Chittagong: Kumar Sangakkara struck an impressive century on Saturday as Sri Lanka scored a comfortable 78-run victory over Bangladesh to win their One-Day series 2-1.
The Sri Lankan vice-captain's 109 helped bury the home side under an avalanche of runs and they succumbed under the pressure of a huge target of 310.
Debutant seamer Dammika Prasad and spinners Kaushal Lokuarachchi and Tillekaratne Dilshan bagged two wickets each as Bangladesh managed 231-9 in reply with Mohammad Ashraful (64) waging a lone battle.
Sri Lanka's massive total of 309-7 was largely thanks to Sangakkara, who struck 11 fours in his fifth One-Day ton to help his team take command after a shock four-wicket defeat in the second match in Bogra on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old left-hander was associated in two important partnerships with captain Mahela Jayawardene (51) and Kaushal Lokuarachchi (69) that virtually pushed Bangladesh out of the game.
After paceman Mashrafe Mortaza had removed openers Upul Tharanga (zero) and Sanath Jayasuriya (four) early on, Sangakkara and Jayawardene added 75 runs to steady the innings from 17-2.
Jayawardene struck eight fours in a brisk knock before giving a return catch to left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique, who also dismissed the dangerous Lokuarachchi and Sangakkara to finish with 3-61.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Sangakkara's partnership with Lokuarachchi put the visiting side in control as the latter showed his aggressive intentions from early on.
The pair added 104 for the fourth wicket in less than 18 overs as Lokuarachchi produced an entertaining 57-ball knock during which he struck four fours and three sixes.
He got off the mark with a six to Rafique over mid-wicket and followed it with one each off seamer Aftab Ahmed and leg-spinner Alok Kapali.
Farveez Maharoof then slammed three sixes and a four in a cameo 27 off just nine balls while Chamara Kapugedera got 16 from as many deliveries to take the total past the 300-run mark.
Bangladesh were never in the chase even though Ashraful came up with his second successive half-century and added 86 for the fourth wicket with captain Habibul Bashar (31).
Ashraful, who scored a crucial 51 in the previous match, slammed 11 fours during his 67-ball knock but the others failed to come up with worthwhile efforts.
"We were hoping to restrict them to 230 or 240 but they batted really well, especially Sangakkara and Lokuarachchi," said Bashar. "We didn't get the early wickets that we had hoped for."
Sri Lanka had scored an easy five-wicket win in the opening match in Bogra but the home side registered their maiden international win over Sri Lanka in the second match.
"I thought our team showed a lot of character in coming back so strongly after the setback in the second match. We had decided to keep up the run-rate and bat them out of the match," said Jayawardene.
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka play a two-Test series starting in Chittagong on February 28 with the second match in Bogra from March 8.
Comments
0 comment