Sri Lanka 243-8 (Kumar Sangakkara 97, Mahela Jayawardene 40, Mohammad Hafeez 2-37) beat Pakistan 199 all out (Azhar Ali 81, Misbah-Ul-Haq 57, Thisara Perera 4-42) by 44 runs.

Thisara Perera Shocked the middle order batting of Pakistan by crushing them with a stunning hat-trick as Sri Lanka clinched the 4^th ODI by 44 runs.

Sri Lanka scored a reasonable total of 243 runs with two wickets in hand after the conclusion of the allotted 50 overs. Pakistan was chasing well at 166-2 but their innings was destroyed for 199 with 5 overs to spare.

Thisara Perera (Sri Lanka) was declared ‘Player of the match’ for his astonishing bowling as he grabbed 4-42 runs and won the match for the Lankan Lions.

The 4^th One Day International of the five match series was held on Saturday, June 16, 2012, at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.

Earlier, Mahela Jayawardene, the skipper of Sri Lanka, won the toss and opted to bat first but got shocked when the first wicket was down for just 9 runs on board. Tillakaratne Dilshan was joined in by the experienced Kumar Sangakkara, and they started ticking the score board at a reasonable pace. The duo added 55 runs for the second wicket when Dilshan was declared leg before wicket off Mohammad Hafeez for 24 runs.

Dinesh Chandimal became the next victim by contributing 18 runs after the addition of 26 in the total as Mahela Jayawardene took guards in the centre. Sangakkara was dropped by Umar Gul for 35 runs at long-on off Shahid Afridi on the fifth ball of the 31^st over. The batsman got full use of the chance and achieved his fifty in the 36^th over as Jayawardene continued with his solid batting at the other end.

Both batsmen opened up in the powerplay overs, gathered 10 runs in the 38^th over followed by 16 in the 39^th with one six and a couple of fours. Kumar Sangakkara was the most aggressive of the two and both batsmen accumulated the score to 200 in 43.4 overs when Mahela Jayawardene was clean bowled by Sohail Tanvir for 40 off 50 balls with 4 fours. Sangakkara was unlucky to miss his ton by just three runs from 130 deliveries with 3 sixes and 7 fours and the Islanders reached at 243 for the loss of eight wickets in 50 overs.

Sohail Tanvir, Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez shared two wickets each as Umar Gul held one.

Pakistan lost the first wicket without opening its account as Asad Shafiq started stabilising the innings with the opener, Azhar Ali. They stuck to their task and the first fifty of the innings was scored in the 13^th over. Asad Shafiq was gone in the next over for 25 as the captain, Misbah-Ul-Haq walked in the centre and started marching towards the target with Azhar.

Both batsmen were playing well and the first hundred of the innings was posted on board in the 25^th over. Azhar Ali attained his fifty in the 33^rd over and Misbah-Ul-Haq joined him in the 36^th but lost his wicket at 166 after contributing 57 off 77 balls with 4 fours. Pakistan was cruising well and required 78 runs off the last 72 balls with seven wickets in hand and needed 68 off 60 deliveries after losing four wickets.

The real drama started in the 41^st over of Thisara Perera as he got rid of Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi and Sarfraz Ahmed on the consecutive deliveries of the 41^st over and on top of that Sohali Tanvir ran himself out on the last ball. Azhar Ali kept wondering at one end as the wickets crumbled at the other end as five batsmen went back to the pavilion for a duck. Azhar carried the bat by scoring 81 off 126 balls with 1 six and 4 fours as their innings was folded back for 199 runs in 45 overs.

Thisara Perera was the main destructor with four wickets, Lasith Malinga held two whereas Nuwan Kulasekara, Angelo Mathews and Sajeewa Weerakoon claimed one wicket each.

Pakistani batsmen once again proved that they are the worst chasers as Sri Lanka won the dramatic ODI by 44 runs and are leading the series 2-1.