LAHORE - Pakistan blind cricket team scored thumping 106-run victory over Sri Lanka to clean-sweep the three-match series on Monday at Bloomfield Cricket Ground Colombo.
This time, the coin favored the Islanders and they decided to bowl first. Their decision proved productive in the first over of the innings, when Matiullah, who was playing his first game in this series, was caught out without scoring a run, said the information made available here by the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC).
Mohsin Khan and Badar Munir also returned to dugout without much scoring. They scored 18 and 29 runs respectively. Pakistan was soaring at 84 for the loss of 3 wickets in 8 overs and Sri Lanka had the upper hand. But the 119-run stand between Riasat Khan and Muhammad Rashid for the fourth-wicket, turned the table around. Riasat Khan got out after scoring 100 runs off 69 balls.
The wickets kept tumbling around Rashid but he kept playing his incredible knock. Assault in last few overs mounted Pakistan total to 448 runs in 40 overs for the loss of 7 wickets. Man-of-the-match Muhammad Rashid remained unbeaten on 179 runs off 100 balls as he smashed 27 fours in his innings. Total runs of 448 also contain 22 runs penalty to Sri Lankan team for bowling 3 overs after stipulated time. Suranga Sampath took 2 wickets for 51 runs and Upul Sanjeva also claimed 2 wickets for 68 runs.
Target of 449 runs apparently seemed insurmountable, and it proved as well, the pressure of chasing huge Total took the better off the Sri Lankan batsmen. They tried their best to keep the required run rate regimented but couldn’t thrived against the potent bowling attack and strong fielding of Green Shirts. Sri Lanka made 342 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in allotted 40 overs. Dimithu Sandrawan scored 107 runs off 83 balls and Ajit Silva scored 58 runs. Matiullh, Mohsin Khan and Fakhar Abbass claimed 2 wickets each. Man-of-the-ODI series, Riasat Khan in B1 Category, Badar Munir in B2 Category, Muhammad Rashid in B3 Category.
Manusha Nanayakkara, Member of National Parliament Sri Lanka, Syed Sultan Shah, Chairman Pakistan Blind Cricket Council and the Former President World Blind Cricket, Syed Salman Bokhari, Senior Vice President World Blind Cricket Ltd and Chaminda Pushpakumara 2nd Vice President World Blind Cricket were the guests of the occasion and gave away prizes.
It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan clean-swept Sri Lanka in ODI series for the third consecutive time. Earlier, Pakistan defeated them in 2008 and 2016. On aggregate, it is Pakistan’s 8th clean-sweep series victory in ODIs. The three-match Twenty20 series will commence from 27th February at Bloomfield Ground Colombo.
