10/31/2026 11:45:00
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10/31 11:44 CDT Zaman century propels Pakistan to 3-wicket win against Sri
Lanka in tri-series cricket final
Zaman century propels Pakistan to 3-wicket win against Sri Lanka in tri-series
cricket final
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) --- Opener Fakhar Zaman overcame a bruised knee and a
lean run to score 127 and lead Pakistan past Sri Lanka by three wickets in the
final of the one-day international cricket tri-series on Saturday.
Zaman's entertaining hundred and Arafat Minhas' robust 61 off 31 balls took
Pakistan to a winning 331-7 in 48.3 overs as the Sri Lankan bowlers found it
hard to control the wet ball because of dew.
Kamindu Mendis' 131, his maiden ODI century, earlier propelled Sri Lanka to
325-8 while batting first for the first time in the tournament.
Zaman came into the final with only 31 runs in his last four innings and spent
most of the time in the dressing room after he injured his right knee while
fielding.
Pakistan lost Maaz Sadaqat for 5 and Babar Azam for a five-ball duck, much to
the disappointment of the 31,265 home fans at Gaddafi Stadium, but Zaman
revived the chase with 19-year-old Saad Baig, who made 74 off 75 balls. They
put up a 149-run stand.
Sri Lanka's Maheesh Theekshana, playing his first match in the tri-series,
missed out on claiming Zaman on 69 and 106, when he couldn't hold onto a return
catch. Theekshana dropped Zaman again, a sitter on the boundary, after he
reached his century off 84 balls.
Zaman's 99-ball knock finally ended in the 34th over when he was clean bowled
by Dilshan Madushanka with Pakistan still 106 runs from victory. Madushanka
took 3-63.
The wet ball couldn't help Sri Lanka as the young pair of Minhas and Hasan
Nawaz (37 not out) kept their nerves before Asitha Fernando (2-72) added to the
drama by bagging the wickets of Minhas and Faheem Ashraf off successive balls.
England was knocked out after losing three of its four games.
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