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Sri Lanka Draw Test To Win Series In Pallekele

Sri Lanka wrapped up their first Test series win since August 2009 by batting out the final afternoon to earn a draw at Pallekele.

The home side were set 270 in what turned out to be 62 overs by Pakistani captain Misbah-ul-Haq, and had progressed serenely to 132 for two in the 38th over thanks to an entertaining half-century from opener Dinesh Chandimal. However, he fell for 65 as the first of Saeed Ajmal's three victims on the stroke of tea and the home side altered their approach after the break.
 

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Since coming back from his international exile following his falling-out with the WICB, he has torn the New Zealand bowlers to shreds in all four matches played so far on their tour of Florida and the Caribbean. His comeback began with a 51-ball 53 in England last month, but really ignited with back-to-back half centuries against the hapless Kiwis at Lauderdale last weekend, before reaching a climax with his 20th ODI century in the second ODI on Saturday.
The second Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan petered out into a draw in Colombo on the final day despite Pakistan's late declaration. They closed their second innings on 100 for two, setting Sri Lanka a nominal target of 261 and they ended the game on 86 for two, taking their 1-0 series lead to the final match.
Experienced fast bowler Dilhara Fernando has been added to Sri Lanka's Test squad as a replacement for injured Chanaka Welagedara. Welagedara has been ruled out of the final two Tests against Pakistan with a shoulder injury and the second match gets underway in Colombo on Saturday (30th June).
When picking this week's award winner, it is hard to look beyond the Tri-Nations tournament in Zimbabwe and that competition's man of the series, Hamilton Masakadza, who struck 205 runs from his four matches last week - including three half centuries - to lead the hosts to what was an unexpected, albeit very popular, triumph.
Sri Lankan left-arm fast bowler Chanaka Welagedara has been ruled out of the remaining two Tests against Pakistan with a shoulder injury. Welagedara, who has taken 48 wickets in 15 Tests since making his debut against England in 2007, did not feature in the opening game, which Sri Lanka won by 209 runs in Galle.
A cricket video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket news as we discuss Sri Lanka beating Pakistan by 209 runs in the first Test match in Galle. Pakistan were set a record score of 510 to win but were bowled out for 300 despite a valiant effort on the final day and it was Sri Lanka who produced a record. Never before had they beaten Pakistan by so many runs in a Test and they did so having dominated the game throughout.
Pakistan resisted bravely before succumbing to a 209-run defeat to Sri Lanka on the fourth day of the opening Test in Galle as the home side registered their biggest win in Tests between these two sides. Half-centuries from Younus Khan and Asad Shafiq heped Pakistan bat for 114 overs in their second overs before they were bowled out for 300 after Sri Lanka had claimed the extra half-hour to force a result with a day to spare.
Pakistan have been left with a mountainous task heading into the final two days of the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Galle after they closed day three on 36 for three. Sri Lanka had earlier dismissed them for 100 in their first innings and declared their second innings at 137 for five to set Pakistan a target of 510 to win.
A cricket video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket news as we discuss extraordinary events concerning Pakistan cricket - on and off the pitch including Danish Kaneria being handed a lifetime ban by the ECB. The leg-spinner is unlikely to ever play cricket in England again after being found guilty of two breaches of its anti-corruption code in relation to spot-fixing during a match between Essex and Durham in 2009. Mervyn Westfield, already serving a four-month sentence, has been banned for five years after he deliberately underperformed.
Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has been banned from his country’s first Test against Sri Lanka on Friday after being found guilty of "a serious over-rate offence" during the fifth One-Day International. The Pakistan team were found to be three overs short of its target, even when time allowances were taken into account, and, as captain, Misbah-ul-Haq must take the flak.
Sri Lanka have selected all-rounders Thisara Perera, Jeevan Mendis and Nuwan Kulasekara in their 15-man squad for the first Test against Pakistan, which begins in Galle on Friday. Angelo Mathews has also replaced Thilan Samaraweera as vice-captain, while opening batsman Lahiru Thirimanne has missed out, with Tharanga Paranavitana set to replace him at the top of the order.
Angelo Mathews scored a brilliant unbeaten half-century to lead Sri Lanka to a 3-1 One-Day International series win over Pakistan with a two-wicket win in the final game in Colombo. Chasing 248 to win, Mathews hit 80 not out in 76 balls to rescue his side from a position of 175 for seven, where a home victory looked unlikely.
Thisara Perera took a hat-trick as a staggering collapse from Pakistan handed Sri Lanka a comfortable 44-run win in the fourth One-Day International in Colombo. Chasing 244 to win, Pakistan were 166 for two before they lost their remaining eight wickets for 33 runs, crumbling replying to Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara-inspired 243 for eight.
A cricket betting video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket betting odds as John Pennington and Alastair Symondson look ahead to international cricket matches coming up in the next week. They hope for better weather when Sri Lanka take on Pakistan in the fourth One-Day International in Colombo. Sri Lanka will look to build on the second game, which they won comfortably after Tillakaratne Dilshan scored a century and Thisara Perera took six wickets.
