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Pakistan `A' remains in contention

By S. Sabanayakan

Pakistan `A' skipper Shahid Afridi is caught behind by Sri Lanka `A' wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardane. — Photo: Sushanta Patronobish

KOLKATA DEC. 27. Down in the dumps, Pakistan `A' picked itself up to post a creditable 48-run victory against Sri Lanka A and remain in contention for a place in the final of the Kenstar Asian `A' teams triangular tournament at the Eden Gardens on Saturday.

Pakistan did everything right in the penultimate match of the league to up its stock going into the match against India `A' on Sunday. A win there would enable Pakistan `A' to enter the December 30 final.

Put in to bat on a foggy morning, Pakistan A lost an early wicket but recovered well owing to poor bowling by the Sri Lankan pace attack. A 70-run partnership for the second wicket between Salman Butt and Saeed Bin Nasir, who replaced Imran Nazir for this match, provided Pakistan with a platform to post a challenging total.

The loss of two quick wickets, Butt (40, 80b, 3x4) and skipper Shahid Afridi (1), brought the pressure back on Pakistan but a fifth-wicket association of 85 between Faizal Iqbal and Naveed Latif revived its innings. Iqbal's responsible 57 (72b, 4x4), Latif's 50 (39b, 4x4, 2x6) and a quick 24 from Bilal Asad ensured that Pakistan finished at 244 in 48.3 overs.

Sri Lanka's under-19 World Cup captain Farveez Maharoof was the pick of the Lankan bowling with figures of four for 53 in 10 overs.

Despite Pakistan's below par fielding and two dropped catches, Sri Lanka A failed to reply strongly. It lost the first wicket of Saman Jayantha at 29 and Shantha Kalavidigoda at 75. Much depended on skipper Russel Arnold who took an inordinately long time to open his account. After wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardane left at 106, Sri Lanka lost Arnold at 127 and the slide began.

Except the left-handed vice-captain Naveed Nawaz whose 47 prolonged the innings, the rest just caved in. Sri Lanka A was all out for 196 in 44.5 overs. Muhammad Irshad and Muhammad Khalil were much potent than the two speedsters, Junaid Zia and Abdur Rouf Khan, who were dropped for this match. With many left-handers in this Sri Lankan side, off-spinner Muhammad Hafeez bowled well to pick up three wickets for 29.

"We did not handle the pressure well,'' bemoaned Arnold. "We could have bowled a lot better this morning when the conditions suited us. It was a real disappointment that we could not nail a place in the final.''

A relieved Afridi praised his team for the way it lifted itself up to come back into the tournament. "We did well beating Sri Lanka A. We hope to win against India A tomorrow and make it to the final,'' he said.

The scores: Pakistan A: S. Butt c Arnold b Herath 40, M. Hafeez c Jayawardane b Zoysa 0, S. bin Nasir b Herath b Arnold 35, F. Iqbal c Kulasekara b Maharoof 57, S. Afridi c Jayawardane b Herath 1, N. Latif lbw b Maharoof 50, B. Asad c Nawaz b Maharoof 24, A. ur-Rehman c Arnold b Maharoof 1, M. Amjad b Kulasekara 17, M. Khalil (run out) 2, M. Irshad (not out) 0; Extras (lb-4, nb-5, w-8): 17; Total (in 48.3 overs): 244.

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-72, 3-111, 4-113, 5-198, 6-212, 7-214, 8-232, 9-244.

Sri Lanka A bowling: Zoysa 9-2-25-1, Maharoof 10-0-53-4, Kulasekara 4.3-0-41-1, Jayantha 10-0-35-0, Arnold 5-0-32-1, Herath 10-0-54-2.

Sri Lanka A: S. Kalavidigoda c sub (J. Zia) b Asad 38, S. Jayantha c Rehman b Khalil 15, J. Mubarak (run out) 15, P. Jayawardane c Hafeez b Amjad 16, R. Arnold lbw b Hafeez 9, N. Nawaz b Afridi 47, T. Kandamby c & b Hafeez 10, F. Maharoof (run out) 0, N. Zoysa lbw b Hafeez 2, R. Herath (run out) 0, N. Kulasekara (not out) 9; Extras (b-4, lb-8, nb-7, w-16): 35; Total (in 44.5 overs): 196.

Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-75, 3-83, 4-1-6, 5-127, 6-143, 7-149, 8-155, 9-157.

Pakistan A bowling: Irshad 7-0-50-0, Khalil 10-3-30-1, Asad 4-0-19-1, Amjad 10-1-37-1, Hafeez 10-0-29-3, Afridi 2.5-0-15-1, Latif 1-0-4-0.

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