Highlights, Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka, ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Match, Full Cricket Score: Sri Lanka win by 34 runs (D/L method)

Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by 34 runs!!

OUT! Hamid b Malinga 6(5) 

Malinga cleans up Hamid Hassan with his ever-so-reliable yorker to bring an end to Afghanistan’s innings. Sri Lanka win their first match of this World Cup.

After 32 overs,Afghanistan 145/9 ( Hamid Hassan 0 , )

Zadran got two fours in the over but he’s gone now. Karunaratne’s direct hit at the non-striker end catches Zadran short of his crease. Sri Lanka one wicket away from the win.

OUT! RUN OUT! 

Najibullah run out (Karunaratne) 43(56) 

Skipper Karunaratne produces a bit of magic with his fielding to remove the dangerous Zadran. The batsman played a drive to mid-off and set off for a single but Karunaratne was quick to collect the ball and target the stumps with a direct hit to catch Zadran short of the crease

After 31 overs,Afghanistan 136/8 ( Najibullah Zadran 35 , Hamid Hassan 0)

Malinga may not be as great as his younger days but he surely knows how to deliver under pressure. Failed with few attempts of the yorker but finally executed it to perfection to clean up Dawlat. Just one from the over which came due to a wide as a slow yorker went down the leg. 51 in 60 needed.

WICKET! Dawlat Zadran b Malinga 6(18)

A classic Malinga yorker does the job! Malinga was looking for that perfect slow yorker but failed twice before but not this time. Squeezed that under Dawlat’s bat to break the stumps.

Nuwan Pradeep’s last two ODIs:

34/4 v Scotland, Edinburgh, 2019
31/4 v Afghanistan, Cardiff, 2019*

After 30 overs,Afghanistan 135/7 ( Najibullah Zadran 35 , Dawlat Zadran 6)

Two from the over. Lakmal got one past the outside edge of Zadran as he attempted a cut on the off. 52 in 66 needed.

After 29 overs,Afghanistan 133/7 ( Najibullah Zadran 34 , Dawlat Zadran 5)

Pradeep is on fire here. Beats the outside edge of Zadran on the first ball while his wild slash on next ball fell marginally short of the sweeper cover. Three of the over. 54 in 72 needed.

After 28 overs,Afghanistan 130/7 ( Najibullah Zadran 31 , Dawlat Zadran 5)

Excellent over from Lakmal. Just three runs conceded. Zadran needs to stay there till the end for Afghanistan to squeeze out a win. 57 in 78 ball needed.

After 27 overs,Afghanistan 127/7 ( Najibullah Zadran 29 , Dawlat Zadran 4)

Pradeep has struck again to remove Rashid Khan and Sri Lanka are bossing again. Got the ball to move back in from good length to escape Rashid’s bat to clip his pads and top of the stumps. Huge appeal for LBW against Dawlat but it was going down leg while an amateurish fielding effort at mid-on by Malinga gives away a four.

England is too excited for the World Cup it seems. No coverage in their own country?

See-saw match #AFGvSL. You can see it in Chikmagalur, in Silchar, in Bhatinda, in Satara but I can't see it in my hotel room in England!

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) June 4, 2019

OUT! Rashid Khan b Pradeep 2(4)

Well done, Pradeep! Sri Lanka back on top. Pradeep has now reached his best figures in ODIs. The ball moved back in after pitching to escape the whip shot from Rashid to clip his pads and top of the stumps.

After 26 overs,Afghanistan 123/6 ( Najibullah Zadran 29 , Rashid Khan 2)

Lakmal back into attack and completes a tidy over by giving away just a single. Pressure on Afghanistan now.

After 25 overs,Afghanistan 122/6 ( Najibullah Zadran 29 , Rashid Khan 1)

Sri Lanka have probably dragged themselves back into the game. Pradeep gave away five wides as his short ball flew over the batsman but later trapped Naib in front of the wickets. Naib reviewed it but it was clipping leg. Rashid Khan has now come bat.

WICKET! Naib lbw b Pradeep 23(32)

Pradeep traps Naib to break the partnership. The ball moved back in from good length to hit his pads. Naib took the review but replays showed it was clipping leg.

After 24 overs,Afghanistan 114/5 ( Gulbadin Naib (C) 22 , Najibullah Zadran 28)

Finally, time for some spin. Offie Dhananjaya de Silva comes into attack. Three singles followed by a reverse-sweep four by Zadran.

After 23 overs,Afghanistan 107/5 ( Gulbadin Naib (C) 20 , Najibullah Zadran 23)

Just two from the over including two wide deliveries from Pradeep. Afghanistan’s batsmen are not looking to take any unnecessary risk.

After 22 overs,Afghanistan 105/5 ( Gulbadin Naib (C) 20 , Najibullah Zadran 23)

Udana back into attack. Afghanistan get to 100 with Naib collecting a double as a thick inside edge off his bat runs behind the wicket. Adds two more braces to take six from the over. Afghanistan need 82 more.

After 21 overs,Afghanistan 99/5 ( Gulbadin Naib (C) 14 , Najibullah Zadran 23)

Bowling change. Lakmal called back into attack. He leaked 18 runs in his first two overs but bowls a good one now. Three off the over. Pradeep did well to cut off a wild slash at wide third-man off Zadran’s bat to restrict it to a double.

After 20 overs,Afghanistan 96/5 ( Gulbadin Naib (C) 13 , Najibullah Zadran 21)

Three off the over. Naib and Zadran have stabilised Afghanistan’s innings and have managed to pull the momentum back in their favour. 91 more needed to win. Time for drinks.

After 19 overs,Afghanistan 93/5 ( Gulbadin Naib (C) 11 , Najibullah Zadran 20)

Malinga back into attack and Naib punishes him with two consecutive fours. Malinga’s lack of pace is not helping him as Naib plays a straight drive and then slams the short ball to cow corner. 11 off the over.

After 18 overs,Afghanistan 82/5 ( Gulbadin Naib (C) 2 , Najibullah Zadran 19)

Zadran gets beaten by Thisara with the delivery angled across him. A run out appeal against Naib but he was safely in. A misfield on off allows Zadran to add a brace. You can’t leak runs like that while defending a small total. Also, couple of wides in the over adding to total six from the over.

After 17 overs,Afghanistan 76/5 ( Gulbadin Naib (C) 1 , Najibullah Zadran 17)

Three singles and three runs added in Pradeep’s over. Afghanistan need 111 more to win. Run rate is not an issue, what they need is to protect wickets and a partnership.

After 16 overs,Afghanistan 73/5 ( Gulbadin Naib (C) 0 , Najibullah Zadran 16)

Najibullah Zadran scored a fifty against Australia and it seems like he’s just continued from where he left off. Two fours in the over. A chip off wide short ball through covers before a powerful drive through extra-cover area. Afghanistan need 114 more to win.