CARDIFF: Sri Lanka defeated Afghanistan by 34 runs in a rain-shortened World Cup thriller on Tuesday. The 1996 World Cup champion was all out for 201 in the 37th over as Afghanistan grabbed nine wickets for 57 runs to give itself a chance of pulling off a shock win.

Afghanistan needed a rain-revised target of just 187 from 41 overs but they failed to gain any momentum in their run chase .

After Afghanistan was reduced to 57-5, a partnership of 64 by Najibullah Zadran and captain Gulbadin Naib gave them hope.

But fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep grabbed two quick wickets before Najibullah was run out by Dimuth Karunaratne for 43. That set up a tense finale as the last two batsmen needed to score another 42 runs to hand Afghanistan their first World Cup win against a test-playing nation. But Sri Lanka made sure that victory did not come at their expense as Lasith Malinga bowled Hamid Hassan with a yorker four balls later.

Pradeep was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers as he claimed a career best four wickets for 31 runs as Afghanistan was bowled out for 152 in the 33rd over.  Earlier, Sri Lanka’s batsmen had also lost their way as they fell from 144-1 to 201 all out.

Mohammad Nabi sparked the collapse when he grabbed three wickets in the space of five deliveries by producing a brilliant spell of spin bowling in the 22nd over. He finished with four wickets for 30 runs. Sri Lanka slid steadily to 182-8 before play was paused due to rain. Some big hits by the tailenders carried Sri Lanka over the 200 run mark after play resumed.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera top-scored with 78 runs off 81 balls which included eight boundaries.

(Agencies)