Tanvir stars as Pakistan ease to T20 win over inexperienced Sri Lanka
Sohail Tanvir produced an excellent new-ball spell as Pakistan secured a dominant 29-run win over Sri Lanka in the first T20 International
Pakistan maintained their hold over Sri Lanka with victory by 29 runs in the opening match of the Twenty20 series in Colombo.
The tourists headed into the two-match series having already got the better of their hosts in Tests and one-day internationals over the past month.
Sri Lanka handed T20 debuts to Dhananjaya de Silva, Jeffrey Vandersay, Binura Fernando and Milinda Siriwardana but the story of the tour remained unchanged as Pakistan racked up an imposing 175-5 - a mark that Sri Lanka rarely threatened after losing a cluster of early wickets to man-of-the-match Sohail Tanvir on their way to 146-7.
Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad and Shoaib Malik both scored 46, the latter anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 31-ball knock, while Umar Akmal provided late fireworks by hitting three fours and as many sixes in reaching the same score.
Akmal fell lbw to Lasith Malinga from the final ball of the penultimate over - a lone success for the experienced paceman whose four overs leaked 46 runs.
Thisara Perera was the pick of the Sri Lanka attack with 2-30 but his namesake Kusal fell to Anwar Ali (2-27) from the third ball of the hosts' reply and they had slumped to 19-3 when Tanvir bowled Kithuruwan Vithanage - by which time Tillakaratne Dilshan was also back in the hutch cheaply.
Supreme use of the new ball helped left-arm seamer Tanvir to decisive figures of 3-29. He would return to have Siriwardana taken at long-on after the debutant impressed with a swashbuckling 35.
De Silva scored 31 in a far more circumspect manner, occupying the crease for 32 balls and striking a solitary four, while Chamara Kapugedera entertained the crowd with some lusty blows down the order to finish on 31 not out.
Kapugedera launched the last of his three sixes over extra cover from the final ball of the 19th over, leaving them requiring a fanciful 33.
But Pakistan spinner Imad Wasim (1-21) made absolutely sure there would be no final-over drama by sending down four consecutive dot balls.