Sri Lanka sealed a thrilling last-ball win over Pakistan in Colombo on Thursday to set up a title match with India in the Asia Cup.
Chasing 252 off 42 overs in a rain-curtailed match, Sri Lanka were coasting to their target at 210-3 in 35 overs. But a fightback from Pakistan, triggered by part-time spinner Iftikhar Ahmed (3-50 after scoring 47) set up a tense finish.
Shaheen Afridi bowled a sensational penultimate over with 12 needed from 12, first getting Dhanajaya de Silva and last match's hero Dunith Wellalage first ball.
Fast bowler Zaman Khan, who came in as a late replacement, had eight to defend from the last over. He gave away just two runs from the first four balls. But Charith Asalanka (49 not out) got a boundary off an edge to bring the equation down to two needed off one, which was completed with a simple nudge to square leg for a two-wicket victory and a spot in Sunday's final.
The virtual semi-final at the R Premadasa Stadium lived up to the hype as Sri Lanka and Pakistan fought tooth and nail.
Sri Lanka were positive from the start of the chase, aided by the mid match heavy shower that freshened up the pitch and made the spinners less effective, compared to the start of the match.
Pakistan, without pace spearhead Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf, lacked sting with the new ball. Afridi looked down on pace, which allowed Sri Lankan's top order to score with relative ease.
Even the first wicket fell to a run out, Kusal Perera searching for a quick single. Leg-spinner Shadab Khan removed Pathum Nissanka but middle order batsmen Kusal Mendis (91) and Sadeera Samarawickrama (48) went on the offensive.
The partnership had reached exactly 100 when part-time spinner Ahmed had Samarawickrama stumped. From there, Sri Lanka lost their way but held on right at the end.
Earlier, Mohammad Rizwan hit an unbeaten 86 to steer Pakistan to 252-7.
Sri Lanka's bowlers took regular early wickets to check Pakistan's scoring, but Rizwan hit back with his 12th ODI half-century and a 108-run stand with Ahmed, who made 47, to give his team a challenging total.
Fast bowler Pramod Madushan struck first as he bowled Fakhar Zaman for four with a pin-point yorker.
Abdullah Shafique (52) and skipper Babar Azam (29) then rebuilt the innings in their stand of 63 despite surviving a few close calls including an lbw review off Wellalage.
Azam looked to be getting into his groove with a few boundaries but was stumped off Wellalage, a left-arm spinner who was Sri Lanka's star in their previous loss to India with 5-40.
Shafique stood strong and hit two sixes en route to his maiden ODI fifty but soon fell to fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana, who quickly struck again.
Pakistan returned from a rain break on 130-5 with Rizwan digging deep and he got support from Ahmed, who took his time to get his rhythm and hit two sixes in his 40-ball knock.
The team in green had an inauspicious start to the day as they were forced to make two more changes to the side after making five on Wednesday.
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South Africa's T20 squad
Duminy (c), Behardien, Dala, De Villiers, Hendricks, Jonker, Klaasen (wkt), Miller, Morris, Paterson, Phangiso, Phehlukwayo, Shamsi, Smuts.
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Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 715bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,289,376
On sale: now
All or Nothing
Amazon Prime
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Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Super Saturday race card
4pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 | US$350,000 | (Dirt) | 1,200m
4.35pm: Al Bastakiya Listed | $300,000 | (D) | 1,900m
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 | $350,000 | (Turf) | 1,200m
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 | $350,000 | (D) | 1,600m
6.20pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 | $300,000 | (T) | 2,410m
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 | $600,000 | (D) | 2,000m
7.30pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 | $400,000 | (T) | 1,800m
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight (Wednesday), BeIN Sports
The five pillars of Islam
