Sri Lanka smartly reached the final of the five-nation Asia Cup Cricket with all win record packing Bangladesh empty hand in the continental meet beating the Tigers by three wickets in the last league match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Thursday.
Bangladesh completed their Asia Cup campaign with empty hand losing all of the four matches, even against new-face cum ICC Associate member Afghanistan by 32 runs.
The islands nation Sri Lanka, which also white-washed Bangladesh by 3-0 in the three-match ODI series last month, will play unpredictable Pakistan in the Asia Cup final on Saturday (Mar 8) at the same venue.Replying to Bangladesh’s negligible total of 204 runs, Sri Lanka reached their target scoring 208 for 7 in 49 overs despite losing three quick wickets for 8 runs in 3.3 overs.
Sri Lanka, which earlier confirmed the final berth with one match to spare, made an embracing start losing three vital wickets, including star batsmen Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, for just 8 runs in 3.3 overs.
Right arm medium pacer Al Amin Hossain made the early breakthrough dismissing opener Kasul Perera for a duck in the very 2nd ball of the second innings while he took the match in their favour hunting big fish Kumara Sangakkara in the first ball of his 2nd over with scoreboard showing 6 for 2 in 2.1 overs.
Opener Kusal Perera returned to the pavilion with duck playing just two balls as he was caught behind by wicketkeeper Anamul Haque while celebrated batsman cum Lankan consistent performer Kumar Sangakkara gave a catch to Nasir Hossain at slip, scoring only two runs in five balls.
Sri Lanka was in danger when their two down star batsman Mahela Jayawardene went back to the dressing room, also with a duck playing five balls. He fell victim of run out by Mahmudullah and Rubel Hossain with Sri Lanka stuck at 8 for 3 in 3.3 overs.
In the 4th wicket stand, opener Lahiru Thirimanne pairing Ashan Priyanjan played a patient innings to contribute 39 runs in 11.1 overs.
Ashan Priyanjan was caught by Anamul Haque off a Ziaur Rahman delivery making 24 runs off 38 balls with three fours while Lahiru Thirimanne added 33 runs off 60 balls before he was caught by Rubel Hossain off an Arafat Sunny delivery, leaving the team total at 75 for 5 in 23.1 overs.
However, captain Angelo Mathews partnering with Chathuranga de Silva built a winning platform for Sri Lanka hammering 82 runs in 16.2 overs in the 6th wicket stand to carry the team total to 157 for 6 in 39.3 overs.
Angelo Mathews scored his 19th ODI half century making unbeaten 74 runs off 103 balls featuring seven four and one six and was adjudged man of the match.
Chathuranga de Silva made 52-ball 44 runs, hitting five boundaries.
Promising pacer Al-Amin Hossain two wickets for 42 runs while Mahmudullah, Ziaur Rahman and Arafat Sunny took one wicket each conceding 30, 34 and 46 runs respectively.
Earlier, Bangladesh continued their dismal performance in the five-nation Asia Cup Cricket scoring 204 runs for 9 in stipulated 50 overs against finalists Sri Lanka in their last match on Thursday
An apparently demoralised Bangladesh team made three changes in its line-up that lost to Pakistan, dropping seam bowler Shafiul Islam, left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak and opening batsman Imrul Kayes for Rubel Hossain, Arafat Sunny and Shamsur Rahman.
However, Imrul Kayes, who made a fifty in the last match, was dropped due to injury.
The Bengal Tigers, yet to manage any win after playing three Asia Cup matches, opened the innings first after winning the toss and made a good start scoring 74 runs in 18.2 overs in the opening stand.
But Sri Lankan right arm off break bowler Ajantha Mendis made the breakthrough dismissing opener Shamsur Rahman (39) and reliable one down batsman Mominul Haque (1) in the span of only four balls for two runs in the 19th over with the score at 76 for 2.
Bangladesh was in trouble again when captain Mushfiqur Rahim made early departure scoring only four runs off 6 balls, trapped lbw by Chaturanga de Silva, leaving team total 87 for 3 in 21.5 overs.
Bangladesh misery further compounded when they lost two more quick wickets of opener Anamul Haque and all rounder Shakib Al Hasan at 119 for 5 in 33.2 overs.
Anamul Haque was very unlucky in the match as he returned to the dressing room, caught brilliantly by Lahiru Thirimanne off a Ashan Priyanjan delivery, just one run short of his half century (49 runs off 86 balls), the highest runs of the innings that featured two fours and a six
In the 6th wicket stand, Nasir Hossain pairing with Mahmudullah tried their best to repair the early damage contributing 55 runs in 11.1 overs. Nasir Hossain scored a patient 30 runs off 49 balls with one four while Mahmudullah also contributed 30 runs off 41 balls with two fours.
Ziaur Rahman made 12 runs off 22 balls that included one boundary.
Ashan Priyanjan, Thisara Perera, Suranga Lakmal and Ajantha Mendis took two wickets each for 11, 29, 32 and 55 runs respectively while Chaturanga de Silva bagged one for 33 runs. – UNB
