2nd T20I: SL v Pak

Pakistan Win By 23 Runs So the T20I series ends in a stalemate at one win apiece but provided a tasty foreshadow to the ODI affair. Afridi bags the Man of the Match award for his three-fold effort. The first man to play in 50 Twenty20 Internationals held the batting fort with a fine half-century before taking two key scalps with his leg-spin.

Over 19.2 Arafat 2-W 99-10 - WICKET! Mathews holes out at long-off, where Afridi fittingly takes a good catch to seal the deal.

Over 19 Sami 1-W-1-0-1-1 97-9 - WICKET! Senenayake's bid to paddle the ball through the leg-side fails. He too is beaten for pace, with a leading edge ballooning a simple catch to cover. Sami has his best figures in T20I cricket. Udana is the last man in. 26 from six needed.

Over 18 Ajmal 1-W- 93-8 - WICKET! Lokuarachchi didn't know what was happening. He couldn't pick the variation, and is beaten all ends up by one that snipes through his big, ineffective heave. Ansar had all the time in the world to whip the bails off for his first stumping in international cricket. Senenayake in now, and his lone purpose is to feed the strike to his captain.

Over 17 Sami 1-W-0-5wd-W-0-0 90-7 - This will be a do-or-die over for Sami, who might be prone to cracking under the pressure. WICKET! He doesn't, though, instead forcing a thick edge from Thirimanne, whose pull is beaten by the pace and gifts a simple catch to the wicketkeeper. Perera in now. True to characteristic inconsistency, the fast bowler follows his breakthrough with five ugly wides spewed down the leg-side. WICKET! But then he hits back, clean bowling Perera with a leg-stump line that beats the left-hander for pace. That was really quick. Shades of, dare I suggest, Akhtar. Sri Lanka circling the drain. Lokuarachchi in now. 33 from 18 needed.

Over 16 Ajmal 1-2-1-2-1-1 84-5 - Sri Lanka doing their best to keep up with the asking rate, but soon enough they will need to exceed it if they don't want this one going down to the wire... 39 off 24 needed.

Over 15 Tanvir 0-0-1-0-W-0 76-5 - The left-arm seamer is back into the attack. A largely tight return over eventually takes its toll on Chandimal, whose attempt to manipulate the ball past short fine-leg results only in a missed shot, which in turn sees his stumps castled. It was the slower ball that outfoxed the batsman. Tanvir is delighted. Rightly so. Mathews in now. Sri Lanka still have the big-hitting Perera in the bank. Then again, Ajmal still has two overs in hand.

Over 14 Afridi 0-0-1-0-0-0 75-4 - Again Afridi is convinced of his lbw shout, but the angle was sliding down the left-hander's leg-side. His four-over complement is over. What a showing from the first man to reach 50 T20Is - a half-century and two key wickets to show for his milestone day.

Over 13 Hafeez 4-1-1-0-4-1 74-4 - The Pakistan captain takes matters - and the ball - into his own hands. Thirimanne looks to attack the spinner, slicing four the covers . The boundary rider did well to run around and get to the ball, but ultimately couldn't prevent the additional runs. The left-hander's next drive is a lot more straight, with the deep fielder unable to win the race to the ropes again. 11 runs off the over and thats a welcome injection for the hosts.

Over 12 Afridi 1-6-W-0-0-1 63-4 - Kapugedera hitting his straps here, this time around smacking six over long-on to feed Afridi some of his own medicine. WICKET! The Pakistan talisman has the last laugh, though, ending the right-hander's cameo by sneaking through his defences with something of a wrong'un. The stumps are toppled. Thirimanne in now.

Over 11 Ajmal 1-1-0-1-0-4 55-3 - Enjoying decent timing but unable to complement with sound placement, the Sri Lankan duo find the boundary riders time and time again for mere singles. 50 up, and a fair whack to go. Pakistan on top, indeed. Every now and then, though, a shot such as Kapugedera's latest - a cheeky reverse-sweep for four - gives Sri Lanka renewed hope.

Over 10 Afridi 0-0-0-2-0-3 48-3 - Chandimal breathes a sigh of relief after avoiding a near run-out at the non-striker's end. Pakistan sense the gap here, and want to hammer home the turnaround. 10 overs to go, folks, and we are in for an intriguing fourth quarter...

Over 9 Ajmal 0-0-0-1-1-0 43-3 - Ajmal into the attack a lot earlier than Friday's series opener. There is a lot more urgency to Pakistan's approach this time around. Predictably, Kapugedera, who wouldn't have faced a bowler of such quality much, is beaten on a couple of occasions.

