Pak in SL: Allround effort by Hafeez guides Pakistan to easy 6-wicket win in Dambulla

A star allround performance by Mohammad Hafeez guided Pakistan to an easy 6-wicket win against Sri Lanka in the first of five ODIs played at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium today (11).   They reached the winning post with six wickets in hand and 28 deliveries to spare.   After Pakistan elected to field, Hafeez grabbed four Sri Lankan wickets and went on to smash 103 off 95 deliveries, inclusive of ten fours and four sixes, before he offered a return catch to Thisara Perera.   Pakistan batsmen dominated over their Sri Lankan counterparts, in addition to coming out with a superb bowling display, as all six of their batsmen, including Hafeez, scored more than 20 each.   Shoaib Malik scored an enterprising knock of 55 not out off 45 deliveries inclusing of four boundaries and two sixes, when Pakistan reached the winning post.   Earlier put into bat first Dinesh Chandimal remained unbeaten on 65 off 68 balls as Sri Lanka posted 255 for the loss of 8 wickets.   Sri Lanka got off to a good start but wickets started falling at regular intervals.   Hafeez took four top wickets to cause Sri Lanka an unexpected trouble as the top order played considerably well.   Allrounder Milinda Siriwardana made his ODI debut for Sri Lanka.   The second ODI will be played at Pallekele on Wednesday (15).   Sri Lanka 255 for 8 wickets (50) (Kusal Perera 26, TM Dilshan 38, Lahiru Thirimanne 23, Upul Tharanga 20, Angelo Mathews 38, Dinesh Chandimal 65n.o, Milinda Siriwardana 22, Mohammad Hafeez 4/41, Rahat Ali 2/44)   Pakistan 259 for 4 wickets (45.2) (Azhar Ali 21, Ahmed Shehzad 29, Mohammad Hafeez 103, Babar Azam 25, Shoaib Malik 55n.o, Mohammad Rizwan 20n.o.)