Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan: Second T20 international – as it happened
All our updates as Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan in the second T20 at Dambulla.
This page is now closed. Thank you for joining us. These were the updates as Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by 72 runs in their T20 cricket match in Dambulla on Monday, February 19:
This page is now closed. Thank you for joining us. These were the updates as Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by 72 runs in their T20 cricket match in Dambulla on Monday, February 19:
- Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by 72 runs in the second T20 international of their three-match series being played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla, Sri Lanka.
- The hosts won the first T20 match by four runs in a game that saw both captains score their fifties.
- Afghanistan have lost all three one-day internationals and a one-off Test in their ongoing tour of Sri Lanka.
- Sri Lanka are buoyed by the return of their all-rounder captain Wanindu Hasaranga.
- Teams around the globe are preparing for the ICC T20 World Cup in June.
Goodbye
That’s it from our live coverage of the second T20 international of the three-match series.
Sri Lanka take the series 2-0, and Afghanistan have lost all six matches on the tour so far.
There’s Champions League action to come on Tuesday and Wednesday from our live sport pages, and we’ll have the final match in this series and the first of the New Zealand and Australia series.
We hope you enjoyed the coverage of this one and can join us again soon.
For now, though, from me, Kevin Hand, it’s goodbye.
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
Hasaranga credits the batters
The Sri Lankan captain says the batters have been crucial to the series win.
“If our openers go well, then we can get to 170 and 180, and I would always back our bowlers from there,” Hasaranga said at the post-match ceremony.
“There’s only four games to go until the World Cup, so I want to test our bench.”
Ibrahim admits the top order got it wrong
“We tried to have a good start in the powerplay and give good momentum to the team,” the Afghanistan skipper says in explaining that his side got it wrong with the bat.
“Cricket is all about the mind. If you don’t execute well, you can’t win.”
Mathews is player of the match
“I struggled to get going for the first 10 or 15 ball but got going after that,” Angelo Mathews said at the post-match ceremony after recording 42 in the Sri Lanka innings.
Another tough day for Afghanistan
📸: Snapshots from AfghanAtalan's bowling inning against Sri Lanka. 👍#AfghanAtalan | #SLvAFG2024 pic.twitter.com/n0UEYM5RyW
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) February 19, 2024
New Zealand make changes for the Australia series
We have a cricket double bill coming up on Wednesday with the final match of Afghanistan’s tour of Sri Lanka.
Before that, though, we’ll bring you live coverage of the first T20 of the series between New Zealand and Australia.
The Kiwis have had their injury woes coming into the series, so will have their work cut out against the 2023 Cricket World Cup champions.
Injuries force changes into the New Zealand squad for the T20I series against Australia 👀#NZvAUS
Details ➡ https://t.co/M6PhnjZLi7 pic.twitter.com/xdqGZdsqXG
— ICC (@ICC) February 18, 2024
Sri Lanka take the series
That’s a 2-0 lead for the hosts in the three-match series.
One game is to come in the Dambulla stadium, where Afghanistan will be trying to avoid a 7-0 whitewash in this tour.
Six straight tour defeats for Afghanistan
This will be painful for the visitors, who pride themselves on their T20 cricket above all else.
Only two Afghanistan batters made it into the twenties and neither made it out of them.
Sri Lanka win by 72 runs!
Farooqi slaps the ball straight to cover, where Asalanka takes the catch and Pathirana has a second wicket.
WICKET! Naveen-ul-Haq is out! Afghanistan 111-9
This time the yorker gets through from Pathirana and the right-hander is bowled for five.
Upstairs they go
Pathirana sends in the yorker, and the inside edge saves Noor Ahmad.
The on-field umpire rejects the appeal, so Sri Lanka go upstairs only for the same outcome to be reached.
16 overs. Afghanistan 110-8
Sri Lanka are rattling through their overs now – just three singles off the latest Hasaranga over.
15 overs. Afghanistan 107-8
Just the one boundary in the over as Naveen-ul-Haq eases a quicker ball from Theekshana to the vacant deep third boundary.
Six off the over in total.
14 overs. Afghanistan 101-8
A brilliant over from the skipper, and the game is as good as over now. Noor Ahmad and Naveen-ul-Haq are the new batters.
WICKET! Janat departs! Afghanistan 101-8
A brilliant catch at cover by Shanaka diving forward to dismiss Janat for 28, and it’s two in the over for Hasaranga.
WICKET! Najibullah is out! Afghanistan 100-7
Najibullah Zadran falls for nine as he swings and misses – Hasaranga strikes.
13 overs. Afghanistan 100-6
The ball after the injury is sent sailing for six by Janat as he sends Theekshana over mid-wicket.
Ouch!
A full toss is driven powerfully back at Theekshana by Janat.
The bowler tries to field the ball, but is struck on the wrist.
On comes the physio.
12 overs. Afghanistan 91-6
Shanaka nearly gets out of the over without a boundary, but he detects the slower delivery and the ball is slammed through mid-wicket for four.
11 overs. Afghanistan 80-6
Pathirana concedes another wide before the over is out, and it clearly angers him as he slams in two bouncers to finish.
Pathirana sends two wides down the leg side
The right-armed seamer gets his low side release wrong, and the batter picks up a run down the leg side off the first ball of the over.
He follows up with a fine ball across Najibullah Zadran, then goes for the same again but is run for four by the left-hander.
10 overs. Afghanistan 70-6
Najibullah Zadran is the new batter and plays out four dot balls to finish the over.
WICKET! Nabi is out! Afghanistan 70-6
Shanaka is hit for six off his first ball but strikes with his second.
The delivery had pace and bounce just outside off stump and Nabi nicks it through for Mendis to take a fine catch tumbling to his right.
Nabi falls for 27 from 17. Huge wicket.
Nine overs. Afghanistan 64-5
Two twos and a single follow in the five deliveries after the six to start.
The tourists need a few more overs like that.
Six to start the over
Fresh from his reprieve, Nabi sends Hasaranga’s first ball of the over soaring back over the bowler’s head.