AFP/Pallekele
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Sri Lankan cricketer Tillakaratne Dilshan celebrates after scoring a century against Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele yesterday |
The hosts, who scored a challenging 280-4, bowled Pakistan out for 204 in the day-night match despite an impressive 96 by opener Azhar Ali to level the five-match series 1-1 in Pallekele.
Opener Dilshan top-scored with an unbeaten 119 for his 13th one-day hundred, hitting one six and 11 fours in his brilliant 139-ball knock to help his team set a stiff target.
Azhar, playing only his sixth one-dayer, looked set to complete his maiden one-day hundred before he was bowled by paceman Nuwan Kulasekara. He cracked 12 fours in his 119-ball knock.
Man-of-the-match Perera got his first wicket when he held a superb one-handed return catch to dismiss Mohamed Hafeez (14) before removing Younis Khan (four) and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (27) to reduce Pakistan to 127-3.
He took three more wickets to complete his third haul of five or more wickets in an innings.
Sri Lanka earlier rejigged their batting order after losing the opening one-dayer by six wickets on Thursday, with Upul Tharanga returning as an opener and skipper Mahela Jayawardene coming in at number five.
The hosts batted steadily after winning the toss as Dilshan added 70 runs for the third wicket with Dinesh Chandimal (32) and 86 for the next with Jayawardene (53), who opened in the last game.
Dilshan reached his century in the 43rd over when he pulled paceman Umar Gul for a single and then hit fast bowler Sohail Tanvir over mid-wicket for the first six of the match.
SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka innings
U.Tharanga c Sarfraz b Tanvir 18
T.Dilshan not out 119
K.Sangakkara c and b Hafeez 18
D.Chandimal lbw b Afridi 32
M.Jayawardene b Ajmal 53
T.Perera not out 24
Extras: (b-1 lb-7 nb-1 w-7) 16
Total: (for four four wickets, 50 overs) 280
Fall of wickets: 1-37 2-84 3-154 4-240.
Did not bat: A.Mathews, .Thirimanne, N.Kulasekara, R Herath, L Malinga.
Bowling: Gul 9-0-58-0, Tanvir 9-1-51-1 (1w 1nb), Afridi 10-0-50-1 (1w), Rahat 4-0-34-0 (3w), Ajmal 10-0-49-1, Hafeez 8-1-30-1.
Pakistan innings
Mohamed Hafeez c and b Perera 14
Azhar Ali b Kulasekara 96
Younus Khan c Sangakkara b Perera 4
Misbah-ul-Haq lbw b Perera 27
Umar Akmal c Sangakkara b Perera 3
S Afridi c Sangakkara b Malinga 17
Sarfraz Ahmed lbw b Kulasekara 20
Sohail Tanvir c Tharanga b Perera 3
Umar Gul lbw b Perera 14
S Ajmal c Sangakakkara b Malinga 4
Rahat Ali not out 0
Extras: (lb-2) 2
Total: (all out, 46.2 overs) 204
Fall of wickets: 1-48, 2-78, 3-127, 4-139, 5-157, 6-165, 7-170, 8-197, 9-204 10-204.
Bowling: Kulasekara 8.2-1-33-2, Malinga 8-1-40-2, Mathews 10-0-48-0, Perera 10-0-44-6, Herath 10-1-37-0,