Mahela and Tharanga maul Bangladesh
Sri Lanka enter final with nine wicket win :
Mahela Jayawardene and Upul Tharanga cracked solid centuries as Sri
Lanka stormed into the triangular one-day series final with a crushing
nine-wicket win over Bangladesh here on Friday.
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Sri Lanka cricketer Mahela Jayawardene who scored 108 plays
a stroke during the Tri-Nation tournament one day
international cricket match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
at The Sher-e Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka yesterday
which Sri Lanka won by nine wickets. AFP |
Make-shift opener Jayawardene hit 108 for his 12th one-day hundred
and Tharanga an unbeaten 118 for his eighth century as Sri Lanka
surpassed Bangladesh’s 249-9 with more than seven overs to spare in the
day-night match.
Sri Lanka top the table with three wins from as many games, followed
by India (1/2) and Bangladesh (0/3). Each side will play four league
matches before the top two advance to the final on January 13.
Former captain Jayawardene and left-handed Tharanga reduced the match
to no-contest with a record 215-run stand for the opening wicket.
Sri Lanka’s previous best for the opening wicket against Bangladesh
in one-day internationals was 201 between Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar
Sangakkara in an Asia Cup match in Karachi in 2008.
Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan used as many as eight bowlers, but
none could keep pressure on Jayawardene and Tharanga who continued to
dominate the rival attack with attractive shots.
Jayawardene, a middle-order batsman initially rested for this
tournament before being summoned following injuries to a couple of
players, looked in good touch from the beginning.
He went for shots early in his innings and took 15 runs in an over
from paceman Rubel Hossain, including three fours. He reached his
century in style, firmly cutting spinner Abdur Razzak for a four.
Jayawardene hit 13 fours in his 117-ball knock before being caught
behind off spinner Naeem Islam, while Tharanga’s 126-ball knock
contained 18 fours.
Sri Lanka earlier did not allow the hosts to build big partnerships
with a disciplined bowling effort, with seamers Thissara Perera and
Nuwan Kulasekara, and off-spinner Suraj Randiv grabbing two wickets
apiece.
The highest stand of the innings was 77 for the fourth wicket between
Shakib (47) and Raqibul Hasan (43), but it was not good enough to help
their side set a stiff target.
Imrul Kayes (42), Mushfiqur Rahim (32) and Tamim Iqbal (21) also got
starts, but failed to convert them into big knocks. Mohammad Mahmudullah
hit a run-a-ball 24 not out late in the innings. DHAKA, AFP
SCORECARD
BANGLADESH:
Tamim Iqbal lbw b Randiv 21
Imrul Kayes lbw b Perera 42
Mohammad Ashraful run out 13
Raqibul Hasan c Randiv b Perera 43
Shakib Al Hasan c Tharanga b Thushara 47
Mushfiqur Rahim c Bandara b Randiv 32
Mohammad Mahmudullah not out 24
Naeem Islam b Kulasekara 5
Abdur Razzak run out 1
Rubel Hossain c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 0
Syed Rasel not out 7
Extras (b1, w13) 14
Total nine wickets; 50 overs) 249
Fall of wickets: 1-44 (Iqbal), 2-73 (Ashraful), 3-88 (Kayes), 4-175 (Raqibul),
5-199 (Shakib), 6-211 (Rahim), 7-223 (Naeem), 8-227 (Razzak), 9-231 (Hossain).
Bowling: Kulasekara 10-1-48-2 (w2), Thushara 9-0-67-1 (w6), Randiv 10-1-40-2,
Perera 10-0-32-2 (w1), Bandara 10-0-44-0 (w4), Samaraweera 1-0-17-0.
SRI LANKA:
U. Tharanga not out 118
M. Jayawardene c Rahim b Naeem 108
K. Sangakkara not out 17
Extras (lb1, w8) 9
Total (one wicket; 42.5 overs) 252
Fall of wicket: 1-215 (Jayawardene).
Bowling: Rasel 6-0-37-0, Hossain 8-0-59-0 (w1), Naeem 5-0-35-1 (w1), Shakib 8-2-27-0 (w1),
Mahmudullah 2-0-16-0, Razzak 8-0-41-0 (w4), Ashraful 5-0-29-0, Tamim 0.5-0-7-0 (w1) |
