Lasith Malinga took 3-17 as Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 19 runs in their World Twenty20 Super Eight match at Lord’s.
Sri Lanka made a flying start before eventually being restricted to 150-7 with captain Younus Khan making a 50 in Pakistan’s total of 131-9.
Pakistan bowler Sohail Tanvir made a disastrous start to the Sri Lanka innings with an 18-run over containing three wides and two no-balls, and continued to suffer in his second over.
Sri Lanka opener Tillakaratne Dilshan waited until the fourth over to successfully execute his customary periscope shot for a boundary.
Dilshan and partner Sanath Jayasuriya posted a 50 partnership in the next over to take full advantage of some poor bowling. This duo continued to flail the Pakistan bowling attack to all parts of Lord’s before their partnership perished at 81 with Jayasuriya caught off the bowling of Shahid Afridi for 26.
Afridi [2-23] struck again to remove the troublesome Dilshan who was bowled for 46 having faced 39 balls. Captain Kumar Sangakkara [15] was the third wicket to fall after giving Saeed Ajmal the charge only to then be stumped by Kamran Akmal.
Chamara Silva [8] and Mahela Jayawardene [19] were the fourth and fifth wickets to fall respectively with two batters perishing in the final over.
Pakistan received a setback in the first over of their reply with Salman Butt castled by Angelo Mathews without scoring before two wickets fell in quick succession to leave them in a perilous position at 35-3.
Lasith Malinga crucially removed Shoaib Malik for 28 and two consecutive wickets in a Muttiah Muralitharan over undermined Pakistan’s run-chase.
Any hopes they had of snatching a win vanished when top scorer Younus Khan was caught off the bowling of Malinga.
In the day's second game, an excellent showing from Dwayne Bravo saw West Indies get the better of India.
Bravo took 4-38 as India made 153-7 after a poor start, thanks largely to 67 from Yuvraj Singh.
However, Bravo was again the star, claiming 66 not out as the Windies made 156-3.