Over 8 Afridi 0-0-1-0-W-2 41-3 - The leg-spinner is into the attack, immediately appealing for lbw but that was sliding down the leg-side. Three such appeals, in fact, but not one of them stuck. All missing leg-stump. Obviously so. WICKET! The master that he is, Afridi completes his four-fold plan with a quick ball. It's straight, no turn, and fast. Dislhan cuts, too close to his body, and misses. The stumps are rattled. Great set-up, that. Dilshan outfoxed entirely. All the rejected appeals were probably just part of the master plan. Chandimal in now.

Over 7 Sami 1-1wd-0-1lb-0-0-4 384-2 - Right-arm seamer replaces left-armer. It's a mixed bag from Sami, whose leg-side wide make way for a probing off-side line. No slip in place, so anything off the edge - this one deliberate from Dilshan - travels for four.

Over 6 Arafat 1-0-4-1wd-0-1-0 31-2 - Arafat wants to cramp Dilshan for room, but is too short, and soon slapped to the square-leg fence for four. He then tries a slower delivery, which slips out the hand and amounts to a juicy full toss. Dilshan is somewhat taken by surprise by the veritable freebie, and ultimately can't punish it.

Over 5 Tanvir 0-0-0-0-4-1 24-2 - The pressure of an otherwise tight over is released by Kapugedera, who crashes four through the off-side. He has a lot to prove after getting a game ahead of the far superior Jayawardene.

Over 4 Arafat 1wd-0-W-0-0-0-0 19-2 - WICKET! Arafat snares his first international scalp in over a year. It's the big fish too as Sangakkara perishes. The left-hander's bid to force the issue through the off-side by dancing down the wicket and slashing wildly presented a simple catch to Malik at point. Kulasekara, promoted well up the order, at the crease now. Sri Lanka continue to experiment. They want to see if the use of a pinch-hitter is worth it. WICKET! It isn't. Kulasekara swings'n'misses at a couple, ultimately holing out at cover for a duck. Kapugedera in now.

Over 3 Tanvir 0-1-0-0-0-0 18-0 - Approaching the right-handed Dilshan from over the wicket, the left-handed Tanvir troubles his target. Dilshan is beaten all ends up on a couple of occasions, eventually opting to leave the ball alone in Test match fashion.

Over 2 Arafat 0-0-0-4-4-0 17-0 - Arafat, rather than Sami, shares the new ball with Tanvir. Not a great start for him, though, with Dilshan quickly to latch onto a bit of width in spanking it through backward point for four. The same must be said about the next delivery, though this one carried to the fence through the air rather than along the ground.

Over 1 Tanvir 1-1lb-2-4-0-1wd-0 9-0 - Sangakkara fails to ride the seam movement successfully, almost chopping the first ball of the chase onto his stumps. Later he hits back in vintage style, cracking four through point on the cut. This, by the way, is the first time Sangakkara and Dilshan have opened the batting together in T20I cricket. Their communication, which is shaky at best at the moment, almost results in the run-out of the latter at the non-striker's end but the attempted direct-hit is missed.

Sri Lanka's Chase All and sundry back out in the middle after a quick change of innings. Dilshan, in the absence of Jayawardene, is partnered by Sangakkara at the top of the Sri Lankan knock.

Pakistan End On 122 For Six That's considerably better than the double-figure tally they limped to on Friday, but still not enough to truly have them on top in Hambantota. Sri Lanka's seamers did well in sluggish conditions. The Pakistan spinners will play a major role later. Kudos to Afridi, for a responsible half-century to mark his 50th T20I.

Over 20 Kulasekara 1-1-W-0-2-1b 122-6 - Arafat does the right thing by feeding Afridi the strike. The veteran obliges, moving to his 50 off just 30 balls. Vintage stuff from 'Boom Boom', indeed. WICKET! He is soon in need of another partner, though, as Arafat plugs a simple catch down the throat of Dilshan at deep cover. The right-hander wanted his upper cut to travel further. Alas. Tanvir in now, happy to run on through as Afridi scrapes together the last-gasp digits on offer.

