Fifth one-day international, Colombo:
Pakistan 279-8 (50 ovs) beat Sri Lanka 147 (34.2 ovs) by 132 runs
Match scorecard
 Naved-ul-Hasan claimed four wickets and hit 34 from 39 balls |
Fast bowlers Mohammad Aamir and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan shared eight wickets as Pakistan finished the one-day series in Sri Lanka with a 132-run win. The tourists, who were defeated 2-0 in the preceding Test series, still lost the one-dayers 3-2. They posted a total of 279-8, thanks principally to skipper Younus Khan (76) and Misbah-ul-Haq (73 not out). And the game was effectively ended as a contest once Sri Lanka slipped from 54-2 to 69-6. "We won the two day-night games, but lost the first three day matches. Maybe we do not like to wake up early," said Younus. "I think we lost the Tests and the one-dayers because we could not take the pressure. But I am glad we made amends towards the end and showed what we are really capable of. "There are some very good youngsters in the side with a lot of promise and I am sure they will take Pakistan cricket forward." Pakistan, who opted to bat after winning the toss, made a bad start when Akmal was wrongfully adjudged lbw by Sri Lankan umpire Gamini Silva off the first ball of the match. TV replays showed Akmal got an inside edge on the ball from seamer Nuwan Kulasekera before it hit his pad. However, captain Younus and Misbah put on 83 off 86 balls for the fourth wicket to put their side in a promising position.  | 606: DEBATE |
And Naved hit 33 off 29 balls, including two sixes, to boost the total in the final over of the innings. Sri Lanka, who had won the first three matches in Dambulla, were always going to struggle to reach 279 which, had they achieved it, would have been their highest chase on this ground. Pakistan's bowling attack were relentless as Aamer dismissed opener Upul Tharanga for a third-ball duck and then removed Mahela Jayawardene (31), Chamara Kapugedera (one) and Angelo Mathews (five). Naved, meanwhile, claimed the wickets of captain Sanath Jayasuriya (six), Kumar Sangakkara (16) as well as a couple of tailenders as he finished with 4-44. "We should have batted better after the bowlers did well to keep Pakistan down to 279. It was a chaseable total but we did not have partnerships going at the top," Sangakkara commented. "It is special to win the series and if we keep working as a team there is no reason why we can't win more often."
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