Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka Highlights, World Cup 2019: Sri Lanka Beat Afghanistan In Low-Scoring Thriller
2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, AFG vs SL, Highlights: Sri Lanka defeat Afghanistan by 34 runs in a low-scoring thriller.
- Prakash Rai
- Updated:June 04, 2019 11:53 PM IST
Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by 34 runs via DLS method to register their first win of World CUp 2019. Chasing a modest target of 187 runs, Afghanistan started decently as both their openers scored at decent pace upfront. Sri Lanka pacers came back strongly and reduced them to 57/5 inside 14 overs. Najibullah Zadran and Gulbadin Naib stitched 50-run partnership to get their innings on track. But lack of support from other batsmen resulted in Afghanistan losing the game by 34 runs. For Sri Lanka, Nuwan Pradeep finished with his career best figure of 31/4. Afghanistan skipper Gulbadin Naib won the toss and elected to bowl against Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka openers Kusal Perera and Dimuth Karunaratne both started aggressively and completed 50-run stand in 29 balls. They kept going and added 92 runs for the first wicket. Karunaratne fell to Mohammad Nabi on 30. Perera was joined by Lahiru Thirimanne in the middle and they both added 52 runs for the second wicket. Sri Lanka were pushed on the backfoot by Nabi who picked up three wickets in an over. The wickets kept falling from the other end and Perera ultimately departed for 78 runs. The weather forecast before the match proved to be right as rain started pouring after 33 overs, halting the play for close to two hours. After the play resumed Sri Lanka could only add 13 runs to their tally. Nabi picked up maximum wickets for Afghanistan as he finished with 4/30 in nine overs. Afghanistan got a revised target of 187 runs. (SCORECARD)
World Cup 2019 Match Highlights Between Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka, Straight from Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
- 23:47 (IST)That's all for tonight!Thank you for joining our live coverage. We will see you tomorrow.
- 23:44 (IST)Malinga strikes again... Sri Lanka win!Lasith Malinga bowls a perfect yorker to dismiss Hamid Hassan. Sri Lanka win the low-scoring thriller by 34 runs via DLS method.
- 23:41 (IST)SIX!Lasith Malinga misses his length by a whisker and Hamid Hassan sends it high in the air over the deep midwicket fence for a six.
- 23:39 (IST)Najibullah Zadran is out courtesy a direct hitNajibullah Zadran wanted to retain the strike on the last ball and ran for a quick single but Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth Karunaratne hits the stumps at the bowling end. Zadran departs for 43 runs.
- 23:36 (IST)Four and No ball!Najibullah Zadran slashed hard and the ball raced away to the thirdman fence for a four. The umpire has signalled a no ball for Sri Lanka don't have enough fielder inside the ring. Zadran however fails to make use of that freebie.
- 23:32 (IST)Four!Isuru Udana offers width to Najibullah Zadran and he made full use of that. he slashed it over cover for a one-bounce four.
- 23:29 (IST)Malings strikes with his trademark yorkerLasith Malinga uses his trademark yorker to get rid of Dawlat Zadran who departs for 6. Malinga forced Dawlat Zadran on his backfoot beautifully through his full balls and bouncers earlier in the over.
- 23:19 (IST)Almost carried to the sweeper cover!Nuwan Pradeep bowls wide delivery outside off stump and Najibullah Zadran lofts it over cover and the ball fell just short of charging Thisara Parera at sweeper cover who does well to stop the ball on the half volley. Zadran refuses to run what could have been an easy two.
Brilliant from Nuwan Pradeep. #LionsRoar #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/hfSLXj3emb
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) June 4, 2019 - 23:07 (IST)Misfield costs four!Two fielders tried to stop the same ball, Lasith Malinga slipped inside the inner-circle while Angelo Mathews dived near the fence, but still couldn't stop it from reaching the boundary ropes.
- 23:04 (IST)Rashid Khan departs!Nuwan Pradeep strikes once again as Rashid Khan departs for 2. Pradeep bowled a peach of a delivery to dismiss the leggie. This is Pradeep's best ODI bowling performance.
- 23:00 (IST)Rashid Khan is the new batsman!Rashid Khan walks into bat for Afghanistan at No. 8.
- 22:59 (IST)LBW appeal...Given!Nuwan Pardeep has given Sri Lanka the breakthrough they were looking for. The ball was pitched on the off and was angling into Gulbadin Naib's pads who was late for the shot. The replay confirms the umpire's decision and Afghanistan skipper has to depart for 23 runs.
- 22:55 (IST)Five widesPoor bowling from Nuwan Pradeep. He banged it way to short and the ball goes way over keeper's head for a four. There was no need for that. The extras in this match have reached 50-mark
- 22:52 (IST)Reverse sweep for fourDhananjaya de Silva bowls on the middle stump and Najibullah Zadran reverse-sweeps it through deep backward point for a cracking boundary.
- 22:50 (IST)Fifty partnership!Nuwan Pradeep hits the deck hard, the ball crosses Najibullah Zadran way over his head into the keeper's hands and this extra run brings up the 50-run stand between Najibullah Zadran and Gulbadin Naib.
- 22:43 (IST)100 up for AfghanistanIsuru Udana bowls a full ball to Guladin Naib which takes a thick inside edge and went on to nearly hit his stump. The batsmen complete a single which brings up their team 100.
- 22:39 (IST)Sri Lanka halt the run flowLasith Maling gave 11 runs in his last over and since then Sri Lanka bowlers have made a decent comeback as they have conceded just six runs in last two overs.
- 22:26 (IST)Four!Back-to-back four for Afghanistan. Lasith Malinga bowls a short ball to Gulbadin Naib and he pulls it away comfortably through midwicket for a four.
- 22:24 (IST)Four!Slow ball from Lasith Malinga has been punched straight down the ground for a four.
- 22:22 (IST)Quick single!Afghanistan batsmen go for a quick single and the fielder at mid-on has hit the stumps directly but the batsman has made his ground in time.
- 22:12 (IST)Four!Another wide and full ball from Thisara Parera and Najibullah Zadran reaches out for that and finds the gap between cover and point and gets his third boundary.
- 22:10 (IST)Four!Thisara Parera bowls one wide outside off to Najibullah Zadran who waited for it and drives it along the ground on the off-side for a welcome boundary for Afghanistan.
- 22:07 (IST)Beauty from Thisara Parera gets NabiThisara Parera bowls an in-swinging ball to Mohammad Nabi who plays it outside the line, creating a gap between bat and pad and the ball sneaked into that gap and knocked his stumps. Nabi goes for 11.
- 22:02 (IST)Afghanistan in trouble as 4th wicket fallsScrambled seam from Nuwan Pradeep, bounced more than usual, took Hashmatullah Shahidi by surprise who was trying to drive it off the backfoot but only manages an outside edge straight to keeper, giving Sri Lanka the fourth wicket.
- 21:53 (IST)Over the head for four!Nuwan Pradeep bowls full to Mohammad Nabi who lofts through the line over mid-on for a four. The ball was pitched in his hitting arc.
- 21:44 (IST)Brilliant catch by Thisara PareraNuwan Pradeep bowls a well-directed bouncer to Hazratullah Zazai who pulled it to fine leg where Thisara Parera takes a wonderful catch diving forward to dismiss dangerous Zazai. He departs after scoring 30 off 25 balls.
- 21:36 (IST)Caught at 1st slip!Isuru Udana strikes for Sri Lanka. He bowled full delivery angling away from Rahmat Shah who hurled his bat at it, the ball takes his outside edge and went straight to wide first slip where Angelo Mathews makes no mistake.
- 21:36 (IST)Caught at 1st slip!Isuru Udana strikes for Sri Lanka.
- 21:26 (IST)Nearly carriedIsuru Udana starts off with a decent first ball and nearly got a wicket. He bowled that full and Zazai popped it straight down which almost carried to him.
- 21:23 (IST)Malinga strikes! Shahzad departs for 7Lasith Malinga provides Sri Lanka with first breakthrough as Mohammad Shahzad departs for 7. Malinga bowled that full on the leg stump, Shahzad was late for his shot and ended up hitting it to short midwicket where Dimuth Karunaratne takes a low dipping catch, just inches from the ground.
- 21:18 (IST)Dropped!Kushal Mendis has dropped a sitter. Lasith Malinga is not happy. Hazratullah Zazai gets a life on 24.
- 21:16 (IST)Four!Slower ball from Maling, Hazratullah Zazai clears his front leg and hammers it to the midwicket fence for a boundary.
- 21:12 (IST)Four!Hazratullah Zazai muscles away the ball past mid-on for a four. He cleared his front leg and allowed the ball to pitch near him which worked in his favour. Also, the power with which he hit that was just insane.
- 21:10 (IST)Four!Lasith Maling changes his angle and bowls an overpitch ball outside off, Hazratullah Zazai dispatches it through extracover for a four.
- 21:07 (IST)Four!Lakmal bowls another shortish delivery which was little wide, Mohammad Shahzad rocked back and punched it on the off side for a four.
- 21:03 (IST)SIX!Suranga Lakmal bowls fraction short to Hazratullah Zazai who pulled it over deep midwicket for a fancy six.
- 20:58 (IST)Edges and safe!Malinga bowls a full ball moving away from Mohammad Shahzad who edged it towards the slip but luckily for him it dropped away from second slip.
- 20:56 (IST)The chase begins!Mohammad Shahzad and Hazratullah Zazai are the two Afghanistan openers and Lasith Malinga will start the bowling for Sri Lanka.
- 20:49 (IST)DLS revised targetAfghanistan need 187 runs as per DLS method.
- 20:47 (IST)Sri Lanka all out for 201A beauty from Rashid Khan ends the Sri Lanka innings for 201. Rashid bowled a leggie on the middle and leg stump which went on to clip the off stump of Nuwan Pradeep.