da realbet： ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the Group A game between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Colombo
da bwin： Osman Samiuddin in Colombo26-Feb-2011Comedy skit of the day
Somehow, Mohammad Hafeez was run-out – that is the punchline. The build-upto it was pure slapstick. First there was Kamran Akmal charging down thepitch, with possible justification, for a single to short fine leg. Hafeezdidn’t run, so they were both at the striker’s end with the ball now backto the wicketkeeper. Akmal started walking off, but Kumar Sangakkara’sthrow was wild, nowhere near the stumps or anyone and Akmal, had he knownit, probably could have made it back. Somehow the ball found its way tosomeone who wasn’t falling apart and some bails were taken off somewhere.Slip of the day
Or rather, the one that wasn’t there: Kumar Sangakkara strangely began thematch with only one slip. In the second over Ahmed Shehzad flashed atThisara Perera and edged it for four, straight past where second slipshould’ve been. Sangakkara immediately put one in place the next ball,though next over he was back down to one.Action replay of the day
Left-arm spinners are to Kamran Akmal what red rags are to bulls. InPakistan’s opening game against Kenya, a well-set Akmal suddenly decidedto charge down the pitch to Shem Ngoche, an ugly wild heave as close tothe ball as China is to the US. He was well-set again at the R Premadasawhen the introduction of Rangana Herath suddenly brought down the redmist. Out he charged and out he walked, even further from this ball thanhe was in Hambantota.Freshest legs of the day
The partnership between Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan was the key one forPakistan. The pair put on 108 runs, at almost a run-a-ball through themiddle of the innings and there were hardly any boundaries in it. Instead,at the combined age of 68 years, the pair gave an absolute masterclass inmiddle overs running. They began by taking the easy singles, but soonbegan to pinch audacious ones hit straight to fielders. And as the standgrew, there was the deftest placement for a number of doubles betweensquare leg and deep midwicket. In all there were 65 singles and ten doubles.Wicket of the day
Thirty-five years old, a near-permanent limp and a more colourful pastthan Charlie Sheen, yet somehow Shoaib Akhtar is alive and kicking it atthe World Cup. Each over leaves him looking like a boxer who’s justfinished ten rounds, yet in he runs again for another, consistently quick,over. He bowled without luck against Kenya and seemed to be going the sameway here. Then, in his second spell he trundled in to Mahela Jayawardeneand suddenly knocked back his middle stump with an in-dipper. As aspectacle, nothing beats it still.Worst audition for Stumpy the tournament mascot of the day
The first leg-side stumping Kamran Akmal missed of Kumar Sangakkara wasunderstandable, though better wicketkeepers would’ve pouched it. But the secondmiss, off the bowling of Abdur Rehman again, was a true Akmal clanger;Sangakkara was miles out, the ball wasn’t even that far down the leg-sideand Akmal knocked the bails off swiftly enough. He just didn’t have theball with him.Pre-match prophecy of the day
“He bats a little, he is a very good fielder and the way he is bowling,from what I’ve seen, he is the best spinner here.” After the Chamara Silvadrop, please note Abdur Rehman’s second quality that Waqar Younis, Pakistan coach,highlighted on Friday.