Sri Lanka thrash Bangladesh to reach triangular final
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Sri Lanka thrash Bangladesh to reach triangular final
Sri Lanka 312/4 (50 ov) Bangladesh 186 (40.2 ov) Sri Lanka secured a place in the final of the triangular series in Dhaka after beating Bangladesh by nine wickets. Several Tigers batsmen played cameos after they were put in but none could reach 50 in a total of 249-7.In reply, Upul Tharanga and Mahela Jayawardene shared 215 inside 38 overs, a Sri Lankan one-day record for the opening wicket against Bangladesh. Tharanga hit 18 fours in his unbeaten 118 as his team won with 43 balls left, their third win from three matches. The mammoth partnership eclipsed the 201 between Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara in an Asia Cup match in Karachi in 2008. Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan used as many as eight bowlers, but none could maintained the pressure on the free-scoring openers. Jayawardene, who was originally rested for this tournament only to be summoned because of injuries, went for shots early in his innings and took 15 runs in an over from paceman Rubel Hossain, including three fours. He reached his 12th one-day ton in style, firmly cutting spinner Abdur Razzak to the boundary before he was caught behind off spinner Naeem Islam for 108. Man-of-the-match Tharanga saw them to their target in the 43rd over, having recorded his eighth ODI hundred. The Bangladesh top seven all reached double figures, and with 17 fours and four sixes in the innings Tigers skipper Shakib was left to lament on his side's failure to make the most of their chances.Sri Lanka now play India on Sunday and a victory for Mahendra Dhoni's team would cement their place in the final on 13 January. Should India lose, their final group match against Bangladesh will determine who plays the Sri Lankans. Pakistan will face India tomorrow in the next match of the tournament.
