Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan: First T20 cricket match – as it happened
All our updates as Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan in the first match of their T20 series.
This page is now closed. Thanks for joining us. These were the updates as Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by four runs in the first T20 of their three-match series on Saturday, February 17:
This page is now closed. Thanks for joining us. These were the updates as Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by four runs in the first T20 of their three-match series on Saturday, February 17:
- Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by four runs in the first match of their three match T20 series.
- Both captains scored fifties but it was the hosts that came out on top.
- Afghanistan lost all three one-day internationals and the one-off Test between the sides on their tour of Sri Lanka so far.
- Sri Lanka finished second-bottom of the 10-team group at the 2023 Cricket World Cup while Afghanistan finished sixth and narrowly missed out on qualification by two points.
- Teams around the globe are preparing for June and July’s ICC T20 World Cup.
Goodbye for now
That’s it from the first T20 of the three-match series.
Afghanistan have to win their next two matches to take the series and that’s off the back of a five-game losing streak on their tour of Sri Lanka.
We hope you enjoyed the coverage and can join us again on Monday for the second game.
From me Kevin Hand though, its goodbye for now.
Just not enough from the skipper
It was a battle of the skippers as both captains hit fifties.
Ibrahim’s was unbeaten in the end but not enough to see his side over the line.
The skipper @IZadran18 stands tall and brings up a fine half-century against Sri Lanka, his 5th half-century in T20Is. 👏
Keep going, Ibra! 👍#AfghanAtalan | #SLvAFG2024 pic.twitter.com/qAUxUTTYi9
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) February 17, 2024
Sri Lanka enjoyed that one
Yes! That's a winning start for the Lions! 🇱🇰
Sri Lanka have taken a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series against Afghanistan with a thrilling 4-run victory in Dambulla!#SLvAFG pic.twitter.com/ik91P6BIFL
— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) February 17, 2024
Five defeats on the bounce for Afghanistan
It’s a cruel stat after a wonderful game, but Afghanistan have now lost all five games on their tour of Sri Lanka following the one-off Test and the three-game ODI series.
Sri Lanka win by four runs!
What a game!
The ball is driven for four over cover but it’s not enough for Afghanistan.
Nine to win from one
Ibrahim skies the ball and it falls short of deep third. They take two.
11 to win from two
A wide yorker gets through to the keeper.
11 to win from three
The ball is run to deep third and the single is rejected.
11 to win from four
A swing and a miss outside off from Ibrahim.
11 to win from five
Ibrahim blocks the first ball of the final over from Fernando.
WICKET! Naveen is bowled! Sri Lanka 150-9
Naveen-ul-Haq is yorked and that’s the end of the 19th over.
What a match this has been and it goes to the wire with Ibrahim on strike.
WICKET! Noor Ahmad is bowled! Afghanistan 148-8
Pathirana bowls Noor Ahmed with the third ball of the 19th over.
The ball beats the defence and slams into middle and off.
18 overs. Afghanistan 147-7
Noor Ahmad swings his second ball down the ground for six. That alleviates some pressure.
Four runs follow off the final four balls of the over.
WICKET! Qais is caught! Afghanistan 137-7
Qais swings hard at a length ball from Theekshana and top edges to the sub fielder at backward-point.
Did he need to do that with his skipper at the other end?
17 overs. Afghanistan 137-6
What an over.
A wicket first ball, a boundary second and 12 runs off the over in total.
Qais edges his first ball for four
It’s just out of reach for the keeper as the right-hander gets a thick edge to a length ball just outside off stump.
16.2 overs bowled.
WICKET! Janat is LBW! Afghanistan 125-6
The right-hander is trapped LBW by Pathirana for 20.
Ibrahim is still there but someone needs to stay with him.
16.1 overs bowled.
16 overs. Afghanistan 125-5
Ibrahim whips the very next ball after the review for four through the on side and this is a brilliant battle between the captains.
Eight off the over as Hasaranga finishes with 1-20 from his four overs.
Player review for LBW
Hasaranga appeals and thinks he has his man and the finger goes up.
Ibrahim goes upstairs in turn and the replay shows the ball was sliding past leg stump.
The on-field umpire overturns his decision and the Afghanistan captain survives.
15 overs. Afghanistan 117-5
Another boundary finishes the over as Fernando goes full and onto the pads and Janat whips the ball in front of square.
The right hander moves to 19* from 14 balls.
Janat powers down the ground
Fernando, who opened with a wide, sees his second ball driven powerfully down the ground for four after over pitching.
14 overs. Afghanistan 104-5
Ibrahim pulls four off Shanaka’s first ball.
No further boundaries follow, but seven further runs are added with a wide thrown in.
56 to win from 36 balls. As long as Ibrahim is there then the tourists will fancy this.
Fifty for Ibrahim
The Afghanistan opener brings up his fifty from 39 balls with a single through midwicket.
Both captains have scored fifties in this match.
Who will end up the happier at the end?
13 overs. Afghanistan 93-5
Hasaranga concedes four singles off his third over and has figures of 1-12 with one over to come.
The Sri Lankan skipper gets through that over quickly to crank up the pressure.
12 overs. Afghanistan 89-5
Janat is the new batter and takes a single first ball before Ibrahim, who has taken a back seat of late, takes two to move to 42* from 34 balls faced.