Sports Reporter :
Sri Lanka reached the final of the Tri-Nation ODI series beating Bangladesh by 10 wickets in the last league match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the city’s Mirpur on Thursday.
Electing to bat first, Bangladesh scored only 82 off 24 overs.
In reply, Sri Lanka sailed home in 11.5 overs making 83 for the loss of none.
Openers Danushka Gunathilake and Upul Tharanga put on together 83 runs for the opening stand.
Tharanga remained unbeaten with 39. His 37-ball knock was belted with three sixes and one four.
Gunathilake remained unbeaten with 35. His run-a-ball innings was studded with two sixes and three fours.
Sri Lankan bowlers totally dominated over the batsmen of Bangladesh.
Suranga Lakmal grabbed three wickets at the cost of 21 runs, while Dushmantha Chameera, Lakshan Sandakan and Thisara Perera bagged a pair of wickets each for six, 24 and 27 runs respectively.
Lakmal was adjudged the Man of the Match.
Earlier, Bangladesh lost their wickets in regular intervals.
Mushfiqur Rahim and Sabbir Rahman were the two batsmen of Bangladesh, who could reach the double-digit figures.
Mushfiqur Rahim made 26 from 56 balls featuring one four.
Sabbir Rahman scored 10 off 12 balls with two fours.
Opener Anamul Haque (0) was cleanly bowled out by Suranga Lakmal when the team’s total was five.
One-down Shakib Al Hasan (8) was run out by a direct throw of Gunathilake when Bangladesh’s score was 15 for the loss of two wickets.
Opener Tamim Iqbal (5) was caught by Gunathilake off Lakmal when Bangladesh’s total was 16 for the loss of three wickets.
Mahmudullah Riyad (7) was caught at the fine leg by Dushmantha Chameera off Lakmal when the hosts’ score was 34 for the loss of four wickets.
Sabbir Rahman was caught at the mid-on by substitute Shehan Madushanka off Thisara Perera when the home side’s total was 57 for the loss of five wickets.
Abul Hasan (7) was caught behind by wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella off Thisara Perera when Bangladesh’s score was 71 for the loss of six wickets.
Second-down Mushfiqur Rahim was caught at the short midwicket by Kusal Mendis off Chameera when the Tigers’ total 79 for the loss of seven wickets.
All-rounder Nasir Hossain (3) was caught behind by Dickwella off Chameera when Bangladesh’s score was 80 for the loss of eight wickets.
Skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (1) was bawled out by Lakshan Sandakan when the team’s total was 81 for the loss of nine wickets.
Rubel Hossain (0) was caught at the long-on by Tharanga off Sandakan and Bangladesh’s innings came to an end.
Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka in the final at the same venue tomorrow. The match starts at 12.00 Noon.