Over 19 Perera 4-1-W-1-1-6 117-5 - It's slow, but sits up for Afridi to plank straight down the ground for four. DROPPED! its' slow again, and this time struck straight down the throat of Dilshan, who grasses it at midwicket. WICKET! A second chance, though, Dilshan doesn't get wrong, with Malik failing to enjoy the same fortune as his batting partner. Off he mopes after holing out on the pull shot. Arafat, picked ahead of Gul, at the crease now. Afridi, unworried by the loss of his fellow former skipper, keeps going strong by heaving his first six of the match high and hard over the bowler's head. He is celebrating his 50th T20I in style.

Over 18 Kulasekara 1-1-0-1-0-1wd-0 104-4 - The Pakistan duo want to hit straight down the ground as much as possible but are largely troubled by the new-ball bowler's clever change of pace. Kulasekara is delivering his slower stuff out of the back of his right hand - remarkable control for the most part, bar one wasteful leg-side wide.Meanwhile, part of the stitching on the ball has come undone, and we'll get a change of cherry.

Over 17 Perera 2-4-4-0-1- 100-4 - Thirdman almost overruns Afridi's thick edge but gets a finger to it at the last moment to prevent the boundary. The former Pakistan captain then deploys some very wristy strokeplay, whipping four through midwicket. So arrives the half-century partnership. Afridi is by no means one-dimensional, and shows he is just as comfortable in striking through the off-side as four more launches over cover. Perera is rattled and needs a quick word of advice from one of the senior players. Advice heeded, he recovers to beat Afridi with some extra bounce. 100 up for the visitors.

Over 16 Udana 0-1-2-1-1-1 89-4 - Mathews wants one of his fellow seamers to break this threatening stand. No breakthrough, yet, but he does manage to keep Pakistan's bid to find the fence at bay. That said, Sri Lanka do have a very defensive field in place.

Over 15 Lokuarachchi 4-4-4-1-1-1 83-4 - The long-on fielder does all the hard work in getting to the ball but then dives over it instead of onto it, allowing Malik's straight hit four. The resurgent right-hander isn't done there, tonking the next two deliveries over cover and through midwicket for a couple more boundaries. The attack is on, and Lokuarachchi must look to combat it. He does so, well enough, keeping the remainder of the over to mere singles.

Over 14 Senanayake 1-1-1-4-1-1 68-4 - Plenty of brave air from the off-spinner, who wants Afridi to chance his arm. The Pakistani obliges, connecting well enough for a one-bounce for over extra-cover. The bowler then resigns to a flatter length, which the oft-brash big-hitter uncharacteristically just tickles for a single.

Over 13 Lokuarachchi 0-0-0-1-2-2 59-4 - Backward point and gully in place, so Malik makes sure his cut shot is quite square for one. Afridi later offers himself room in a bid to go big over the off-side, but only manages to bobble a couple over the bowler's head. The leg-spinner saw the batsman's early movement, so adjusted his line accordingly.

Over 12 Senanayake 1-2-1-4-0-0 54-4 - Time for some off-spin and soon targeted by Afridi, who doesn't care if he gets to the pitch of the ball or not, ultimately flatbatting four over the top of the cover ring. 50 up for Pakistan - and it has taken 'em a veritable eternity to get there.

Over 11 Lokuarachchi 1wd-W-0-2-1-1-1 46-4 - With the run-rate under four and more than half the innings over, Hafeez feels the need to force his shot selection but only manages to spoon a simple catch to Thirimanne at short midwicket. Pakistan falling into a hole here. Afridi in now, and he'll need to bat with a lot more responsibility than he did in the first match of the series.

Over 10 Udana 0-1-0-2-2-0 39-3 - DROPPED! Perera held onto a blinder in the series opener, but grasses a sitter here. Hafeez wanted that clouted high and hard over the off-side, but looked on in dismay as his miscue plugged in front of the fielder. Perera put in the fall forward, got both hands to it at thirdman, but couldn't finish the job.

Over 9 Lokuarachchi W-1-4-0-0-0 34-3 - WICKET! The leg-spinner strikes with his first ball of the match. Akmal gets it wrong on the sweep, struck on the front pad by one that doesn't spin much. Up goes the lbw appeal, as does the umpire's finger. The batsman is saddened by the decision. Rightly so, that was well enough outside the line of the off-stump not to warrant being given out. Malik in now, and happy to watch from the safety of the non-striker's end as his captain planks four through point.

Over 8 Udana 1-2-1lb-2-1-0 29-2 - Striving for a yorker length, the seamer overpitches and allows for a full toss, which Akmal packs away for a couple. All in all it's a pretty fruitful over for Pakistan. Seven runs from it - there best yet today. Meanwhile, there is a rogue dog gallivanting across the field. It'll need removing, if ever caught.

