• BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    7.2 huge appeal, not given initially! Angled in on a back of a length on middle and leg. Zazai swings hard at it, almost falling over in the process. Makes no contact and gets hit in an area where it usually hurts. Dananjaya tests out his vocal chords during the appeal but does not get the decision he is after. Hasaranga asks the bowler and the keeper, and goes upstairs. No bat involved. All eyes on Ball Tracking now. Three reds, with the ball smashing into leg stump. Zazai has to go! A superb tone-setting knock, though, and Afghanistan are well on course for a big score. 88/1
    13.5 Hasaranga breaks the game open! Gives it a bit of air on middle and off, and Gurbaz cannot resist the urge to go after it. Steps down, trying to hit it into the sightscreen but he is beaten in the air. Nowhere near the pitch of the ball and all he does is miscue it towards long on, where Samarawickrama keeps his eyes on it and completes the catch. Massive moment in the game! 141/3
    10.2 Dananjaya strikes again! Dangles the carrot on a length on middle and off, and Zadran's eyes light up. He tries to smash it into next week but is not quite to the pitch of the ball. Because he has to reach out, the ball clinks off the toe end and goes miles up. Hasaranga darts in from long on, settles under it and makes no mistake. Vital wicket for Sri Lanka! 113/2
    18.1 straight to backward point! Full and wide outside off. Omarzai throws the kitchen sink at it and gets decent contact. The only problem, though, is that he hits it aerially and too close to Perera at backward point, who takes a sharp catch in front of his face! 182/4
    not out
    16
    14
    31
    1
    0
    114.28
    18.2 two in two for Pathirana! 149kph heat-seeking missile that hones in on leg stump. Janat knows it is coming but cannot do anything about it. Makes an attempt to whip it away but in vain as the ball thuds into leg stump, via a slight deflection off the pads! 182/5
    not out
    16
    8
    10
    1
    1
    200.00
    Extras
    21 (lb 10, w 11)
    TOTAL
    209/5 (20 Overs, RR: 10.45)
    Fall of wickets: 1-88 (Hazratullah Zazai, 7.2 ov), 2-113 (Ibrahim Zadran, 10.2 ov), 3-141 (Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 13.5 ov), 4-182 (Azmatullah Omarzai, 18.1 ov), 5-182 (Karim Janat, 18.2 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEcon0s4s6sWDNB
    AD Mathews2021010.5032100
    N Thushara4048012.0055210
    M Pathirana4042210.50105030
    A Dananjaya403729.2553100
    PW Hasaranga403518.7554000
    MD Shanaka201608.0010000
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    8.3 right out of the screws! Tossed up into the slot outside off and Nissanka does not miss out. Gets down on one knee and whacks it over deep mid wicket! 83/2
    5.5 Mendis falls now, it is all happening here! Slower ball hung up full outside off. Mendis swings hard at it and loses his shape. Slices it miles up into the air. Ashraf calls early, back-pedals from cover point and takes a superb overhead catch. Bangs his head into the turf in the process, though, and that will hurt. A crucial wicket for Afghanistan but it might have come at a cost... 64/1
    6.2 that looks dead straight, and the umpire agrees! Googly on a length just outside off. Perera gets down on one knee and slogs across the line rather wildly. Only connects with fresh air and gets rapped on the back leg. Perera chats with his partner and then opts to review. Not sure this is a great review. No bat involved, and Ball Tracking has the ball thundering into the middle of middle stump. Perera has to go, and takes a review along with him too! 65/2
    9.2 holes out to long on! Gives it a hint of air and Hasaranga's eyes light up. He steps down, looking to go over long on but cannot generate the elevation he is after. Arrows it straight to his opposite number, who takes it reverse-cupped in front of his face! 93/3
    14.5 edged and gone! Another twist in this tale! A bit of a drag-down just outside off. Samarawickrama backs away, looking to go inside out. The ball comes off slower than he expects, though, and it grazes the inside edge on its way through to Ishaq. Just the wicket Afghanistan would have wanted at this stage! 146/4
    not out
    65
    39
    57
    7
    2
    166.66
    15.5 the new bat does not do the trick! Length just outside off. Mathews gets down on one knee and tries to maul this over cow corner. Comes off the lower half of the bat, though, and deep mid wicket takes a regulation catch. Afghanistan keep chipping away; target keeps getting steeper for Sri Lanka! 151/5
    18.5 surprise bumper on off stump. Shanaka is late on the stroke and splices it towards deep mid wicket. He is hell-bent on the second and seems to be struggling all the way through. Puts in the dive but to no avail as the throw is accurate enough and Ishaq's work is tidy. Shanaka walks back crestfallen, and this might just be the game! 187/6
    not out
    4
    1
    9
    1
    0
    400.00
    Extras
    8 (lb 1, nb 1, w 6)
    TOTAL
    206/6 (20 Overs, RR: 10.3)
    Fall of wickets: 1-64 (Kusal Mendis, 5.5 ov), 2-65 (Kusal Perera, 6.2 ov), 2-83* (Pathum Nissanka, retired not out ), 3-93 (Wanindu Hasaranga, 9.2 ov), 4-146 (Sadeera Samarawickrama, 14.5 ov), 5-151 (Angelo Mathews, 15.5 ov), 6-187 (Dasun Shanaka, 18.5 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEcon0s4s6sWDNB
    Wafadar Momand3035011.6676110
    Azmatullah Omarzai4042010.5065130
    Fareed Ahmad2030115.0045101
    Noor Ahmad403719.2562210
    Mohammad Nabi403528.7562110
    Qais Ahmad201718.5042000
    Karim Janat10909.0032000

Match Details

Toss

Afghanistan , elected to bat first

Player Of The Match

Player Of The Series

Series result

Sri Lanka won the 3-match series 2-1

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

19.00 start, First Session 19.00-20.30, Interval 20.30-20.50, Second Session 20.50-22.10

Match days

21 February 2024 - night match (20-over match)

T20I debut

Afghanistan replacement

Qais Ahmad for Sharafuddin Ashraf (Sri Lanka innings, 7.2 ov)

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Match Notes

Sri Lanka 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st64BKG MendisP Nissanka
2nd1MDKJ PereraP Nissanka
3rd18PW HasarangaP Nissanka
3rd10S SamarawickramaPW Hasaranga
4th53S SamarawickramaPHKD Mendis
5th5AD MathewsPHKD Mendis
6th36MD ShanakaPHKD Mendis
7th19A DananjayaPHKD Mendis