fittingly Afridi gets the last touch on the ball. This is his 50th T20I, and he has scored a fifty, taken wickets, and then the final catch. Mathews slices this slog towards long-off, and Afridi charges in to complete a low catch. Hafeez is delighted at first win as captain
Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, 2nd T20I at Hambantota, Jun 03 2012 - Ball by Ball Commentary
RESULT
2nd T20I (N), Hambantota, June 03, 2012, Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka
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Full commentary
Time for quotes from the presentation. This is a long ceremony with awards for many different things. But Afridi has cleared house here. Five out of seven. Now onto the Man of the Match. Again Sahibzada it is. "I am feeling good," Afridi says. "Main thing is, my team won. what else could I want? Arafat and Tanvir bowled well, and after that we just put pressure on. Whatmore is doing a really good job. He has given me space to focus on my skills."
Sohail Tanvir is Man of the Series. "Ball seamed around, and that's what I wanted, especially coming back," Tanvir says. "I enjoyed bowling in these conditions. It was difficult for the batsmen to time the ball. I enjoyed it though."
"We had to give a few chances to Kapu and Udana," says Sri Lanka captain Mathews. "We lost our way in the middle. We were brilliant in the field, they all gave 100%."
Finally, let's hear from Hafeez: "A great team effort where everybody played his role. The partnership between Malik and Afridi was crucial for us. With the new ball Sohail Tanvir was brilliant. And then Afridi with the ball again. And Saeed Ajmal."
As Hafeez and Mahela Jayawardene share the cheques and trophy, we take your leave. Thanks for joining us, do tune in for the longer formats of the series too
This is the lowest total Pakistan have ever defended. Afridi will surely get Man-of-the-Match award, and that will take his tally to seven, which will give him solo lead after he had been tied with Jayasuriya and Pietersen at six.
"Still not convinced by Sami, but it is good to see another Wild Thing in international cricket. An economy rate of over 9 doesn't lie, this guy knows how to entertain." PDTM, I get the drift of what you say, but I am sick and tired - absolutely sick and tired - of Twenty20 turning fast bowlers into slower-ball bowlers, who bowl the quick delivery as a variation. I want pace, I want - as you say - "wild things". There has to be something wrong with a world that makes Dale Steyn go cross-seam first ball of the match
Anyway, what did Sri Lanka do here? I am struggling to explain. Sanga and Dilshan going well through decent cricketing shots, and all of a sudden Sanga plays a wild shot when there is no run-rate pressure. Then they promote Kula. And it was all downhill from there
19.2
W
Arafat to Angelo Mathews, OUT
Angelo Mathews c Shahid Afridi b Yasir Arafat 11 (11b 0x4 0x6 28m) SR: 100
19.1
2
Arafat to Angelo Mathews, 2 runs
Mathews makes room to smash this down the ground, and Akmal makes a diving save at long-on to keep them down to two
Arafat to bowl the last over. This is as good as over
end of over 194 runs • 1 wicket
SL: 97/9CRR: 5.10 • RRR: 26.00
Angelo Mathews9 (9b)
Isuru Udana1 (2b)
Mohammad Sami 3-0-16-3
Saeed Ajmal 4-0-20-1
Such was the confidence in him that Sami wasn't even going to bowl his four overs today. But he has provided us with a truly exciting two-over burst. High pace and accuracy, never mind those five wides
18.6
1
Sami to Angelo Mathews, 1 run
full and straight, pushed to straight extra for a single
18.5
1
Sami to Udana, 1 run
yorker, that's too good... at that pace. Dug out for a single to mid-off
18.4
•
Sami to Udana, no run
