sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by 44 runs in the fourth one-day international in Colombo on Saturday to gain a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Seamer Thisara Perera (4-42) bagged a hat-trick as Sri Lanka, who scored 243-8, bowled Pakistan out for 199 despite a 113-run stand for third wicket between opener Azhar Ali (81 not out) and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (57). Kumar Sangakkara top-scored for Sri Lanka with a 130-ball 97 while off-spinners Mohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal, and paceman Sohail Tanvir each bagged two wickets for Pakistan in the day-night match.
Pakistan won the opening one-dayer by six wickets and Sri Lanka won the second game by 76 runs in Pallekele, while the third match was abandoned due to rain in Colombo on Wednesday. The fifth one-dayer will be played in Colombo on Monday.
Earlier, Kumar Sangakkara hit an impressive 97 to help Sri Lanka post 243-8 against Pakistan in the fourth one-day international in Colombo on Saturday.
The left-hander, who had a lucky escape when he was dropped on 35 by Umar Gul off leg-spinner Shahid Afridi, cracked three sixes and seven fours in his 130-ball knock.
Sangakkara went for big shots after completing the half-century, scoring his last 47 runs off just 31 balls. He looked set to reach his 14th one-day hundred before he was caught by Azhar Ali in the deep off spinner Saeed Ajmal.
He added 110 for the fourth wicket with skipper Mahela Jayawardene, who hit four boundaries in his 50-ball 40 before being bowled by left-arm paceman Sohail Tanvir.
Pakistan had put in a disciplined bowling performance as they restricted Sri Lanka to 125 off 35 overs before Sangakkara and Jayawardene stepped up the run-rate and helped their team score 118 in the last 15 overs. Off-spinners Mohammad Hafeez and Ajmal, and Tanvir each took two wickets.
Sangakkara also added 55 runs for the second wicket with Tillakaratne Dilshan (24) after opener Upul Tharanga (four) fell in the third over, caught by Younis Khan at second slip off Gul.
Hafeez broke the second-wicket stand when he trapped Dilshan leg-before with his first delivery and then bowled Dinesh Chandimal (18) just before the rain stopped play. The five-match series is currently tied 1-1, with Pakistan having won the opening one-dayer by six wickets and Sri Lanka the second game by 76 runs in Pallekele. The third match in Colombo was abandoned due to rain on Wednesday.
Scoreboard
SRI LANKA:
U. Tharanga c Younis b Gul 4
T. Dilshan lbw b Hafeez 24
K. Sangakkara c Azhar b Ajmal 97
D. Chandimal b Hafeez 18
M. Jayawardene b Tanvir 40
T. Perera c Akmal b Ajmal 8
A. Mathews not out 10
L. Thirimanne run out 13
N. Kulasekara b Tanvir 3
L. Malinga not out 0
Extras (b5, lb10, w11) 26
Total (for eight wickets; 50 overs) 243
Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Tharanga), 2-64 (Dilshan), 3-90 (Chandimal), 4-200 (Jayawardene), 5-204 (Sangakkara), 6-214 (Perera), 7-237 (Thirimanne), 8-243 (Kulasekara).
Bowling: Gul 8-1-51-1 (w3), Tanvir 10-2-43-2 (w3), Afridi 10-0-36-0 (w1), Younis 2-0-11-0 (w3), Ajmal 10-1-50-2 (w1), Hafeez 10-0-37-2.
PAKISTAN:
Mohammad Hafeez c Kulasekara b Malinga 0
Azhar Ali not out 81
Asad Shafiq lbw b Weerakoon 25
Misbah-ul-Haq c Kulasekara b Malinga 57
Umar Akmal c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 0
Younis Khan c Sangakkara b Perera 1
Shahid Afridi c Chandimal b Perera 0
Sarfraz Ahmed c Jayawardene b Perera 0
Sohail Tanvir run out (Perera) 0
Umar Gul c Sangakkara b Mathews 0
Saeed Ajmal c Thirimanne b Perera 12
Extras (lb 9, w 14) 23
Total (10 wickets; 45 overs) 199
Fall of wickets 1-0 (Mohammad Hafeez, 0.5 ov), 2-53 (Asad Shafiq, 13.4 ov), 3-166 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 37.3 ov), 4-169 (Umar Akmal, 38.4 ov), 5-176 (Younis Khan, 40.2 ov), 6-176 (Shahid Afridi, 40.3 ov), 7-176 (Sarfraz Ahmed, 40.4 ov), 8-176 (Sohail Tanvir, 40.6 ov), 9-179 (Umar Gul, 41.2 ov), 10-199 (Saeed Ajmal, 44.6 ov)
Bowling: SL Malinga 7-0-30-2, KMDN Kulasekara 9-0-36-1, AD Mathews 9-0-33-1, S Weerakoon 10-0-49-1, NLTC Perera 10-1-42-4.
Toss: Sri Lanka, who chose to bat
Series: Sri Lanka led the 5-match series 2-1
Toss: Sri Lanka
Umpires: Ranmore Martinesz (SRI) and Paul Reiffel (AUS), TV umpire: Ruchira Palliyaguruge (SRI)
Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG).
