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Thrilling victory for Sri Lanka

A valiant ninth wicket stand between Arjuna Ranatunga and Romesh Kaluwitharana helped Sri Lanka down Pakistan by two wickets in the first cricket Test on Wednesday.

The seasoned pair put on a fighting 43 to help outlast the home team in a nerve-wracking finish with close shaves and tantalising efforts for each run.

Kaluwitharana, who finished with 36 not out, hit two boundaries off Waqar Younis to bring Sri Lanka's eighth win in the last 18 Tests.

Ranatunga, batting with a broken left thumb, finished with a battling 29 not out as Sri Lanka achieved their victory target of 220 with 9.1 overs to go in the match.

The home team put up a remarkable fight and though reduced to just three bowlers made a match of it but in the end were left to rue a low score in the first innings and missed chances.

With 77 needed at tea and six wickets intact Sri Lanka held the advantage but pacer Abdur Razzak snared two wickets off two balls to set a nerve wracking finish.

Twenty-year-old Razzak had Nuwan Zoysa caught in the second slip by Wajahatullah Wasti and yorked Pramodya Wickremasinghe next ball to send the 12,000-strong crowd to their feet sensing a home win.

Sri Lanka lost four wickets for 34 runs after tea, leaving all the guesses open.

Zoysa helped Kaluwitharana add a valuable 25 runs for the seventh wicket. But Pakistan missed a golden opportunity when Kaluwitharana was let off by Waqar Younis at mid-on off Razzak at 172-6 and then failed to run out Arjuna Ranatunga with 40 to get.

At 146-5 Arjuna Ranatunga had to retire after he was hit on the left thumb by Waqar Younis. The diminutive Ranatunga returned back at 177-8, his team still 43 away from victory.

"It was a tense finish but I think our boys did well to pull off this win," Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya, who came from series wins over Australia and Zimbabwe last year, said.

Pakistan continued their remarkable fightback in the match, claiming three wickets in the first session of the day to hold the slight advantage for the first time in the match.

Resuming at 11-0, Sri Lanka added 66 runs in the first session losing opener Marvan Atapattu (10) Russel Arnold (6) and Aravinda de Silva (21).

Younis forced Marvan Atapattu to edge an outgoing delivery in the second over of the day to first slip where Saqlain Mushtaq held an easy catch.

Mushtaq, who recovered in time to take the field after having dehydration problems on day four, held his second catch off Younis when Russel Arnold failed to draw his bat away.

Sri Lanka lost their second wicket at 34.

De Silva survived a confident leg before shout on the first ball off Younis and a run out. He hit four well-timed boundaries before snicking to wicketkeeper Moin Khan off Razzak.

Sri Lanka went into lunch struggling at 77-3, still needing 143 to win.

"It could have gone either way but we missed a number of chances and scored just 182 in the first innings which led to our failure," Pakistan captain Saeed Anwer said.

Captain Sanath Jayasuriya remained subdued throughout the session and completed his 15th half century in Test cricket, his first fifty as captain in seven Tests hitting six boundaries.

Razzak got the prized scalp of Jayasuriya when his outgoing delivery got the edge which Aamir Sohail took low to his left. Jayasuriya made 56 in his innings lasting 191 minutes.

Experienced Arjuna Ranatunga and Mahela Jayawrdene took the Sri Lankan score to 143-4 at tea, frustrating the Pakistan attack with resolute batting, needing another 77 runs.

Off-spinner Mushtaq struck with the third ball after tea when he had Jayawardene caught bat-pad at silly mid-on by Yousuf Youhanna.

Umpire Athar Zaidi, doubting it a bump catch, referred to leg umpire South African Dave and the finally declared the batsman out after consulting the TV umpire.

Jayawardene made 35 with five fours and in the course completed his 1,000 runs in his 16th Test.

Chaminda Vaas was run out without scoring when he failed to beat a Mushtaq throw from fine leg. Sri Lanka lost their sixth wicket at 152.

Pakistan made 390 in the second innings with debutant Younis Khan hitting a polished 107 to set a target of 220 to the visitors.

The second of the three Tests will commence at Peshawar from March 5.