Mendis sees off UAE

Ajantha Mendis took five wickets to end UAE's hopes

Ajantha Mendis claimed five wickets to end the resistance of a plucky United Arab Emirates side as Sri Lanka confirmed their place in the Super Four stage with a 142-run win at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

It was not as comfortable as the margin suggests - UAE upset Sri Lanka with five wickets in a 15-over spell as half centuries from Mahela Udawatte (67) and Mahela Jayawardene (61) helped them to 290 for nine.

And a breezy 77 from 79 balls by wicketkeeper Amjad Ali had Sri Lanka rattled until man-of-the-match Mendis destroyed the lower order.

Sri Lanka rested veterans Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas after they were all involved in Tuesday’s 131-run win against Bangladesh in their Group A opener.

Udawatte, Kaushalya Weeraratne and Thilan Thushara replaced them in the team.

Kumar Sangakkara was brought back to earth with a bump after his century in the win against Bangladesh. The left-hander failed to negotiate the opening over when he was trapped plumb in front by Zahid Shah for a duck.

Jayawardene then strode to the crease and soon found his range stroking Shah to the boundary from four consecutive balls on way to his 45th ODI half-century.

The Sri Lanka captain’s attractive innings of 61 from 43 balls was ended prematurely when, attempting a quick single, he was run-out by a direct hit from Aman Ali at short third man.

It brought to an end to a brisk 114-run stand with Udawatte that threatened to take the game away from UAE.

But the gulf nation, who have only ever competed at one World Cup, fought back valiantly with a string of wickets to slow down the scoring.

Mahela Jaywardene scored a classy 61 © Getty Images

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Tauqir claimed the wickets of Chamara Kapugedera (11) and Chamara Silva (six) either side of Udawatte bringing up his second ODI fifty, in just his fourth game.

The 21-year-old left-hander finally fell, caught by Tauqir off the bowling of Fahad Alhashmi, after a patient 74-ball knock and when Tillakaratne Dilshan (24) followed him back to the pavilion soon after, the Sri Lanka innings had stalled at 189 for six.

Shah then returned to the attack to have Thilan Thushara (10) caught behind by Amjad before Weeraratne (40) and Nuwan Kulasekara (37) recovered the innings with a 53-run stand for the eighth wicket.

Amjad came out swinging, striking three boundaries in the opening over from Kulasekara, which went for 18.

But he received little support at the other end, with Ashrad Ali run-out for six.

Amjad continued to score freely and brought up his maiden ODI fifty with another four off Mendis off just 39 balls.

It was a different story at the other end, though, where Sri Lanka-born Indika Batuwitarachchi battled to a painfully slow 14 from 46 balls before being caught behind off Thushara.

Amjad fell soon after courtesy of Dilshan, and after that Mendis took over.

He removed Saqib Ali, the only other UAE batsman to reach double figures, for 19 and added four more as the final eight wickets fell for 41 runs - the last six for 15.

Mendis fittingly took the final two wickets - both Alhashmi and Aman trapped lbw for ducks in the 37th over.

Sri Lanka now progress to the Super Four along with India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Their first match is against Pakistan on Sunday.