Pakistan scrape through to Semi-final to meet England
ICC Champions Trophy, 12th Match, Group B: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Jun 12, 2017
Sri Lanka v Pakistan
Sri Lanka 236 ao (49.2 ov) N Dickwella 73 off 86, 4 fours, BKG Mendis 27 off 29, 4 fours, AD Mathews 39 off 54, 2 fours, 1 six, DAS Gunaratne 27 off 44, 1 four, Mohammad Amir 53-2, Junaid Khan 40-3, Fahim Ashraf 37-2, Hasan Ali 43-3.
Pakistan 237/7 off 44.5 ov Azhar Ali 34 off 50, 2 fours, 1 six, Fakhar Zaman 50 off 36, 8 fours, 1six, Sarfraz Ahmed 61 not out off 79, 5 fours, Mohammad Amir 28 off 43, 1 four, SL Malinga 52-1, RAS Lakmal 48-1, N Pradeep 60-3, NLTC Perera 43-1.
Pakistan won by 3 wickets with 31 balls remaining.
Pakistan won the toss and chose to field.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka battled tooth and nail as Pakistan managed to sneak across the line with a thrilling three-wicket win.
Although Sri Lanka started impressively but sccummed to a brilliant sensational spell midway from Mohammad Amir and Junaid Khan ripped through Sri Lankan middle order as they went from 161 for 3 to 167 for 7 and turned the match and was successful in restricting Sri Lanka to 236.
Pakistan started badly with the fall of 7th wicket they still needed 75 to win, as Sri Lanka were favourites at this point, but their fielding lapses let them down badly. Thisara Perera dropper an easy catch at mid-on in the 39th over. Substitute fielder Seekkuge Prasanna dropped another difficult chance in the 41st over, and born again batsman Sarfraz the last of the specialist batman took the game away. Lasith Malinga, had created both chances as he watched helplessly, as his team began to gift overthrows.
Mohammed Amir and Sarfraz Ahmed’s record eight wicket stand saw Pakistan home. Malinga was brought back in the final over, by which time the Sri Lanka fielding had disintegrated.