inzamam and Younis 85 for the fourth wicket in only 98 balls and Akram and Rashid 45 off 48 balls.

Yet it was not enough. Perhaps Pakistan should have gone for the kill when the Lankans were 41for four, or maybe started big hitting a trifle sooner. Or maybe Afridi got out too soon.

Whatever, this time round, they didn't lack organisation in their chase. All they lacked was a finish.

Sri Lanka recover from a disastrous start:
Earlier, Pakistan failed to make the most of a great beginning, allowing Sri Lanka to affect a recovery from a perilous 41 for four to 239 for six, not really an imposing total but a highly competitive one.

And for the Pakistanis it definitely was a few too many for comfort, particularly given their dislike for a chase.

Jayasuriya won the toss and elected to bat first, and then went hammer and tongs after his counterpart Younis, clobbering the latter for 14 runs in one over. But Pakistan struck back, and tellingly so. Younis produced that sight so rare in cricket these days, the middle stump cartwheeling. He went through Jayasuriya's defences to bowl him neck and crop. Next over, he accounted for Kaluwitharana, splendidly caught by Rashid Latif.

At this point Akram too got into the act as he had incentive enough too, for Kumar Sangakkara was his 450th ODI wicket. And next over he too added another to his already quite impressive tally, Rashid Latif holding on to his third catch of the afternoon as Mahela Jayawardene edged Akram.

But the remainder of the evening was all Sri Lanka's. While for the most part, the sedate 91-run stand off 138 balls for the fifth wicket between Atapattu and Arnold affected the recovery, and then better than a run a ball partnership between Atapattu and Chandana (107 off 105 deliveries) briskly restored the balance of the game in Sri Lanka's favour.

It was first a nice recovery job, then great consolidation, followed up with a superb finish that brought Sri Lanka roaring back into the game. And it all took two partnerships to retrieve the situation in such a major way.

Having worked their way to recovery, Russell Arnold was now venturing shots; he went after Afridi with a wild shot, the swipe ending in Imran Nazir's safe hands at short mid-wicket.

This brought Upul Chandana on the field. And he batted with gay abandon against whatever skipper Younis pitted against him. Such was the Lankan ascendancy that Pakistan's fielding became ragged at the edges, and he was dropped twice by Razzaq, first at deep third man and then at long-off. But by the time he was disposed off, off the last ball of the innings, he had put on 64 runs of just 58 deliveries, with the help of nine fours - with none out of Akram, Waqar, Shoaib or Saqlain spared.

His partner, the unassuming grafter, Atapattu in the meanwhile remained unbeaten at 77, compiled off 109 deliveries with five shots to the fence and also was declared the Man of the Match.