Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan: Third T20 international – as it happened
All our updates as Afghanistan beat Sri Lanka in the third and final T20 of their cricket series.
This page is now closed. Thanks for joining us. These were the updates as Afghanistan beat Sri Lanka by three runs in the final match of their T20 series on Wednesday, February 21:
This page is now closed. Thanks for joining us. These were the updates as Afghanistan beat Sri Lanka by three runs in the final match of their T20 series on Wednesday, February 21:
- Afghanistan beat Sri Lanka by three runs in the third and final T20 international of the series in Dambulla.
- Sri Lanka claim the series 2-1 having the first two matches.
- The win for Afghanistan averted a clean sweep for Sri Lanka who won both the one-off Test and all three one-day international matches on Afghanistan’s tour.
- The Sri Lankans finished second bottom of the 2023 Cricket World Cup group while the Afghans finished two points outside the qualification spots.
- Teams around the world are using the extended T20 series to prepare for June and July’s 2024 T20 World Cup.
Goodbye for now
That’s it from our live coverage of Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
The hosts take the series 2-1 but the tourists take the final match.
We’ll have more cricket for you on Friday morning when New Zealand play Australia in the second match of the series, but it’s over to the Champions League now as FC Porto face Arsenal.
We hope you enjoyed our coverage of this one but for now, from me Kevin Hand, it’s goodbye.
📸: Snapshots from AfghanAtalan's batting inning against Sri Lanka. 👍#AfghanAtalan | #SLvAFG2024 pic.twitter.com/xuXBAFTkHe
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) February 21, 2024
‘Hopefully we can go well in the World Cup’
Afghanistan Ibrahim Zadran was on the winning side in the third match, but was disappointed with the series.
“I’m happy with the win. It was a good total we put on the board. Unfortunately, we lost the series and we wanted to do well in it,” he told the post-match ceremony.
“We put a good total on the board in the first match and won this one. We had some good things to take from the India series to and hopefully, we can go well in the World Cup.”
Hasaranga is Player of the Series
Wanindu Hasaranga has been a star with bat and ball for Sri Lanka in this series.
The Sri Lankan captain hit a match-winning fifty in the first T20 and reached 100 T20 wickets in the second match.
“We played really well in the first two games and credit to the batters and the bowlers,” he told the post-match ceremony.
1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ Wickets Strong!
Massive congratulations to our skipper, Wanindu Hasaranga, on achieving the incredible feat of 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ T20I wickets!🎉 🇱🇰#SLvAFG pic.twitter.com/aOQsCnu4nm
— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) February 19, 2024
Gurbaz is Player of the Match
Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit 70 from 42 balls to be named Player of the Match but admits he’s been short on runs on the tour.
“It was a really hard time for me because I haven’t scored,” he said at the post-match ceremony.
The Lions visit the Tigers next
The Lankan Lions’ next stop is the Bangladesh Tigers’ den! It’s South Asian cricket’s next big sizzling rivalry and we’ll bring you all the action from the T20 leg of this series!
Sri Lanka Men’s 2024 Future Tours Program Announced! 📢
The Sri Lanka National Team will commence its 2024 international cricket calendar with a home series against Zimbabwe in January, which will consist of three ODIs and three T20i series.
It would be followed by a series… pic.twitter.com/6BRRUCNhCs
— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) November 29, 2023
Afghanistan have their win
Six matches and six defeats on tour prior to the final T20 for Afghanistan but the tourist have avoided a whitewash.
It couldn’t have been tighter either.
𝐀𝐟𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐧! 🙌
Things went right down to the wire but AfghanAtalan held their nerves to win the game by 3 runs and finish the Sri Lanka tour on a high. 👍#AfghanAtalan | #FutureStars pic.twitter.com/tGRC5LFUnn
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) February 21, 2024
Afghanistan win by three runs!
Wafadar Momand is struck for six by Kamindu Mendis off the last ball of the innings, but Afghanistan have their first win of the tour in their last match.
10 to win from two
Wafadar Momand bowls a bouncer that is two short and it’s signalled a wide.
11 to win from two balls
Wafadar Momand bowls a full toss and it’s not given as a no ball for height. Kamindu Mendis is furious. Replays show it was an illegal delivery.
11 to win from three
Wafadar Momand goes for the stumps with a slower ball and Kamindu Mendis scoops him fine for four.
Review for LBW!
Wafadar Momand goes for the yorker and they go upstairs as Kamindu Mendis is struck on the back pad.
Not out is the decision by both umpires as the right-hander was struck outside leg stump.
Fifteen to win from four balls.
15 to win from five
Wafadar Momand bowls the last over. Kamindu Mendis gets an inside edge off the first ball and it beats short fine leg.
WICKET! Shanaka run out; Sri Lanka 187-6
Dasun Shanaka is run out by Mohammad Nabi as he comes back for a second run.
Akila Dananjaya hits his first ball, the last of the 19th for four. It’s 19 to win off the last over.
A penalty for Afghanistan
They are late with their overs and will only be allowed to have four fielders outside the inner circle.
Dasun Shanaka hammers Azmatullah Omarzai’s third ball of the over for six over point from a loose delivery.
18 overs. Sri Lanka 174-5
Kamindu Mendis moves to fifty with a paddled four from 32 balls with five fours and one six.
A total 36 is needed off 12 balls.
17 overs. Sri Lanka 164-5
Kamindu Mendis attempts another heave into the leg side, but is dropped at short fine leg. It’s a terrible put down off a top edge, and Sri Lanka may feel they have a chance here with that stroke of luck.
Four and six puts pressure on the bowler
Kamindu Mendis launches Noor Ahmad over mid-wicket with a slog sweep for six.
The ball before was worked through square leg for four.
WICKET! Mathews falls! Sri Lanka 151-5
Angelo Mathews swings Mohammad Nabi to deep square where Qais Ahmad takes the catch.
Mathews falls for four.
One ball remains of the 16th, and Dasun Shanaka sees out a dot ball.
WICKET! Samarawickrama falls! Sri Lanka 146-4
Sadeera Samarawickrama is caught behind off Qais Ahmad.
The right-hander gave himself room and looked to slap the ball outside off, but got a bottom edge through to the keeper to fall for 23 from 12 balls faced.
Angelo Mathews is the new batter and finds a single off his first ball – the last of the 15th over.
14 overs. Sri Lanka 143-3
Just the one boundary in the over coming off the first ball, but Azmatullah Omarzai also sends in two wides and in two 11 are taken from the over.
Fine endeavour from Mendis
Kamindu Mendis gives himself room and muscles the first ball of Azmatullah Omarzai’s over back down the ground for four.
It was a length ball. There wasn’t much wrong with it.
13 overs. Sri Lanka 132-3
Sadeera Samarawickrama cuts four off the fourth ball of the over as Sri Lanka try to get moving again. The last ball goes for four as well as the right-hander throws his hands at some width from Qais Ahmad and clears the infield.
Qais Ahmad enters the attack
The leg spinner is on as a concussion sub and his first three balls go for three runs.
12 overs. Sri Lanka 119-3
Kamindu Mendis sweeps four off the penultimate ball of the over and 15 runs are taken off Mohammad Nabi in the over – much to his clear frustration.
Six but another injury
Mohammad Nabi turns to see his second ball slammed over long-on for six by Sadeera Samarawickrama.
Noor Ahmad falls back over the rope to try to stop the ball, but bangs his head. He is fine to carry on for now, but it was another nasty one.