Date-stamped : 24 Aug94 - 18:30 Sri Lanka v Pakistan, ODI 5, Colombo, 24 August 1994 WASIM AKRAM BREAKS ONE-DAY WICKET RECORD Wasim Akram became one-day international cricket's highest wicket-taker with 254 victims as he bowled Pakistan to a 27-run win over Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Akram started the day level with Kapil Dev on 251 wickets -- and it took him just four balls to overtake the Indian all-rounder. He trapped Sanath Jayasuriya lbw to claim the record and finished with three for 20 as Sri Lanka, chasing Pakistan's modest total of 187, were bundled out for 160 to lose the five-match series 4-1. Akram, playing in his 174th one-day game, 36 matches fewer than Kapil, said: "I am proud to be a Pakistani to have this record. I hope to continue as long as I can, maybe another five or six years. "However, for me taking wickets in tests is the main cricket. If I get test match wickets a lot it will be better than this," ad- ded Akram, who has 230 test victims. His pace bowling partner Waqar Younis also claimed three wickets and in a blistering second spell dismissed Sri Lanka captain Ar- juna Ranatunga (32) and Hashan Tillekeratne (15) in one over. Sri Lanka, who looked set for victory at one stage on 139 for four, lost their last six wickets for 21 runs off 28 balls. Roshan Mahanama, who top scored with 52 off 89 balls, was in- volved in controversy when he returned to resume his innings with a runner after earlier retiring with cramp. Pakistan captain Salim Malik objected to the runner as he had not given his per- mission. The umpires, however, allowed Mahanama to continue with a runner. Earlier, Sri Lanka earned themselves a good chance of victory by dismissing Pakistan for 187. It was a superb effort by Sri Lankan bowlers, backed by brilliant fielding. Three Pakistan batsmen, Aamir Sohail, captain Salim Malik and Wasim Akram, were all run out. Sri Lanka's performance was even more creditable as their main strike bowler, Pramodya Wickremasinghe, had to retire after three overs with a back injury. It was Wickremasinghe who started Pakistan's problems in his first over, having Saeed Anwar caught and bowled for a duck. But Sohail and Inzaman-ul-Haq seemed to have weathered the early storm as they added 53 for the second wicket in 16 overs. Sohail's run-out, however, started the Pakistan slide. And they were really in trouble when Malik, who had scored seven half cen- turies in his previous eight innings, perished the same way for 19. Basit Ali (31) and Asif Mujtaba revived Pakistani spirits for a while with a stand of 38. But both fell to Kumara Dharmase- na, making his one-day debut for Sri Lanka, who finished with two for 34 off nine overs. After Pakistan lost their sixth wicket at 130 in the 39th over, spinner Akram Raza prevented total disaster with an undefeated 33 off 37 balls, including one six off Dhar- masena, to finish the top scorer. The other successful bowler for Sri Lanka was Ruwan Kalpage with two for 38 from 10 overs. Contributed by vicky (vigneswa@sisko.ecs.umass.edu)