fast, just outside off, tailender backing away, beaten
18.3
1
Sami to Angelo Mathews, 1 run
backing away to make room, pushes this to deep point for one, and Mathews is off strike again
18.2
W
Sami to Senanayake, OUT
Sami is running through them here. A poor shot. He is looking to sweep Sami, and this is a length ball well wide of him. The top edge is gleefully accepted at cover
Sachithra Senanayake c Sohail Tanvir b Mohammad Sami 1 (4b 0x4 0x6 5m) SR: 25
18.1
1
Sami to Angelo Mathews, 1 run
drives at a length ball, the thick edge gets him a single to third man
end of over 183 runs • 1 wicket
SL: 93/8CRR: 5.16 • RRR: 15.00
Angelo Mathews6 (6b)
Sachithra Senanayake1 (3b)
Saeed Ajmal 4-0-20-1
Mohammad Sami 2-0-12-2
17.6
1
Ajmal to Angelo Mathews, 1 run
17.5
1
Ajmal to Senanayake, 1 run
finally bat on ball, worked around the corner for one
17.4
•
Ajmal to Senanayake, no run
quick sharp offbreak now, hits his pad
17.3
•
Ajmal to Senanayake, no run
another straighter one, and this is like Persian for tailenders: they can't read it
Senanayake in now
17.2
W
Ajmal to Lokuar., OUT
Don't bother about the dots. Ajmal gets a wicket. Reminiscent of Tino "mind-the-windows" Best. Kaushal leaves the crease even before the ball is delivered, and all Ajmal has to do is bowl the straighter delivery, and he is stumped by miles
Kaushal Lokuarachchi st †Shakeel Ansar b Saeed Ajmal 0 (3b 0x4 0x6 4m) SR: 0
New batsman on strike. Pakistan to steal more dots?
17.1
1
Ajmal to Angelo Mathews, 1 run
straighter delivery outside off, punched to deep point for a single
Ajmal to bowl out. 33 off 18 now
end of over 176 runs • 2 wickets
SL: 90/7CRR: 5.29 • RRR: 11.00
Kaushal Lokuarachchi0 (2b)
Angelo Mathews4 (4b)
Mohammad Sami 2-0-12-2
Saeed Ajmal 3-0-17-0
16.6
•
Sami to Lokuar., no run
seriously fast again, and this is kissing the surface and bouncing away. Tennis-ball bounce? That is happening in Paris. Short of a length, bounces well over his bat, and is collected throat high by the keeper. Lovely over
16.5
•
Sami to Lokuar., no run
they can't lay bat on ball here. Beaten for pace again. And did a see a hint of backing away by the batsman? Short of a length, outside off, and the ball has beaten him even before the bat comes down
Kaushal Lokuarachchi comes in
16.4
W
Sami to Perera, OUT
you can't keep a really quick man down for to long. Good to see real raw pace in a format where "taking the pace off" is the regulation delivery. Sami is quick, straight, just short of a length, and has burst through Perera's defences. Timbahhhh. Boy, is Sami pumped?
Thisara Perera b Mohammad Sami 0 (2b 0x4 0x6 2m) SR: 0
16.4
5w
Sami to Perera, 5 wide
what has Sami done here? A Test-match wide. Full and way down the leg side. No chance for the keeper either. Sami gets the towel out. Dew or sweat?
16.3
•
Sami to Perera, no run
pace like fiyah maan... Short of a length, kisses off the pitch, and beats Perera's attempt to dab at it. Late into the shot again - 143ks here
16.2
W
Sami to Thirimanne, OUT
he has done Thirimanne in for pace here. Sami copped a lot of flak the other night, but Sami has come back superbly. Not too short, but this bounces chest high, with no room. And then the pace. To late into the pull. Keeper completes an easy catch
Lahiru Thirimanne c †Shakeel Ansar b Mohammad Sami 18 (19b 2x4 0x6 20m) SR: 94.73
"The problem with leaving Gul out is that you don't have an automatic choice at the death, which puts pressure on whoever the Prof chooses. May need to save Ajmal for the final over." PDTM, there is one final over by Ajmal I don't want to bring up
16.1
1
Sami to Angelo Mathews, 1 run
quick, on off, no room, pushed for a single to cover
39 off 24 now. Sami comes back
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