<\/p>\n
SYLHET: Dasun Shanaka held his nerve under pressure to take two wickets in the final over, snatching a dramatic three-run win for Sri Lanka in the opening Twenty20 International of a three-match series against Bangladesh in Sylhet on Monday.<\/p>\n
Set a target of 207 runs, lower middle-order batsman Jaker Ali took Bangladesh close with his maiden fifty before Shanaka ended his 34-ball innings of 68 with the third ball of the last over.<\/p>\n
Shoriful Islam hit a four from the next ball, leaving Bangladesh requiring six from their last two balls.<\/p>\n
But the hosts could manage only two runs to be restricted to 203-8, with Shanaka, who also dismissed Rishad Hossain in the first ball of the final over, finishing with 2-36.<\/p>\n
Former skipper Angelo Mathews claimed 2-17 to inflict some early damage on the Bangladesh innings before veteran Mahmudullah Riyad struck 54 off 31 balls to revive the hopes of the home side.<\/p>\n
Sadeera Samarawickrama and Kusal Mendis earlier slammed a fifty each to guide Sri Lanka to 206-3 after Bangladesh sent them in.<\/p>\n
Samarawickrama struck an unbeaten 61 off 48 balls after Mendis hit 59 off 36 balls as the visitors overcame a slow start to put up an imposing total.<\/p>\n
Stand-in skipper Charith Asalanka played his part with an unbeaten 44 from 21 balls.<\/p>\n
Mendis and Samarawickrama shared 96 runs for the third wicket after Sri Lanka lost their first two wickets for 37 runs.<\/p>\n
Shoriful removed Avishka Fernando for four with the second ball of the innings before Taskin Ahmed had Kamindu Mendis caught by Soumya Sarkar at midwicket for 19.<\/p>\n
Mendis hit leg-spinner Rishad for a four and two sixes off consecutive balls to race to his fifty off 27 balls.<\/p>\n
Rishad returned for his next spell to exact revenge as Mahmudullah took a well-judged catch at long off boundary to end the innings of Mendis.<\/p>\n
Asalanka joined Samarawickrama to continue the assault, adding 73 for the unbroken fourth wicket, including 24 runs from the last over of the innings bowled by Mustafizur Rahman.<\/p>\n
The series marks the start of Sri Lanka\u2019s month-long tour of Bangladesh, which also includes three One-day Internationals and two Tests.<\/p>\n
SCOREBOARD<\/strong><\/p>\n SRI LANKA:<\/strong><\/p>\n A. Fernando c Liton b Shoriful 4<\/p>\n K. Mendis c Mahmudullah b Rishad 59<\/p>\n K. Mendis c Soumya b Taskin 19<\/p>\n S. Samarawickrama not out 61<\/p>\n C. Asalanka not out 44<\/p>\n EXTRAS (B-1, LB-6, NB-1, W-11) 19<\/p>\n TOTAL (for three wickets, 20 overs) 206<\/p>\n FALL OF WICKETS: 1-4 (Fernando), 2-37 (K. Mendis), 3-133 (KM. Mendis)<\/p>\n DID NOT BAT: A. Mathews, D. Shanaka, M. Theekshana, A. Dananjaya, B. Fernando, M. Pathirana<\/p>\n BOWLING: Shoriful 4-0-47-1 (1w), Taskin 4-0-40-1 (1w), Mahedi 3-0-30-0 (2w), Mustafizur 4-0-42-0 (2w, 1nb), Rishad 4-0-32-1, Soumya 1-0-8-0<\/p>\n BANGLADESH:<\/strong><\/p>\n Liton Das c K. Mendis b Mathews 0<\/p>\n Soumya Sarkar c Asalanka b B. Fernando 12<\/p>\n Najmul Hossain c Mathews b Pathirana 20<\/p>\n Towhid Hridoy c K. Mendis b Mathews 8<\/p>\n Mahmudullah c A. Fernando b Theekshana 54<\/p>\n Jaker Ali c Asalanka b Shanaka 68<\/p>\n Mahedi Hasan c Mathews b B. Fernando 16<\/p>\n Rishad Hossain c Asalanka b Shanaka 0<\/p>\n Taskin Ahmed not out 2<\/p>\n Shoriful Islam not out 4<\/p>\n EXTRAS (LB-2, NB-3, W-14) 19<\/p>\n TOTAL (for eight wickets, 20 overs) 203<\/p>\n FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0 (Liton), 2-21 (Soumya), 3-30 (Towhid), 4-68 (Najmul), 5-115 (Mahmudullah) 6-180 (Mahedi), 7-195 (Rishad), 8-197 (Jakir)<\/p>\n DID NOT BAT: Mustafizur Rahman<\/p>\n BOWLING: Mathews 3-0-17-2 (1w), B. Fernando 4-0-41-2 (1w), Theekshana 4-0-32-1, Shanaka 3-0-36-2 (1w), Dananjaya 2-0-19-0 (1w), Pathirana 4-0-56-1 (9w, 3nb)<\/p>\n RESULT: Sri Lanka won by three runs.<\/p>\n PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Charith Asalanka<\/p>\n Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2024<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" SRI LANKAN captain Charith Asalanka plays a lofted shot during the first T20 International against Bangladesh at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Monday.\u2014AFP SYLHET: Dasun Shanaka held his nerve under pressure to take two wickets in the final over, snatching a dramatic three-run win for Sri Lanka in the opening Twenty20 International of a 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