Pakistan end Sri Lanka's winning streak

New Delhi: World Cup finalists Sri Lanka's charge was brought to an abrupt halt when Pakistan defeated them handsomely by 33 runs in their Super Eights clash at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Monday.

Captain Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan struck timely half-centuries to boost Pakistan to 189-6 after being put in to bat, before their bowlers never allowed Sri Lanka to get away, restricting them to 156-9 at the end of 20 overs.

The Pakistan bowlers hit Sri Lanka hard up front as Mohammad Asif removed opener Upul Tharanga with his second delivery. Sanath Jayasuriya was let off two balls later, but Sohail Tanvir, who dropped him, came back to castle him with a seering first delivery in the second over of the innings.

Kumar Sangakkara, too, followed back into the dugout as he was bowled by Mohammad Asif for 18 to leave the Lankans three down with 35 runs on the board.

The Sri Lankan batsmen weren't allowed to gain momentum as they lost a wicket each time they looked like getting back into the game.

Captain Mahela Jayawardene and Chamara Silva were up to the task as they put together 53 runs for the fourth wicket before spinner Shahid Afridi spun Pakistan back in the game with three crucial wickets.

Tillekeratne Dilshan put up a valiant last gasp effort to bring Sri Lanka closer, but a fourth attempt after three straight sixes in the penultimate over was holed out to Younis Khan in the deep to end all hopes of a surprise.

Shoaib leads the way

After being reduced to 33-3, captain Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan counterattacked brilliantly to get Pakistan back on track with a 101-run fourth wicket stand.

Sanath Jayasuriya bore severe brunt of the Pakistani onslaught as he went for 54 runs from his four overs, while Dilhara Fernando was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets after conceding just 17 runs.

Openers Imran Nazir and Salman Butt started finding the gaps right from the beginning but both were removed early as Chaminda Vaas and Dilhara Fernando struck in quick succession.

Fernando added one more to his tally as he removed Mohammad Hafeez in an identical manner to that of Butt's dismissal, leaving Pakistan tottering on 33-3.

Younis Khan then took Sanath Jayasuriya to the cleaners which opened the floodgates for Pakistan and launched into all the Sri Lankan bowlers thereafter.

Younis slammed three sixes and two fours in his 35-ball 51, while his skipper took only 31 balls to get to 57 with four boundaries and two sixes.

Explosive batsman Shahid Afridi, however, didn't make for a huge impact in the game as he fell to Lasith Malinga for 17.

Pakistan made one change from their side that lost the bowl out against India in Durban, bringing in Mohammad Hafeez in place of Yasir Arafat, while Sri Lanka retained the same team that won against New Zealand in their final Group tie.

Teams:

Pakistan: Shoaib Malik (C), Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt, Umar Gul, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Imran Nazir, Sohail Tanvir.

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardena (C), Dilhara Fernando, Sanath Jayasuriya, Lasith Malinga, Jehan Mubarak, Kumar Sangakkara, Chamara Silva, Upul Tharanga, Tilakarathne Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas, Gayan Wijekoon.