Atapattu propels Lanka

Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu stroked a fluent hundred (111) to guide his team to a commanding total of 293 for six against Pakistan in the last match of a triangular one-day tournament on Thursday.

Atapattu hit his 11th one-day hundred and put on 146 runs from 159 balls with Kumar Sangakkara (69) to place Sri Lanka in a strong position in the dress rehearsal for Saturday's final.

Playing in his 223rd match, Atapattu anchored the innings after pacer Rana Naved had removed openers Saman Jayantha (9) and Sanath Jayasuriya (10) for a total of 26 in 7.1 overs.

Sri Lanka added 49 runs in the dramatic last five overs in which Pakistan fast bowler Muhammad Sami was stopped from bowling by umpire Simon Taufel for intimidatory bowling.

Sami having received an earlier warning in the innings bowled a beamer to Dilshan on the first ball of the 48th over, which was called by Taufel who asked captain Inzamam-ul Haq to take him out of the attack.

Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar also had a miserable day as he went for 30 runs in four overs and was not called on to bowl again by Inzamam in the innings.

Atapattu reached his hundred in the 43rd over off 104 balls by playing Rana to fine leg for a double but was run out two overs later.

His innings lasted 114 balls and included eight fours and two sixes.

Atapattu made the home side pay for dropping him at 31 on an easy paced track when Yasir Hameed put down a difficult chance at square leg off Shoaib Malik.

It was the third wicket stand between Atapattu and Sangakkara, who faced 82 balls and hit eight boundaries, that gave impetus to the innings after a rocky start when 39 were scored in 10 overs with the loss of the two wickets.

Sangakkara brought up his 18th fifty off just 62 balls.

The teams earlier observed a minute's silence in memory of the late Australian all rounder Keith Miller who passed away this week at the age of 84.