Sri Lanka blitzed a Bangladesh Asia Cup threat by a 6 wicket hammering in the Group A death race to making the first two to the last four yesterday at Abu Dhabi in their opening fixture.
The ultimate gallop of a 6 wicket routing with 34 balls to spare took the fight out of Litton Das’ men by an immaculate bowling display that restricted them to 139 for 5 in the 20 overs as quicks Nuwan Thushara and Dushmantha Chameera fired out both openers in a 2 for 0 blow to a further decimation of 3 for 11 to 4 for 38 and 53 for 5 with leg spin wizard Wanindu Hasaranga digging out the last two of trapping Mahedi Hasan leg before wicket for 9 and key wicket of skipper Litton Das caught behind by Kusal Mendis for 28 with in-between Kamil Mishara spearing Towhid Hridoy by a brilliant run out.
Bangladesh did recover from that ignominy by a defiant unfinished sixth-wicket 86 fightback mounted by Jakeer Ali 41 off 34 with 2 boundaries, and Shamim Hossain 42 off 34 with 3 to the ropes and a six.
But that was as far as they would go as thej Lankans raced to their target for a rousing 140 for 4 scripting on a second wicket 95-run bonding between Pathum Nissanka 50 off 34 laced with a six and 6 boundaries, and a Player of the Match unbeaten 46 off 32 with 2 to the stands and 4 across following the early loss of Kusal Mendis for 3 caught behind by Das off Mustafizur Rahim for 3 and a mini collapse of 3 wickets for 18 in 17 balls with the exit of Nissanka with the score 108 after 10.3 overs that saw Kusal Janith 9, Dasun Shanaka 01 crash making it 126 for 4 after 13.2 overs before skipper Charith Asalanka 10 off 4 joined Mishara to putting the finishing touches.
The day held out a personal fastest to 2000 runs milestone by Sri Lanka’s prodigious opening batsman Pathum Nissanka who surpassed Tillakaratne Dilshan’s record.
Sri Lanka 140 for 4 (Nissanka 50, Mishara 46*, Mahedi 2-29) beat Bangladesh 139 for 5 (Shamim 42*, Jaker 41*, Hasaranga 2-25) by six wickets