Dambulla: Powered by a hundred from Mahela Jayawardena, Sri Lanka thumped Pakistan by six wickets to take an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the 5-match ODI series.

Jayawardena made his first one-day century in as many as two years. The former captain made 123 and shared an opening stand of 202 with Upul Tharanga as the hosts easily overtook Pakistan’s 288-8 in the 47^th over of the high scoring encounter.

Earlier, after being put into bat by Sri Lanka, Pakistan put up a much improved batting performance led by the young Umar Akmal who made 66 off 65 balls. The 19-year-old brother of wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal propelled Pakistan to the highest total ever at the Rangiri International Stadium.

Kamran Akmal made 45 during a 71-run stand for the second wicket with skipper Younus Khan (44) after opener Nasir Jamshed had fallen in the second over.

Pakistan then suffered a middle order collapse as they lost three wickets for 27 runs before Shahid Afridi joined Umar at the crease and they added 41 for the sixth wicket.

Afridi had smashed 32 off 20 balls with five boundaries before he was bowled by Muttiah Muralitharan. The off-spinner, the world’s leading wicket-taker in both Test and one-day cricket, also bowled Umar soon after, on the delivery after being hit for a six.

Razzaq and Rana Naved chipped in with useful contributions down the order to take Pakistan to the highest total on this ground surpassing Sri Lanka’s 282 against India in 2002.

Both of them made 30 apiece for which Razzaq faced 26 balls while Naved faced 23. Razzaq hammered two sixes and a four, while Naved marked his return to official cricket after breaking links with the unauthorised Indian Cricket League, with two sixes.

For Sri Lanka, Angelo Matthews was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2-41 off his 10 overs.

But Jayawardena, opening the batting in place of Sanath Jayasuriya who was dropped for this game, and Tharanga, gave Sri Lanka the perfect start, putting up 202 for the first wicket in just 33 overs.

Jayawardene hit 14 boundaries and a six in his 11th one-day century and his first since making 107 for Asia against Africa in the Afro-Asia Cup in Chennai in June, 2007.

Left-handed Tharanga hit nine fours in his effort of 76, before both batsmen fell in successive overs. Sri Lanka lost a third wicket in the space of 10 runs as Thilan Samaraweera (0) gave Saeed Ajmal a return catch, but Thilina Kandamby (32) and captain Kumar Sangakkara (37 not out) steered Sri Lanka home.

Brief Scores:

Sri Lanka 289 for 4 (Jayawardene 123, Tharanga 76, Ajmal 2-54) beat

Pakistan 288 for 8 (Umar Akmal 66, Kamran Akmal 45, Matthews 2-41, Muralitharan 2-64) by six wickets

Man of the Match: Mahela Jayawardena (Sri Lanka)

Tagged with: Abdul Razzaq, Afro-Asia Cup, Angelo Matthews, Kamran Akmal, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Muttiah Muralitharan, Nasir Jamshed, Pakistan, Rana Naved, Sanath Jayasuriya, Shahid Afrid, Sri Lanka, Thilan Samaraweera, Thilina Kandamby, Umar Akmal, Upul Tharanga, Younus Khan

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