Perera’s huge six seals it for World XI

Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera hit a towering six off the penultimate ball to steer the World XI to a seven-wicket win over Pakistan in the second Twenty20 on Wednesday.

Perera made a whirlwind 19ball 47 not out with five sixes, while Hashim Amla finished not out 72 off 55 balls to help the World XI overhaul a 175-run target and level the three-match series 1-1.

Left-hander Perera went on a rampage as the visitors needed 33 off the last two overs, smashing two sixes off the 19th over bowled by Sohail Khan before sealing the match.

Amla was the steadier of the two, with two sixes and five fours as he helped Perera add 69 runs for the fourth wicket.

That partnership lifted the World XI after they lost Tamim Iqbal (23), Tim Paine (10) and skipper Faf du Plessis (20).

Pakistan had scored 174/6 in their 20 overs.

Babar Azam (45), Ahmed Shehzad (43) and Shoaib Malik (39) had good starts but none of them went on to score bigs.

Opener Fakhar Zaman fell for 21 in the fifth over before Shehzad and Azam steadied the innings with a 59-run stand.

Malik hit two sixes in the last over before holing out off the last delivery of the innings.

Perera (2/23) and Badree (2/31) were the main wickettakers for the visitors.