Sri Lanka Masters attain 97-run win against India in Shaikh Zayed Cup
Pakistan Times Sports Desk

ABU DHABI (United Arab Emirates): The Sri Lankan Masters XI got off to an impressive start with a 97-run win over the Indian Masters XI in the Tri-Nation Shaikh Zayed Cup Tsunami Relief cricket tournament, here at the Shaikh Zayed Stadium on Sunday evening.

Playing without their captain Marvan Atapattu, the Lankans dominated the early part of the first innings before the Indian Masters XI hit back to restrict them to 252 in 49.3 overs.

But the Lankans came roaring back when the Indians began their run chase and soon reduced them to 89 for eight, before they were dismissed for 155.

The Sri Lankans were playing against the high-flying Pakistan Masters XI on Monday afternoon in what was expected to turn out to be the final of this inaugural international one-day event at this picturesque stadium.

Chasing Sri Lanka’s moderate total of 252, the Indian Masters lost opener Shikhar Dhawan off the very third ball of their innings. The Islanders’ new bowling hero Lasith Malinga uprooted the young opener’s off stump and the Indians never recovered from that early blow.

Three run outs added to their misery and the good work they had done earlier on the field was undone with their inept display.

Earlier, Kumar Sangakkara scored the first half-century as big time cricket graced the spectacular Shaikh Zayed Stadium while Shantha Kalavitigoda made a fine 69 to lead the Lankans to a good start. But the Indian Masters XI did very well to restrict the Lankans to 252 after the Islanders were strongly placed at 156 for two.

Smart half-centuries by Kumar Sangakkara (52 runs, 75 min, 52b, 5 4s) and Shantha Kalavitigoda (69, 123m, 96b, 6 4s, 2 sixes) made up for the early loss of Michael Vandort in the very second over of the match.

Vandort was caught behind by Bisla, taking a good low catch off Harvinder who later had Aviskha Gunawardene hurt in the head off a rising deliver. Aviskha went off the field with a cut on his head but that brought Sangakkara and Shantha together for a 113-run stand.

Ramesh Powar, with 50 wickets under his belt in the domestic circuit back home, struck off his very first ball to dismiss Sangakkara after he had completed his fifty.

There is some cause to cheer for the teams battling it out for the Zayed Cup in the tri-nation tourney as their applecart is progressively laden with more fruits.

Apart from the cash prizes and the all-terrain motorcycle gift already announced in the categories for the best batsman, best bowler and man of the series, the organisers of the tournament said that the winner will take home a purse of $25,000 while the runner-up will romp home with $15,000.

Further, the United Bank Limited (UBL) came forward to declare a few more prizes. Every batsman lofting the ball over the ropes to strike the 12 feet by 8 feet advertisement hoarding of UBL at the ground will receive Dh5,000, every time he achieves the feat.

The batsman scoring the maximum number of sixes in the tournament will be richer by Dh10,000, said Wajahat Husain, senior official of UBL and vice-president of the ADCB.●