Over 7 Perera 2-0-0-1-0-1 22-2 - Runs, especially boundaries, are proving hard to come by for Pakistan, so they're forced to push singles that aren't really there. Fortunately for the batting duo, Sri Lanka's attempted direct-hits from mid-on and immediate surrounds are off target.

Over 6 Udana 0-0-0-0-0-0 18-2 - Umar decides he'll take the whole over to play himself in on the defence as the left-arm seamer, who hasn't played for Sri Lanka since June 2009, returns to the international fray with a tight maiden.

Over 5 Perera 1-0-0-0-2-W 18-2 - One right-arm seamer replaces another. Sangakkara stood up to the stumps for Mathews, but Perera is a bit quicker so he goes back again. Hafeez, meanwhile, is eager to wield through midwicket. Timing nor placement is with him, though. Later, luck evades Latif. WICKT! Hafeez drives, straight, Perera gets a finger to it and deflects the ball onto the non-striker's stumps. Latif, backing up, is left flatfooted and well short of his crease. That's always an unfortunate way to get out. There was nothing purposeful in the deflection. Shame. Akmal in now, much higher in the order than his series opener berth.

Over 4 Mathews 0-0-0-0-4-0 15-1 - Mathews hardly gave an inch in the series opener and the same can be said about this spell. Hafeez can't beat the inner ring on the off-side along the ground, so decides to chance his arm over the top. There is a degree of risk to the shot, but there is enough behind it for four through mid-off.

Over 3 Kulasekara W-0-0-0-0-0 11-1 - WICKET! Pakistan's top-scorer on Friday fails this time around. He is beaten by heaps of in-swing. It struck him dead in front. There was no doubt. The appeal was mandatory and the umpire's finger obligatory. The right-hander will want to get forward a lot quicker in the future. Latif in now. He is all defence to close out the maiden on the quiet.

Over 2 Mathews 0-1-0-0-0-4 11-0 - Promoted to the captaincy due to Jayawardene's absence, Mathews enjoys further elevation thanks to Malinga's exit as he shares the new ball. He is Sri Lanka's second youngest captain ever, by the way. Hafeez, meanwhile, really battling to get off the mark. He tries to lambaste an iffy length through mid-off, but misses. He eventually gets it right, caressing four on the drive and is pretty relieved to move away from potentially falling for a fourth consecutive duck in T20I cricket.

Over 1 Kulasekara 1b-4-0-1-0-0 6-0 - The right-arm seamer starts with an absolute peach, which swings in and pitches on a near perfect length to beat Hafeez and the wicketkeeper as the batsman scamper a bye. The bowler then undoes it all with some ugly width, which Shehzad slaps through point for four.

Pakistan's Innings With the national anthems, handshakes and other such pleasantries out the way, umpires Ranmore Martinesz and Ruchira Palliyaguruge - officiating his first international match - and the Sri Lanka XI head out to the middle for the start of play. Pakistani openers Hafeez and Shehzad are right behind them. Shahid Afridi, by the way, becomes the first man to play in 50 Twenty20 Internationals today.

Conditions The pitch didn't misbehave in bounce as much as was anticipated in the series opener, but did prove slow and will do so again today. It's not conducive to flamboyant shot selection, and the hefty size of the arena is a stark comparison to the postage-stamp venues we witnessed in the recent Indian Premier League. The weather is characteristically humid. Warm enough, with no rain predicted.

Sri Lanka XI Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kumar Sangakkara, Chamara Kapugedera, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Sachithra Senanayake, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Nuwan Kulasekara, Isuru Udana.

Pakistan XI Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Khalid Latif, Shakeel Ansar, Sohail Tanvir, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Sami, Yasir Arafat.

Team News Angelo Mathews is Sri Lanka's captain today, with Mahela Jayawardene rested. Lasith Malinga isn't in the XI either. Chamara Kapugedera and Isuru Udana will play. The hosts, who have benched two big guns, are clearly using this match to find the right combos ahead of the World Twenty20. Pakistan, meanwhile, have replaced Umar Gul with Yasir Arafat.

Toss: Visiting captain Mohammad Hafeez has triumphed at the flip of the coin and Pakistan will bat first.

Greetings Hello and welcome to our over-by-over commentary of the second and final Twenty20 International of the two-match series, which the home side lead one-nil, between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Sooriyawewa, Hambantota.

Sky Bet Odds: