Bangladesh stun Lanka

Banglasesh scored a stunning five wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the last league match of the Asia Cup at Dhaka yesterday to advance to the final of the Asia Cup where they will meet Pakistan on March 22 Thursday. After bowling out Sri Lanka for 232 the Bangladeshis who were set a revised victory target of 212 in 40 overs after delay due to rain reached the target with 2.5 overs to spare much to the delight of the home team’s supporters.

Fast bowler Nazmul Hossain grabbed three early wickets as Bangladesh restricted Sri Lanka to 232 in a must-win Asia Cup match in Dhaka on Tuesday. Nazmul rocked Sri Lanka in his sharp six-over opening spell, removing skipper Mahela Jayawardene (five), Tillakaratne Dilshan (19) and Kumar Sangakkara (six) to send the tourists reeling at 32-3 in the day-night match.

Chamara Kapugedera (62) and Lahiru Thirimanne (48) steadied the innings with an 88-run stand for the fourth wicket, but were not allowed to score freely by the Bangladeshi bowlers.

Upul Tharanga was the other main scorer, scoring a 44-ball 48 with one six and five fours Nazmul, playing his first match of the tournament, was superbly backed by left-arm spinners Shakib Al Hasan and Abdur Razzak who bagged two wickets apiece. Paceman Mashrafe Mortaza was the other bowler to impress, conceding just 30 runs in his tight 9.5 overs.

Thirimanne hit just three fours in his 73-ball knock before he was stumped off Razzak, the ball rolling on to the wickets after hitting wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim's pad.

Kapugedera struck only four boundaries in a 92-ball knock for his eighth half-century in one-dayers before falling to a low catch in the covers by Shakib off Razzak.

Pakistan have already made it to the final with nine points from three matches. India have eight points from three games, followed by Bangladesh (4/2) and Sri Lanka (0/2).

The hosts won to qualify for the final as they have beaten India in the league match.

Sri Lanka:
M. Jayawardene b Nazmul 		 5
T. Dilshan b Nazmul 			19
K. Sangakkara c Nazimuddin b Nazmu 	l6
C. Kapugedera c Shakib b Razzak 	62
L. Thirimanne st Rahim b Razzak 	48
U. Tharanga c Rahim b Shahadat 		48
F. Maharoof c Rahim b Shakib 		 3
N. Kulasekara lbw b Shakib 		 1
S. Senanayake not out 			19
L. Malinga b Mortaza 			10
S. Lakmal run out 			 0
Extras (lb3, w8) 			11
Total (for all out; 49.5 overs)	 	232
Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Jayawardene), 2-29 (Sangakkara), 3-32 (Dilshan), 
4-120 (Thirimanne), 5-169 (Kapugedera), 6-175 (Maharoof), 7-183 (Kulasekara), 
8-204 (Tharanga), 9-230 (Malinga), 10-232 (Lakmal).
Bowling: Mortaza 9.5-1-30-1, Nazmul 8-1-32-3, Shahadat 8-0-51-1 (w2), 
Razzak 10-0-44-2 (w2), Shakib 10-1-56-2 (w3), Mahmudullah 4-0-16-0 (w1).

Bangladesh innings 
Tamim Iqbal c Thirimanne b Senanayake 	59 
Nazimuddin b Kulasekara  		 6
Jahurul Islam c Kapugedera b Lakmal  	 2
Mushfiqar Rahim b Kulasekara  		 1
Shakib Al Hasan   lbw b Senanayake  	56
 Nasir Hossain   not out  		36
Mahmudullah not out  			32
Extras (lb 13, w 7) 			20
Total (5 wickets; 37.1 overs) 		212
Fall of wickets 1-8 , 2-39 , 3-40 , 4-116 , 5-135
Bowling SL Malinga 8-0-29- 0,KMDN Kulasekara 6-0-30- 2,RAS Lakmal 7.1-0-44-1 ,
SMSM Senanayake 8-0-38- 2,MF Maharoof 6-0-46-0,TM Dilshan 2-0-12-0