Asia Cup, Dambulla:
Sri Lanka 242-9 (50 ovs) bt Pakistan 226 (47 ovs) by 16 runs
Match scorecard

Afridi was the seventh Pakistan wicket to go and fell with the score on 205

A magnificent century from Shahid Afridi could not prevent Sri Lanka from a 16-run win over Pakistan in the first match of the Asia Cup in Dambulla.

The Pakistan skipper hit seven sixes and eight fours in a spectacular 109 from 76 balls but his side were all out for 226 in reply to Sri Lanka's 242.

Sri Lankan paceman Lasith Malinga struck twice in an over and took 5-34.

Also in the tournament are India and Bangladesh and each team plays each other once before the final on 24 June.

Pakistan paceman Shoaib Akhtar returned to the side for his first one-day international for 13 months and claimed 3-41 after defending champions Sri Lanka opted to bat first.

The colourful 34-year-old fast bowler broke through in the seventh over when opener Upul Tharanga was caught at slip for 11.

After Kumar Sangakkara (42) and Mahela Jayawardene (54) shared a third wicket partnership of 83 from 102 balls, Akhtar's third spell claimed the wickets of Chamara Kapugedera (2) and Farveez Maharoof (1) as Sri Lanka collapsed from 150-3 to 168-7.

Jayawardene's 53rd one-day fifty was unfortunately ended by an lbw decision when he appeared to get an inside edge into his pad, but Angelo Mathews guided the Sri Lankans past 200 with an unbeaten half century, his fifth one-day fifty.

Malinga removed Salman Butt for a duck in the second over of the Pakistan reply and after the first ball of the 25th over they were 105-5.

606: DEBATE Pakistan may have lost but it seems to me they are getting back on track. Hope to see more of these types of innings from Afridi Amir Mir

Afridi had begun the comeback by smashing Farveez Maharoof for consecutive sixes, but a 73-run partnership was broken when Umar Akmal was run out by a direct hit from Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Despite suffering from cramp, Afridi launched Muttiah Muralitharan for five sixes but was dismissed by the veteran spinner, courtesy of a stunning reflex catch by Sangakkara behind the stumps.

It was the captain's fifth one-day hundred, his first since making 102 against India at Kanpur in April 2005, but after he departed in the 41st over with 38 still needed his team quickly subsided, Malinga recording his maiden five-wicket one-day haul.

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