Sri Lanka defeated Bangladesh by two runs in the first of two match T20 International series in a triller of a match in Chittagong on Wednesday despite Anamul Haques’s late heroics. Haque scored 58 off 45 balls.
The other major contributors in a failed run-chase were Tamim Iqbal (30) and Shakib Al-Hasan (22), but they were not anle to take the hosts past beyound Sri Lanka’s target of 169.
For visitors Sri Lanka, Ajantha Mendis (1/29) and Nuwan Kulasekara (2/29) were pick of the bowlers as Dinesh Chandimal and Co. managed to keep hosts down to 166/7 in their alloted 20 overs.
Earlier, Sri Lanka opener Kusal Perera was the top scorer with 64 off 44 balls to propell Sri Lanka to 168/7.
The left handed batsman hit as many as seven boundaries and a six but found very little support from the rest of his team-mates after the visitors were sent in to bat at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium.
Sri Lanka, at one stage, were reduced to 120/6 in the 15th over before Nuwan Kulasekara and Thisara Perera enhanced the total with a seventh wicket partnership of 44 from just 31 balls.
Kulasekara made a handy contribution of 31 off 21 balls with one four and two sixes while Thisara Perera remained unbeaten on 19.
Bangladesh’s stand in captain Mashrafe Mortaza struck the first blow when he bowled Tillakaratne Dilshan (0) off the sixth ball of the match.
Dinesh Chandimal, Sri Lanka’s Twenty20 captain and Kusal Perera shared a second wicket partnership of 54 off 35 balls before Shakib Al Hasan grabbed two wickets in consecutive overs to reduce visitors to 77/3 in the ninth over.
Debutant left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny claimed a wicket with his fifth ball in international cricket as Seekkuge Prasanna holed out in the deep to reduce Sri Lanka to 87-4 in the 10th over.
It became 120-6 as Sunny removed Kusal Perera and Angelo Mathews was run out after a mix up with Thisara Perera.
Mortaza was the stand-in spikker for the hosts after Mushfiqur Rahim was rested due to a hairline fracture in the left hand and Tamim Iqbal stepped down as vice captain to concentrate on his batting.
On the other hand, Sri Lanka were without former skipper Mahela Jayawardene who will miss the entire limited overs series of two Twenty20 games and three one day internationals due to a hand injury.
