MATHEWS PLAYER OF THE MATCH CAMEO 42 N.O. & 2 WKTS, SAMARAWICKRAMA 51
By Srian Obeyesekere
Sri Lanka’s bulldozing of a lack luster Afghanistan on its 3-leg tour continued by Wanindu Hasaranga’s men recording a second straight success by a 72-run humiliation on Monday to already pocketing the T20 series with one to go, in clean sweeping the touring team in all three formats with former captain Angelo Mathews delivering the Player of the Match knock out punch by a blistering 22-ball unbeaten 42 powered by 4 over the top and 2 boundaries and 2 wickets to boot in a defining all-round performance as Sri Lanka pummeled 187 for 6 on a concerted performance by the top order with Sadeera Samarawickrama at No. 4 starring in the lead playmaker tempo setting role with a top score of 51 off 42 piercing the boundary on five occasions at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium.
Afghanistan was shot out for 115 in 17 overs as the Lankans rubbed in the salt of a terrible tour for the touring team whose reputation of shockers has taken a bad beating with the final game becoming just a formality with the Sri Lankans having asserted themselves in reviving a dented one-day image with the successes particularly in the short format ODI and T20 exchanges coming for the hosts in a conspicuous revamping under new captains in vindicating such a change by the national selectors headed by former opening batsman Upul Tharanga.
The high point of Monday’s victory was the 66-run sixth-wicket bonding between Mathews and Samarawickrama off 38 balls with the former captain reaching his element in accounting for the major share of 42 as he erupted in the fireworks of bludgeoning the Afghan attack at will.
A noteworthy feature was seeing skipper Wanindu Hasaranga displaying his penchant as a game captain ever willing to gamble in promoting himself up the order at No.5 to striking 22 off just 9 deliveries sending 2 to the stands and a boundary having come in with the score on 3 for 86 after 9.5 overs after Dhananjaya de Silva exited for a run a ball 14 in the one drop role after both openers fell in quick succession in the space of 4 runs in adding an invaluable run a ball 37 for the third-wicket with Samarawickrama. But Pathum Nissanka 25 off 11 with 5 boundaries, and Kusal Mendis 23 off 14 with 4 boundaries, had played their part smashing 45 between them off 3.5 overs in a power play exhibition.
CHIEF SCORES
Sri Lanka 187/6 (20 Overs)
(Sadeera Samarawickrama 51, Angelo Mathews n.o. 42, Pathum Nissanka 25, Kusal Mendis 23, Wanindu Hasaranga 22, Dhananjaya de Silva 14, Mohammad Nabi 2/25, Azmatullah Omarzai 2/40, Fazalhaq Farooqi 1/31, Naveen-ul-Haq 1/46)
Afghanistan 115 (17 Overs)
(Karim Janat 28, Mohammad Nabi 27, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 13, Ibrahim Zadran 10, Angelo Mathews 2/9, Binura Fernando 2/18, Wanindu Hasaranga 2/19, Matheesha Pathirana 2/22, Dasun Shanaka 1/17, Maheesh Theekshana 1/30)
