Nawaz, Afridi fire Pakistan to tri-series victory

A collapse of 9 for 30 from Sri Lanka set up Pakistan's six-wicket win in the tri-series final in Rawalpindi. It was an innings of two halves for the visitors, who accumulated 81/1 in the first 10 overs, only to lose nine wickets for 33 runs in the next 9.1 overs. Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz picked three wickets each and Pakistan chased the 115-run target with eight balls to spare.

Put in to bat on a dry and cracked pitch, Sri Lanka made a strong start, adding 56 runs in the powerplay for the loss of Pathum Nissanka, who was bowled by Shaheen Afridi's slower ball in the third over. Mishara counterattacked, picking 17 runs off Salman Mirza in the last over of the powerplay. Kusal Mendis played the ideal foil, rotating strike and allowing Mishara to score quick runs at the other end.

Mishara's fifty, his second in two games, came off 37 balls and put Sri Lanka in front at 84/1 in the 11th over, but the team slipped into a collapse starting with the wicket of Kusal Mendis. Mohammad Nawaz had him caught in the deep, opening the door for Pakistan to slice through the middle and lower orders. Saim Ayub followed up with the wicket of well-set Mishara, and Abrar Ahmed then dismissed Kusal Perera and Pawan Rathnayake in the space of three balls. Nawaz struck twice again, bowling Janith Liyanage and Wanindu Hasaranga.

From there, the collapse worsened, with Dasun Shanaka and Maheesh Theekshana falling to Shaheen Afridi's slower balls. Salman Mirza ended the innings on 114 by knocking back Dushmantha Chameera's stumps in the 20th over.

It was a straightforward chase for Pakistan. Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub added 46 runs for the first wicket, with their team fifty coming up in 7.5 overs. Ehsan Malinga broke the stand, bowling Farhan who was trying to slog across the line. Babar Azam and Saim Ayub then added 29 quick runs for the second wicket, but Sri Lanka struck again through Hasaranga, who had Ayub lbw with a ball that stayed low.

Ayub's dismissal suggested that conditions were not easy to bat, but Sri Lanka never had enough runs on the board. Babar and Salman Agha added a run-a-ball 23-run stand for the third wicket, with Babar staying on in the company of Fakhar Zaman to deliver Pakistan to yet another tri-series victory.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 114 all out in 19.1 overs (Mishara 59; Nawaz 3-17, Afridi 3-18) lost to Pakistan 118/4 in 18.4 overs (Babar 37*, Ayub 36; Pavan Rathnayake 2-11) by 6 wickets