Razzaq shines in Pakistan victory

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Abdul Razzaq starred with ball and bat to help Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by four wickets in their Champions Trophy game.

He came to the crease with his team 201-6 and was dropped on five before hitting 38 off 24 balls to see them to their target of 254 with 11 balls left.

Shoaib Malik was there with him on 46, while Imran Farhat made a bright 53 and Mohammad Yousuf patiently compiled 49.

Earlier, Razzaq took 4-50 as Sri Lanka fell away from a good start given to them by Sanath Jayasuriya, who hit 48.

It was the perfect way for Pakistan to respond after another crisis saw key pacemen Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif sent home on Monday for failing drugs tests.

They were up against it when Jayasuriya timed the ball beautifully to launch some aggressive drives and pulls, with sixes coming over long-leg and straight down the ground.

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The mayhem ended when Jayasuriya missed with another big heave at Rao Iftikhar Anjum and lost his leg-stump.

Upul Tharanga, who scored two centuries in the qualifiers, had been a quiet partner until then but stepped up a gear with several authoritative shots as he made 38 off 48 balls.

He took a particular liking to Razzaq, thrashing successive off-side boundaries before edging behind.

Captain Mahela Jayawardene again looked assured as he passed 6,000 ODI runs in making 31, while Kumar Sangakkara (39) looked strong on both sides of the wicket, against pace and spin.

Sanath Jayasuriya looked in ominous form before he was out

But both paid for their attacking intent when they were caught off Malik and when Marvan Atapattu was run out off a no-ball, it sparked a collapse which saw the last five wickets go down for 27 runs.

Farveez Maharoof missed with a heave at Razzaq, who also cleaned up Lasith Malinga for a first ball duck and Chaminda Vaas to finish off the innings.

Pakistan also got off to a flying start, with Farhat and Mohammad Hafeez collecting boundaries almost at will through the cover region.

However, Hafeez feathered a slower Vaas ball behind and Younis Khan guided Maharoof's first delivery to wicket-keeper Sangakkara to halt Pakistan's momentum.

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Farhat was dropped at slip on 25 by Jayawardene before reaching his fifth ODI off 58 balls but, as in the Sri Lankan innings, the introduction of spin slowed the run rate and the left-hander fell in Muttiah Muralitharan's third over.

His attempt to hit the off-spinner out of the ground succeeded only in finding Fernando at long-off, a fate which also befell Shahid Afridi off Jayasuriya.

Yousuf played intelligently, picking up ones and twos by cleverly nudging the ball around until he was run out by yards attempting a third run off a mis-field at backward square-leg.

After that came two crucial mistakes in the field: Malik was dropped by Sangakkara as he attempted to sweep Jayasuriya and Tillakaratne Dilshan spilled Razzaq at backward point off Vaas.

It cost the Sri Lankans dearly as Malik thrashed Muralitharan a few rows back over long-on and Razzaq stepped up the onslaught to dispatch Vaas down the ground for a six.

Man of the match Razzaq ended the best game of the tournament so far in style with another huge hit off Dilhara Fernando to spark wild celebrations in their dressing room.