Sri Lanka produced a stunning run chase to beat Bangladesh by five wickets in their first ICC Men’s Twenty/20 Cricket World Cup Group 1 Super 12s match at Sharjah yesterday.
Chasing 172, Sri Lanka slipped to 79-4 before Charith Asalanka’s unbeaten 80 off 59 balls and Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s aggressive 53 from 31 balls earned them victory. Their 86-run stand helped Sri Lanka secure victory in front of a lively crowd.
Bangladesh made 171-4 off their 20 overs after Mushfiqur Rahim’s 57 not out off 37 balls, and 62 off 52 balls by Mohammad Naim had helped Bangladesh post an imposing total.
But Asalanka arrived at the wicket with Sri Lanka 2-1, played aggressively from the start, while Rajapaksa’s big hitting swung the match Sri Lanka’s way.
Both players were dropped by Liton Das as Bangladesh faltered. Sri Lanka won with seven balls to spare.
There was some tension when Lahiru Kumara had a heated exchange with Liton after dismissing the Bangladesh opener. Several players became involved in the confrontation before the umpires stepped in.
But that was a sidenote to the brilliant 73-run stand between Naim and Mushfiqur, which thrilled the full stadium.
Naim anchored the innings while Mushfiqur hit out, slog-sweeping two sixes to increase the run-rate. While Naim fell shortly after making his half-century, caught off a top edge, Mushfiqur continued to accelerate, bringing up his own 50 from 32 balls.
Bangladesh’s total always felt imposing, and when Kusal Perera was bowled by left-arm, leg-spinner, Nasum Ahmed after missing a sweep in the first over of Sri Lanka’s reply, it looked as though the game could be over quickly.
The fina scores: Bangladesh 171-4 off 20 overs, Sri Lanka 172-5 off 18.5 overs.
