Pakistan had spent five weeks in Sri Lanka without a win in any form of the game, even prompting bizarre speculations about match-fixing, and their winless run finally ended as teenager Umar Akmal, with a spectacular unbeaten century, helped them to win the 4th One-Day International against Sri Lanka by 146 runs at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, yesterday.

After the tourists set an imposing 321 thanks to Umar’s unbeaten 102, the Sri Lankans were bundled out for 175 as Pakistan won with more than 13 overs to spare with Rao Ifthikar, playing his first match on tour, excelling with his best bowling figures in One-Day cricket. Sri Lanka thus suffered their second worst defeat at home.

The hosts lost their last seven wickets for 19 runs in a space of 38 deliveries as Ifthikar picked up five for 30.

However, the man who set the game for Pakistan was the 19-year-old Umar, the younger brother of wicket-keeper Kamran, who was only playing his 3rd international game, but batted like a batsman with tons of experience behind him with a maiden century at a time when Pakistan needed it most.

Having already conceded the series, the tourists elected to bat first after wining the toss and came up with their best effort in the series.

Kamran Akmal hit 57 runs top of the order adding 61 runs for the first wicket with Imran Nazir, in ten overs, before Sri Lanka’s spinners tightened things up with three quick wickets when Umar walked into bat with the total on 130 for four.

Joining his captain, the diminutive right-hander played both the spinners and seamers with confidence adding a record 176-run stand for the 5th wicket.

The pair broke the record for the previous best stand for the 5th wicket in ODIs between the two countries, shared by Younus himself with Mohammad Yousuf, worth 155 runs in Sharjah six years ago. While Umar was flamboyant in his approach, Younus was more circumspect as he scored his first half-century in ODIs since becoming the captain.

Younus scored 89 in 111 deliveries hitting just four boundaries and was dismissed in the penultimate over of the innings when he failed to clear a full toss off Thilan Thushara and was caught at long-on.

Umar, meanwhile, took just 71 deliveries for his century, reaching the milestone through overthrows in the final over of the innings, posting the 2nd fastest ODI hundred in Sri Lankan soil, narrowly missing out on the record held by India’s Virender Sehwag, who had taken 69 balls to reach three figures against New Zealand at SSC in 2001.

He hit four sixes, the most at this venue by a batsman and helped the tourists post their highest total in Sri Lanka improving on the previous best of 319 for five against Bangladesh in 1997.

Lasith Malinga coming back to the side was leading the Sri Lankan attack, but had an appalling day giving away 79 runs in his ten overs. He finished with the 7th worst bowling figures by a Sri Lankan and the worst at home, but more importantly conceded as many as 26 wides.

As he struggled, Malinga Bandara, playing his 1st ODI in two years had a good game picking up two wickets for 44 runs in his ten overs.

Sri Lanka continued with Mahela Jayawardene and Upul Tharanga as openers, a ploy that worked off in Dambulla as they secured the series, but it didn’t come through this time as Jayawardene departed for 19.

Kumar Sangakkara added 65 runs for the 2nd wicket and was keeping the hosts in the hunt before he became Ifthikar’s first victim falling right after the drinks break. Once Chamara Kapugedara fell for eight to make it 157 for four, Sri Lanka gave up tamely losing wickets in succession.

The margin of 146 is also their 2nd worst in ODIs at home, just behind the 147 margin defeat to India early this year at the same ground.

It was Upul Tharanga, who top scored for Sri Lanka with his 2nd successive half-century in the series. He made 80 in 89 deliveries with eight boundaries and a six.

Scoreboard

Pakistan innings

K Akmal b Bandara 57

I Nazir b Thushara 23

Y Khan c Kapugedera b Thushara 89

M Yousuf c Jayawardene b Mendis 6

Misbah-ul-Haq lbw b Bandara 9

U Akmal not out 102

S Afridi not out 2

Extras: (4b, 29w) 33

TOTAL: (for five wickets) 321

Overs: 50. Batting time: 213 minutes.

Fall of wickets: 1-61, 2-106, 3-115, 4-130, 5-306.

Did not bat: Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Aamer, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Saeed Ajmal.

Bowling: Malinga 10-0-79-0 (26w), Thushara 10-0-74-2 (3w), Mathews 8-0-48-0, Bandara 10-0-44-2, Mendis 10-0-56-1, Kandamby 2-0-16-0.

Sri Lanka innings

U Tharanga c Akmal b Rao Iftikhar 80

M Jayawardene c Aamer b Naved 19

K Sangakkara c Nazir b Rao Iftikhar 39

T Kandamby c Younis b Ajmal 15

C Kapugedera c Naved b Ajmal 8

T Samaraweera c Akmal b Rao Iftikhar 2

A Mathews st. Akmal b Afridi 8

M Bandara c Misbah b Afridi 0

T Thushara b Rao Iftikhar 0

L Malinga c Misbah b Rao Iftikhar 0

A Mendis not out 0

Extras: (1lb, 3w) 4

TOTAL: (all out) 175

Overs: 36.1. Batting time: 161 minutes.

Fall of wickets: 1-36, 2-101, 3-130, 4-157, 5-159, 6-166, 7-167, 8-171, 9-175.

Bowling: Aamer 5-0-34-0 (1w), Naved-ul-Hasan 7-0-46-1,Iftikhar Anjum 8.1-0-30-5, Afridi 9-0-40-2 (1w), Ajmal 7-0-24-2 (1w).

Result: Pakistan won by 146 runs.

Series: Sri Lanka leads five-match series 3-1.

Toss: Pakistan.

Umpires: Gamini Silva, Sri Lanka, and Steve Davis, Australia.

TV umpire: Kumar Dharmasena,

Sri Lanka.

Match referee: Alan Hurst, Australia.