Bangladesh fought brilliantly but failed to snap their losing streak as Sri Lanka chased down 205 runs in the final group match of Asia Cup.
Captain Angelo Mathews guided them with an unbeaten 74 to take his team to 208 for seven 49 overs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Thursday.
The skipper scored his crucial fifty off 82 balls and held one end tightly with intelligent batting. He smashed four boundaries and a six.
When Thisara Perera (15) was run out, Sri Lanka required 12 off 17 balls.
The sixth wicket stand between Mathews and Silva, worth 82 runs, took the game farther from Tigers’ grasp. Silva (44) was dropped by Al-Amin Hossain off Shakib Al Hasan on 43. But, fortunately for the pacer, the batsman was dismissed in the very next over.
Lahiru Thirimanne (33) was caught brilliantly by Rubel Hossain who sprinted in from long-on to take a stunning catch off Arafat Sunny, sinking the Lankan Lions in deeper trouble.
Saturday’s finalists had plunged to 8 for 3 in 2.1 overs when Mahela Jayawardene was run out for a duck due to a misunderstanding with Thirimanne.
Al-Amin provided the early breakthrough the Tigers were looking for he had Kushal Perera (0) caught by Anamul Haque in the second ball of the innings.
Sri Lanka were in a spot of bother when in-form Kumar Sangakkara (2) drove Al-Amin away from the body and the ball flew to Nasir Hossain at a wide slip position, who hung on to it on the second attempt.
Ashan Priyanjan 24 (38) went back, beaten by one from Ziaur Rahman that rose more than he expected to take edge on way to wicketkeeper Anamul.
Opting to bat first, Bangladesh had posted 204 for nine in 50 overs earlier.
The home side were again let down by their batsmen, some of whom got a start but failed to convert it to a big score.
Opener Shamsur Rahman (39), the first to go, was unlucky to be given leg-before as the Ajantha Mendis delivery seemed to be straying down the leg-side. Three balls later, Mendis went through the gates of Mominul Haque (1).
The hosts’ captain Mushfiqur Rahim (4) was trapped in front of the stumps as he tried his favourite slog-sweep.
A 74-run opening stand between the Anamul and Shamsur, who were initially very watchful, provided the hosts chance to consolidate for a big score. But fall of three wickets in quick succession pushed the hosts on backfoot from where they failed to recover.
Bangladesh were pushed into deeper trouble when the other opener Anamul (49) was sent packing for a brilliant catch by Thirimanne at midwicket.
Star allrounder Shakib Al Hasan (20) played a rash shot to be caught at midwicket and left the hosts reeling at 119 for five.
Suranga Lakmal uprooted Mahmudullah’s off stump with a yorker.
Nasir Hossain (30), who is completely out of form, struggled to score runs – despite staying on the wicket for 49 balls. During his stay he hit just one boundary. He went back packing when he mishit Lakmal straight to Mahela Jayawardena at long-on for a simple catch.
Nasir and Mahmudullah (30) paired for a 55-run partnership off 67 balls, that gave some respectability to home side’s total. The pair added 18 runs to the score without losing any wickets in the batting powerplay (36-40 overs).
Ziaur (12) was dismissed in the 50th over as he misjudged a slower to be bowled by Thisara Perera. Rubel Hossain (0) was sent back in Perera’s next ball, resulting an unsuccessful hat-trick chance.
Lakmal, Perera, Mendis and Priyanjan bagged two wickets each to restrict Bangladesh to the modest score.
Source: Bd news24