A cricket video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket news as we look back at the third One-Day International between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Colombo. The game was unfortunately abandoned as a no result due to rain at the R Premadesa Stadium, which came in for the final time with Pakistan struggling on 12 for two.
Persistent rain in Colombo eventually forced the abandonment of the third One-Day International between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the R Premadesa Stadium. Pakistan were struggling at 12 for two after six overs when rain returned having initially delayed the game and no further cricket was possible.
It is hard to look much further than Thisara Perera when picking this week's winner. His six for 44 against Pakistan was remarkable for the quality of the batsmen whose wicket he took. Bowling a brisk medium-pace, he followed up his brief cameo of 24 from 14 balls with the bat, by taking the scalps of the prized Pakistani quartet of Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal, before returning later in the innings to snuff out any possible counterattack.
Sri Lanka have called up uncapped Sajeewa Weerakoon to replace Rangana Herath for the remaining three One-Day Internationals against Pakistan. Herath, who played in the first two matches in the series, taking one wicket, has been ruled out with a knee injury.
Tillakaratne Dilshan cracked an unbeaten century and Tissara Perera took six for 44 as Sri Lanka hit back to beat Pakistan by 76 runs in the second One-Day International in Pallekele. Dilshan's 119 not out dominated Sri Lanka's innings of 280 for four and despite Azhar Ali's 97, Pakistan were bowled out for 204 in reply.
A cricket betting video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket betting odds as John Pennington and Alastair Symondson look ahead to international cricket matches coming up in the next week. With Kevin Pietersen retiring from ODI and T20 cricket they look ahead to the ODI series between England and the West Indies which gets underway, as well as the second ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Pakistan have now scored nine wins in 11 matches between the two sides but can that run continue.
Pakistan won a rain-affected opening One-Day International against Sri Lanka by six wickets under the Duckworth/Lewis method in Pallekele. Sri Lanka laboured between several rain breaks to post a score of 135 for eight in 42 overs before Pakistan reached the same score in 34.1 overs to take their ninth win in 11 matches between the two sides.
Pakistan have added left-arm fast bowler Sohail Tanvir to their squad for the five-match One-Day International series in Sri Lanka. Tanvir put in a pair of impressive performances during the two Twenty20 Internationals, taking three for 12 and one for 15 in the tied series.
Shahid Afridi was the only player to pass 50 in either match and takes this week's award. His innings of 52 not out from 33 balls in yesterday's second Twenty20 International was the main contribution to the visitors' ultimately match-winning first innings total of 122 for six, while his two wickets with the ball ensured Sri Lanka never came close to chasing it down.
The Twenty20 International series between Sri Lanka and Pakistan was tied 1-1 after Pakistan won a second low-scoring match by 23 runs in Hambantota. The match followed an almost identical pattern to the first one as Pakistan posted 122 for six before bowling Sri Lanka out for 99.
Sri Lanka struck first in their two-match Twenty20 International series against Pakistan by winning the opening game in Hambantota by 37 runs. They needed a late burst of runs from Tissara Perera to haul themselves up to a modest score of 132 for seven but Pakistan crumbled in reply to be bowled out for just 95.
A cricket betting video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket betting odds as John Pennington and Alastair Symondson look ahead to international cricket matches coming up in the next week. With Kevin Pietersen retiring from ODI and T20 cricket taking the headlines, they consider the impact on England's ICC World Twenty20 chances as well as looking ahead to the third Test between England and the West Indies at Edgbaston.
Sri Lanka have named their Twenty20 and One-Day International squads to take on Pakistan in June. Fast bowler Isuru Udana and leg-spinner Kaushal Lokuarachchi have been handed recalls for the two Twenty20 matches while a 15-man squad has been named for the five-match ODI series.
Pakistan opener Nasir Jamshed has been ruled out of his country's tour of Sri Lanka after he injured a finger playing club cricket. The 22-year-old was set to tour having been named in the squad to play two Twenty20 Internationals and five One-Day Internationals.
Pakistan have named their squads to tour Sri Lanka, handing the Twenty20 International captaincy to Mohammad Hafeez and confirming Misbah-ul-Haq as Test skipper. Fast bowler Mohammad Sami and batsman Faisal Iqbal have also been handed recalls to the Test squad after lengthy absences while Misbah will also lead the One-Day International team.
Pakistan are set to tour Sri Lanka for a series of three Tests, five One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals between 29th May and 13th July. After a proposed series hosting Bangladesh was postponed, Pakistan will now travel to Sri Lanka - who they hosted in the United Arab Emirates late last year.
Fixtures & Results

1st June: 1st T20I, Hambantota
SRI 132-7 beat PAK 95 by 37 runs: Report
3rd June: 2nd T20I, Hambantota
PAK 122-6 beat SRI 99 by 23 runs: Report
7th June: 1st ODI, Pallekele
PAK 135-4 beat SRI 135-8 by 6 wickets: Report
9th June: 2nd ODI, Pallekele
SRI 280-4 beat PAK 204 by 76 runs: Report
13th June: 3rd ODI, Colombo
PAK 12-2 v SRI - no result, rain: Report
16th June: 4th ODI, Colombo
SRI 243-8 beat PAK 199 by 44 runs: Report
18th June: 5th ODI, Colombo
SRI 248-8 beat PAK 247-7 by 2 wickets: Report
22nd-26th June: 1st Test, Galle
SRI 472 & 137-5 bt PAK 100 & 300 by 209 runs: Report
30h June-4th July: 2nd Test, Colombo
PAK 551-6 & 100-2 drew with SRI 391 & 86-2: Report
10th-14th July: 3rd Test, Pallekele
PAK 226 & 380-8 drew with SRI 337 & 195-4: Report