Watch: Matheesha Pathirana smashed the stumps twice in an astonishing 19th over to help Sri Lanka seal a thriller against Afghanistan in Dambulla.
Sri Lanka lost 55-4. Afghanistan won the toss and was selected in the squad for the first of three T20Is in Dambulla. New captain Wanindu Hasaranga then scored 67 from his 32 balls with seven fours and three sixes to reach 160.
In Afghanistan, Fazalhaq Farooqi clocked 3:25, Naveen Ul Haq 2:25 and Azmatullah Omarzai 2:30.
Afghanistan started responding well and at one point needed 93 off 74 balls with nine wickets in hand. However, Hasaranga stepped up again and clean bowled Gulbadin Naib with a gooley, causing a collapse.
Matisha Pathirana did his part by bringing Omarzai to cover and holding Karim Janat in front, but captain Ibrahim Zadran held his ground. When Pathirana started with his 19th over, Afghanistan had his three men left and needed 14 off 12 balls.
After Ibrahim caught a single, Pathirana delivered a 153 kmph yorker, which missed the stumps. The next ball, thrown at 150km/h, was faster than Noor Ahmad and hit Wood. Naveen-ul-Haq scored a strike, but Ibrahim played another single, bringing Naveen back to strike the last ball.
Now Pathirana threw another yorker. This was 150 km/h. Naveen was clean as he couldn’t play any shots, but Afghanistan needed to score 11 runs in the final over as Pathirana finished with 4-24 after four overs.
Ibrahim (67 not out off 55 balls, 8 fors) only completed six of them, but Binula Fernando gave a good demonstration of the wide yorker.
Watch Matheesha Pathirana hit the stumps twice in the 19th over against Afghanistan:
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