Sri Lanka crush Pakistan to book final spot, knock England out of ODI tri-series

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka (114/2 in 18.1 overs) beat Pakistan (110 in 25.3 overs) by 8 wickets to seal a place in the final of the ODI tri-series.

Sri Lanka booked their place in the final of the ODI tri-series after their bowlers bowled out Pakistan for 110 in Lahore on Tuesday to seal an eight-wicket win that ended England’s hopes of reaching the title challenge.

Dilshan Madushanka registered his career-best ODI figures of 5 for 34 to help the tourists outclass Pakistan in 25.3 overs at the Gaddafi Stadium. Sri Lanka then chased down the target in 18.1 overs to finish on 114 for 2, setting up the final against Pakistan on 31 October.

Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis won the toss and elected to field and his bowlers made the most of the decision. Madushanka struck at regular intervals to keep Pakistan’s batting at bay while Sahan Arachchige picked up two wickets in 24 runs. Pakistan’s total was their second lowest in ODIs at home. T

The home team entered the match after winning their first three matches of the tournament. They beat England twice, including a thrilling one-wicket win on Sunday and also beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs in their opening encounter. However, Pakistan struggled to cope with Sri Lanka’s bowling attack on Tuesday and were left with a modest amount to defend.

Sri Lanka’s batsmen were led by Kamindu Mendis who remained unbeaten on 62 off 60 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes. He helped the visitors reach their goal comfortably, despite a few initial scares during his innings.

Kamindu was released by the keeper before scoring, giving him an early reprieve. He was also 44 when he successfully overturned an on-field weight decision after opting for a review. The left-hander made the most of those chances and brought up his half-century with a six.

There was another moment of luck for Kaminda when substitute fielder Ghazi Ghori touched the boundary with his feet to complete the catch. The reprieve allowed the batsman to continue his innings and he remained unbeaten as Sri Lanka completed the chase in 18.1 overs. Sri Lanka had earlier chased down 430 against England in Rawalpindi, which was the second highest run total in ODI history.

Defeat ended England’s hopes of reaching the final. Brendon McCullum’s side suffered three defeats in the tournament and needed Pakistan to beat Sri Lanka on Tuesday to stay in contention. England would then have to beat Sri Lanka in their final league match on Thursday to qualify for the title race.

Instead, Sri Lanka’s victory leveled the qualifying race ahead of the English league’s final game. They will now face Sri Lanka on Thursday with no place in the finals at stake, while Sri Lanka can use the match to prepare for the title challenge.

Pakistan have already qualified for the finals after winning their first three matches, including victories over England and Sri Lanka. They finished the league stage with six points from three wins, while Sri Lanka moved to four points with Tuesday’s win.

The two teams will meet again on October 31st, this time with the three-series trophy on the line. For Sri Lanka, the win also provides an opportunity to carry over to the final after their earlier defeat to Pakistan in the tournament.

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