Player of the Match
Player of the Match
2126dThe Report by Siddhartha Talya

Mathews gem seals series for Sri Lanka

Pakistan's journey to defeat in the final game that decided the series was an emotional ride that had several moments of satisfaction and relief, but ultimately ended in frustration and regret

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

AD Mathews
AD Mathews
80(76) 4x4 - 2x6
Control %93%
  • Productive Shot
  • off side drive on front foot
  • 29 runs
  • 1x4 - 0x6
0 6 7 8 23 9 15 12
Imran Farhat
56(63) 9x4 - 0x6
Control %88%
  • Productive Shot
  • leg glance
  • 19 runs
  • 3x4 - 0x6
9 0 7 6 15 0 8 11

Best performances - Bowlers

Sohail Tanvir
Sohail Tanvir
O10
M0
R42
W3
Eco4.20
RHB
OFFLEG
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
BMAJ Mendis
BMAJ Mendis
O9
M0
R30
W2
Eco3.33
RHB
OFFLEG
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH

Match Details

Toss

Pakistan , elected to bat first

Player Of The Match

Player Of The Series

Series result

Sri Lanka won the 5-match series 3-1

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

14.30 start, First Session 14.30-18.00 Interval 18.00-18.45, Second Session 18.45-22.15

Match days

18 June 2012 - day/night match (50-over match)

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Scorer: Gopi Rangarajan | Commentator: Sidharth Monga

Mahela goes off to collect the trophy. With Sri Lanka jubilant, and Pakistan disappointed, we take your leave, hoping for an equally tight Test series. Cheers

"It was a great game," says Mahela Jayawardene. "The whole series was fantastic. We had to dig deep at times, and today was no different. Big call to play Mendis today. Bowled beautifully, fielded magnificently, we knew he could bat too. We just need to focus on little things like we did in the one-dayers."

Thisara Perera is the man of the Series

"The way Mathews played he took the game away from us," says Misbah-ul-Haq. "We were 15-20 short. They bowled well at the end. Again, the fielding let us down. They really gave us tough time, especially Angelo. Mendis played very well too. We have to forget this and improve our performance in the Tests."

Finally we have identified the Man of the Match. Step forward Angelo Mathews. He says, "I haven't had the opportunity to bat since the first game, but I was ready. I am glad I did it today in front of an amazing crowd."

Tony Greig presides over the presentation. This is a long process, is the presentation. He should be paid a bonus for this

Oh the crowd is all over the field. That's from the good old days. And like the good old days, both the sides have been slow with their overs. I am expecting hefty fines. I think the crowd invasion has delayed the presentation

Welcome back. What a thriller this has been. And what difference calmness and mental strength make in this game. Sri Lanka were stronger, they believed they would win if they saw this match through to its end. On the other hand, Pakistan panicked the other day, and didn't even take it to the end. Man of the moment is Angelo Mathews. He likes to take matches into the last over. Sometime he loses out, sometimes he wins, but you can rest assured he keeps them alive. You can like him, you can dislike him, but he backs himself to do it. Tonight he was the last man standing

Sri Lanka's narrowest win over Pakistan. Shows how the balance of mental strength is shifting. It's been four minutes since they won, but you can't wipe that smile off Mathews's face. Mahela and Sanga rush onto the field too. Hugs all around. Sri Lankan flags all around. Misbah and Pakistan are crestfallen: two catches dropped, numerous run-outs missed, numerous misfields, 22 extras. Spare a thought for Sami: should have had Sanga when he was bowling a good first spell, brought them back with a catch and a run-out, but ends up with the most expensive figures by a Pakistani in Sri Lanka. Osman Samiudding summed it up last week in The National: "If Pakistanis were Greeks, they would have already written a tragedy based on the life and times of Mohammad Sami."

49.4
4
Mohammad Sami to Mathews, FOUR, Mathews has done it. Tonight he is the iron man. Short of a length, on off, and he punches this over point. Mathews has won them the series, and he is running all over the place with the bat held in the air

Another conference. Hafeez and Tanvir join Misbah and Sami

49.3
2
Mohammad Sami to Mathews, 2 runs, short of a length, short-arm jabbed wide of deep midwicket, and he comes back for two. Mathews is panting, bent on his bat, but he has put SL in the driver's seat. Another poor throw. Well wide
49.2
6
Mohammad Sami to Mathews, SIX, Mathews it is. Mathews has turned it around. Sami bowls an ordinary delivery. Length ball, outside off, Mathews gets under it, and lofts it over long-on. Bowled cross seam, and gives him the length to get under

Twelve off five now. Still between Sami and Mathews

49.1
2
Mohammad Sami to Mathews, 2 runs, Another run-out missed. Low full toss, follows him as he backs away, hit to long-on, takes the risky second, Akmal goes for the striker's end, but the throw is wide. There was a run-out available at each end, but he goes for the longer throw and misses, allowing Mathews make it
49.1
1w
Mohammad Sami to Mathews, 1 wide, Cat and mouse. Sami sees him back away, follows him, and Mathews gets inside the line. Wide down the leg side

Sami v Mathews. I had a feeling it would come down to this. Sami will not bowl many slower bowls here. Either full and straight, or fast bouncers

END OF OVER:
49 | 6 Runs | SL: 233/8 (15 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 4.75, RRR: 15.00)

  • Angelo Mathews66 (72b)
  • Nuwan Kulasekara10 (7b)
  • Sohail Tanvir10-0-42-3
  • Mohammad Sami9-0-60-0

Top over from Tanvir, even though Mathews retains strike

48.6
1
Sohail Tanvir to Mathews, 1 run, full toss, Mathews loses his shape, gets a single to extra cover

Sri Lanka 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st18TM DilshanWU Tharanga
2nd1KC SangakkaraWU Tharanga
3rd78KC SangakkaraLD Chandimal
4th0DPMD JayawardeneLD Chandimal
5th38AD MathewsLD Chandimal
6th3AD MathewsNLTC Perera
7th37AD MathewsHDRL Thirimanne
8th37BMAJ MendisAD Mathews
9th36KMDN KulasekaraAD Mathews