Bangladesh beat Lanka by three wickets
Charith Asalanka's century went in vain as Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka by three wickets in an inconsequential match of the World Cup here on Monday.
New Delhi: Charith Asalanka's century went in vain as Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka by three wickets in an inconsequential match of the World Cup here on Monday. With this win, Bangladesh kept their hopes of qualifying for the 2025 Champions Trophy alive. They also moved above Sri Lanka and into seventh place in the World Cup 2023 points table due to a superior net run-rate.6
Sent in to bat, middle-order batter Asalanka scored a 105-ball 108, while opener Pathum Nissanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama made identical scores of 41 runs each to help Sri Lanka post 279 all out in 49.3 overs in a contest between teams which are out of semifinal contention.
Bangladesh scored the required runs in 41.1 overs for the loss of seven wickets. The Sri Lankan innings was marred by an incident where Angelo Mathews became the first international cricketer to be 'timed out' after not being ready to face the ball within two minutes of the fall of a wicket.
Later, Najmul Hossain Shanto (90) and skipper Shakib Al Hasan (82) shared 161 runs for the third wicket to lay the foundation for the win, reaching 282 for 7 in 41.1 overs. Dilshan Madushanka (3/69) was the pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka, while Angelo Mathews (2/35) returned with two wickets, including the scalp of Shakib. Earlier, Asalanka smashed six fours and five maximums during his 105-ball 108, his second ODI ton, to carry the team on his shoulders even as drama unfolded in the middle overs with Mathews getting out in a bizarre fashion.
Asalanka forged a 63-run partnership with Sadeera Samarawickrama (41), before adding 78 off 82 balls with Dhananjaya de Silva. He also shared 45 off 48 with Maheesh Theekshana (22). Opener Pathum Nissanka also contributed with a 36-ball 41.
The two teams don't have much at stake in the World Cup but there is never a dull moment when the two rivals play and Mathews' dismissal added another chapter to their bitter rivalry when he was timed out, the first instance in international cricket across format.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka: 279 all out in 49.3 overs (Pathum Nissanka 41, Sadeera Samarawickrama 41, Charith Asalanka 108, Dhananjaya de Silva 34; Shakib Al Hasan 2/57, Tanzim Hasan Sakib 3/80, Shoriful Islam 2/52) lost to Bangladesh: 282 for 7 in 41.1 overs (Najmul Hossain Shanto 90, Shakib Al Hasan 82; Dilshan Madushanka 3/69) by 3wickets.
