Skipper Dasun Shanaka (3/28), thriller spinner Maheesh Theekshana (3/69) and younger Matheesha Pathirana (3/58) had been spot on with the ball as Bangladesh folded for 236 in chase of 258 on the R. Premadasa Stadium.
Bangladesh supplied a tough struggle by means of younger Towhid Hridoy (82 off 97 balls) however the evening didn’t have area for a one-man tremendous present.
Now the Lankans could make a real cost in direction of the ultimate with two matches remaining, however Bangladesh’s hopes of getting into the title spherical had been all however over after this setback.
As It Occurred
They’d misplaced to Pakistan within the Tremendous four opener at Lahore by 7 wickets on Wednesday.
Nonetheless, Bangladesh started their chase with them having an actual likelihood to overtake Lanka’s whole.
Openers Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mohammad Naim added 55 runs in 11.1 overs, however Shanaka broke the burgeoning alliance.
Miraz pulled Shanaka straight into the arms of substitute Dushan Hemantha, and he quickly dismissed Naim with a pointy bouncer that the batter edged to wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis.
Bangladesh discovered themselves at 83 for 4 quickly, however veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim and Hridoy added 62 runs for the fifth wicket to take Bangladesh again on observe.
Mushfiqur was not likely at his fluent greatest however Hridoy performed some pretty pictures en route his fourth ODI fifty, particularly within the arc between mid-wicket and superb leg.
When the boundaries had been troublesome to get the 22-year-old Hridoy saved the board pushing by means of sharp working between the wickets.
Shanaka returned to snap the threatening alliance, dismissing Mushfiqur, and a bit of later Theekshana trapped Hridoy in entrance of the wicket as Bangladesh’s spirit steadily ebbed away.
Earlier, Samarawickrama, whose 93 got here off simply 72 balls, and Mendis, who made a good fifty, fought exhausting however Lanka discovered the going a bit robust and ended up with a complete that was nearly difficult.
After the early departure of Dimuth Karunaratne, who edged pacer Mahmud to Mushfiqur behind the stumps, Lanka discovered some sanity by means of Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis.
Mendis and Nissanka (40 off 60 balls) added 74 runs for the second wicket however the partnership was not at all times easy.
Mendis, specifically, was scratchy within the center and there have been edges and false pictures galore in his 60-ball knock.
Nissanka was comparatively extra fluent, however a intelligent slower supply from Shoriful Islam ended his keep, as even the DRS couldn’t save the batter from the leg-before verdict.
The house aspect misplaced three extra wickets within the span of subsequent 14 overs as they struggled for a full of life middle-over part.
Samarawickrama took cost of the state of affairs at this juncture.
One in every of Sri Lanka’s higher ODI batters this 12 months, Samarawickrama negated a relatively sluggish pitch and Bangladesh bowlers throughout his fluent innings.
The suitable-hander was positive in his ft motion and judged the size very early, a pulled six off pacer Hasan Mahmud stood as an affidavit to that.
Samarawickrama and Shanaka added 60 runs for the sixth wicket that carried them previous the 200-run mark earlier than the latter received out to Mahmud, who was spectacular whereas taking three wickets.
Samarawickrama, who finally received out within the final over of the innings, might have carried Sri Lanka to a greater place with a bit extra assist however that was not forthcoming.
However the Lankan bowlers ensured that his knock didn’t go in useless.
(With inputs from PTI)
