Captain Angelo Mathews played a mature innings of 74 from 103 balls to help Sri Lanka seal off Bangladesh challenge by three wickets in the last league game of the Asia Cup 2014 and go into Saturday’s final as the only unbeaten team in the competition.
Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim won the toss and elected to bat first as they were playing for pride in front of their home team after a string of losses at home. Sri Lanka dropped Dinesh Chandimal and brought in Ashan Priyanjan and rested Lasith Malinga to accommodate Sachithra Senanayake. Bangladesh openers started off promisingly as they put on 74 runs for the first wicket before mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis got the better of Shamsur Rehman for 39. Sri Lankan spinners combined well to bowl in tandem to restrict the Bangladesh middle order as they slumped to 119 for 5 wickets just before the batting power play was taken.
The 6th wicket partnership of Nazir Hossain and Mahamadullah scored brisk 30s to give some respect to the Bangladesh total but they failed to put up a substantial target for the in-form Sri Lankans. Bangladesh innings ended on 204 for 9 wickets in their allotted 50 overs. Seam bowlers Suranga Lakmal, Thisara Perera and spinners Ajantha Mendis and Ashan Priyanjan took 2 wickets each. Opening batsman Anamul Haque top scored with an 86- ball 49 runs.
Chasing a below par target of 205, Sri Lankans were in trouble from the beginning of their innings with Kusal Perera and Kumar Sangakkara falling to the bowling of Al-Amin Hossain and out of form Mahela Jayawardene was ran out by Lahiru Thirimanne’s indiscipline calling. Sri Lanka was 8 runs for 3 wickets in the 4th over. Youngsters Lahiru Thirimanne and Ashan Priyanjan put up a minor rearguard action before Ashan Priyanjan was dismissed by Ziaur Rehman and opening batsman Lahiru Thirimanne fell to the bowling of Arafat Sunny.
Skipper Angelo Mathews and inexperienced all-rounder Chathuranga De Silva steadied proceedings for Sri Lanka taking the innings to 157 runs from being 77/5 at one stage. However, Chathuranga De Silva lost his composure after making a well compiled 44 runs partnering his skipper but Angelo Mathews stood firm from his end maneuvering the ball and ticking the score one by one with some intelligent play. Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera made sure Bangladesh could not stage a comeback as the 7th wicket pair put up 36 runs in quick time before Thisara Perera got himself run out in the 48th over. Sri Lanka got home in the 49th over as Angelo Mathews made the winning runs hammering the ball to the boundary.
Chief Scores :
Bangladesh – 204/9 in 50 overs : Anamul Haque 49, Shamsur Rehman 39, Nasir Hossain 30, Mahamadullah 30, Ashan Priynajan 2/11, Ajantha Mendis 2/55, Suranga Lakmal 2/32, Thisara Perera 2/29.
Sri Lanka – 208/7 in 49 overs : Angelo Mathews 74*, Chathuranga De Silva 44, Lahiru Thirimanne 33, Ashan Priyanjan 24, Al-Amin Hossain 2/42.
