Reckless batting by Sri Lanka

SHARJAH, NOV. 4. Pakistan took advantage of Sri Lanka's reckless batting to bowl its rival out for 173 in 44.2 overs in the Champions Trophy one-day final here today.

Tearaway paceman Shoaib Akhtar and captain Waqar Younis led the Pakistani assault with three wickets each, while Wasim Akram and Shahid Afridi picked up two apiece.

The top four Sri Lankan batsmen gifted their wickets by attempting to cut balls outside the off-stump, negating the advantage of winning the toss and batting first on the good wicket.

Wicketkeeper Rashid Latif gloved four catches as Pakistan was set a moderate target of 4.5 runs an over to bag the $120,000 title.

Russel Arnold top-scored for Sri Lanka with 47 off 51 balls, but his promising knock was cut short by South African umpire Rudi Kuertzen, who declared him leg-before off Akram even though the ball appeared to be going down the leg-side.

Chamara Silva, who put on 40 with Arnold, also had reason to feel peeved after being given out leg-before by George Sharp of England. But the rest of the Sri Lankan batting had themselves to blame for the poor total.

Pakistan's seasoned new ball attack of Akram and Waqar removed Marvan Atapattu and Avishka Gunawardene cheaply to reduce Sri Lanka to 21 for two in the ninth over. Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardena put on 58 for the third wicket, but undid the good work by throwing away wickets with rash shots.

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