Series: Sri Lanka in Pakistan May/Jun 2022
Venue: Southend Club Cricket Stadium, Karachi
Format: T20I
Toss: Sri Lanka
Result: Pakistan by 4 wickets

“Sri Lanka Drilling Holes in their Own Ship”

After being 69/0 Sri Lanka managed to bring about their own demise with five chaotic runouts to end well short of where they were heading.

The first of these involved the openers after their bright and breezy start, but that runout brought about a level of nervousness with running and a dreadful collapse ensued. It was not at all pretty to watch, and while runouts do occur during T20 matches more so than the other formats, there was simply no excuse for the pandemonium between the wickets.

Chamari Athapaththu (37) and Hasini Perera (24) were the only batters of substance although Anushka Sanjeewani (14*) deserves special mention at the bottom of the order trying to salvage the wreckage. It was summed up so very well by commentator and former player Marina Iqbal when she said, “Sri Lanka are drilling holes in their own ship.”

A score of 107/8 should never have been too great a challenge for the Pakistanis but they laboured their way to victory on the very last delivery of the innings. It never needed to be that way but perhaps the nervousness of the Sri Lankans was contagious.

After the best start of the series for Pakistan (16) the batting that followed lost its way with the run rate and all of a sudden as the runs dried up and the remaining deliveries were drying up, what should have been a cruise to victory was a bit of a panic in the final overs. Pakistan prevailed, with Bismah Maroof (15*) and Kainta Imtiaz (4*) guiding the team home at the end.

Oshadi Ranasinghe (3-18) and Sugandika Kumari (1-13) were best with the ball in terms of apply pressure. Kavisha Dilhari (2-28) also took wickets but far too expensive.

Bismah was named Player of the Match – her 15* not only guided her team home, but she was the one who effected the first runout that set in the chaos for the Sri Lankan batting.

Scores:

Sri Lanka 107/8 (Chamari Athapaththu 37, Hasini Perera 24, Nida Dar 1-1) 20 overs
Pakistan 108/6 (Muneeba Ali 25, Aliya Riaz 17, Oshadi Ranasinghe 3-18, Kavisha Dilhari 2-28) 20 overs

Player of the Match: Bismah Maroof

All photos: Pakistan Cricket Board