| One step towards the final Mangalam

Sharjah: Sri Lanka won the first Super Four in Asia Cup Twenty20 cricket. They beat Afghanistan by four wickets. If they win against India on Tuesday, Lanka can take a step towards the finals.

Batting first in the match on Saturday evening, Afghanistan scored 175 runs for the loss of six wickets. Sri Lanka batted in reply and scored the winning run with only five balls to go. Openers Pathum Nisanka (35 off 28 balls), Kushal Mendis (36 off 19 balls) and Dhanushka Gunathilake (33 off 20 balls) secured the win for Lanka.

The reason for Lanka’s victory is that they were able to stop Afghanistan, who jumped to a huge score. The Afghan batsmen managed to score only 37 runs in the last five overs. Opener and wicketkeeper Rahmatullah Gurbaz scored 84 runs in 45 balls, including six sixes and four fours, and gave the impression that Afghanistan will reach two hundred. Ibrahim Zadran (40 off 38 balls with a six and two fours) provided excellent support for Gurbaz. Lankan bowlers managed to take wickets in the last overs.

Lankan skipper Dasun Sanaka won the toss and left Afghanistan to bat. Hazratullah Sazai (13 off 16 balls) and Gurbaz got off to a good start. Sasai was a bystander as Gurbaz was crushed. When Madhushanaka bowled Sasai, the Afghan score reached 46 in five overs. Gurbaz made his policy clear by scoring 50 runs in 22 balls. It was the second fastest half-century by an Afghan player in T20Is. Before crossing 50, the player had hit four sixes. Gurbaz and Sadran also smashed the second wicket partnership. 50 off 44 balls for them. In the 13th over, the Afghan score reached 100. The partnership broke up when Gurbas was handed over to Fernando Vanindu de Silva.