Pakistan spins out Sri Lanka for 114 to win T20 tri-series final

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan won the Twenty20 tri-series after its spinners baffled Sri Lanka in a six-wicket victory in the final on Saturday.

Sri Lanka lost its last eight wickets for just 16 runs and was bowled out for 114 in 19.1 overs.

Pakistan cruised to 118-4 with eight balls to spare. Opening batters Saim Ayub (36) and Sahibzada Farhan (23) provided a solid start and Babar Azam scored an unbeaten 37 off 34 balls.

Sri Lanka came into the final with back-to-back wins over Zimbabwe and Pakistan but crumbled against spinners Mohammad Nawaz (3-17), Abrar Ahmed (2-18) and Ayub (1-17).

“It was a great performance from us,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said. “We have been doing well in both ODIs and T20Is … we are pretty much ready for the World Cup. We still have six games before the World Cup to try out things if we want but we are pretty much clear on our 15 players.”

Sri Lanka, made to bat first, looked set to post a competitive total by reaching 81-1 at the halfway stage. But after 12 overs it had hit just one six off the slow bowlers.

Left-handed opener Kamil Mishara staked his claim for next year’s T20 World Cup with 59 off 47 balls in a 64-run stand with Kusal Mendis (14).

But the slide began when Babar plucked a terrific catch over his head on the long-off boundary in Nawaz’s first over to dismiss Mendis in the 11th over.

Mishara, who raised his half-century off 37 balls, tried to push the scoring rate but Babar hung onto another brilliant diving catch and Sri Lanka slipped to 98-3 in the 14th over.

Ahmed then claimed two wickets in one over and Babar capped a great day in the outfield by catching out Pavan Rathnayake.

Kusal Perera’s below-par white-ball tour to Pakistan continued when he skied a catch to wicketkeeper Usman Khan after scoring 1 off six balls.

Nawaz finished the tri-series as the top wicket-taker with 10 when he dismissed Janith Liyanage and Wanindu Hasaranga cheaply.

Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-18) mopped up the tail.

“It is important to deliver when the team requires you,” Nawaz said. “I plan with the coaches and try to keep it simple because, as a finger-spinner, you don’t have many options so I try to read the game and bowl accordingly.”

In the chase, Ayub was aggressive against Maheesh Theekshana in the power play and hit the spinner for three boundaries in one over. Farhan smacked Hasaranga for a six and a four off the first two balls the leg-spinner bowled after the power play.

Although Rathnayake) claimed the wickets of Agha and Fakhar Zaman in successive overs, Babar stayed calm and guided Dushmantha Chameera to third for the winning boundary.

“We expected the wicket to play better than this,” Shanaka said, “but they also bowled well in the middle overs.”

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket