Sri Lanka scores another last ball win over Bangladesh 

(MENAFN -Arab News) CHITTAGONG: Sachithra Senanakaye hit a boundary off the last ball as Sri Lanka secured a dramatic three-wicket win over Bangladesh in the second Twenty20 match in Chittagong on Friday to win the series 2-0.

Having bowled the hosts out for a paltry 120, Sri Lanka stuttered in their reply to lose six wickets for 50 runs by the 12th over at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium.

Veteran Kumar Sangakkara and Thisara Perera rebuilt for the world’s top-ranked Twenty20 side with a 46-run partnership for the seventh wicket.

But when Sangakkara was snapped up at point off Rubel Hossain for 37, Sri Lanka still needed 25 to win off the last 20 balls. Senanayake helped Perera (35 not out) inch closer to the target and then sealed the exciting win by pulling medium-pacer Farhad Reza for a boundary off the final delivery of the match.

Sri Lanka had also clinched a last-ball win in the first match at the same venue on Wednesday, leaving the hosts heartbroken for the second time in three days.

The series served as a warm-up for the World Twenty20, which opens in Bangladesh on March 16.

Earlier, sling-arm fast bowler Lasith Malinga grabbed three wickets and seamer Nuwan Kulasekara and Senanayake chipped in with two wickets each to skittle Bangladesh in 19.5 overs.

Sabbir Rahman, a 22-year-old debutant, top-scored for Bangladesh with 26 before he was last man to be out. Anamul Haque made 24.

Left-handed Kusal Perera hit 21 of the 23-run opening stand with Tillakaratne Dilshan for Sri Lanka when he was leg-before trying to reverse sweep Shakib Al Hasan.

Dilshan was bowled by Arafat Sunny three balls later and Dinesh Chandimal fell leg-before to Mohammad Mahmudullah.

The hosts wrested the initiative as skipper Mashrafe Mortaza bowled Angelo Perera and had Angelo Mathews caught behind in one over to make it 46-5 at the half-way mark.

Nuwan Kulasekara ran himself out for two attempting a non-existant single, before Sangakkara and Thisara Perera joined hands to begin the rescue act.

Bangladesh’s batting never recovered after losing openers Tamim Iqbal and Shamsur Rahman in the first two overs.

Senanayake broke Bangladesh’s back with the wickets of Shakib (12) and Anamul in successive overs to reduce the hosts to 41-4 in the sixth.

It soon became 59-6 as Ajantha Mendis removed Nasir Hossain and Mahmudullah was run out.

Sabbir and Mortaza, who hit 17 off 10 balls, took Bangladesh past the 100-run mark.

The two teams will begin a three-match one-day series in Dhaka on Monday.

SCOREBOARD

Bangladesh innings:

T. Iqbal c Mendis b Kulasekara 2

S. Rahman c Chandimal b Dilshan 1

A. Haque c K. Perera b Senanayake 24

S. Al Hasan c Kulasekara b Senanayake 12

N. Hossain c Chandimal b Mendis 8

S. Rahman c Kulasekara b Malinga 26

M. Mahmudullah run out 9

F. Reza c Chandimal b Kulasekara 9

M. Mortaza b Malinga 17

A. Sunny c Chandimal b Malinga 5

R. Hossain not out 0

Extras: 7

Total: (19.5 overs) 120

Fall of wkts: 1-3, 2-3, 3-35, 4-41, 5-47, 6-59, 7-80, 8-101, 9-120, 10-120.

Bowling: Dilshan 2-0-23-1, Kulasekara 4-0-32-2 (w1), Senanayake 4-0-11-2, Malinga 3.5-0-20-3 (w1), Mathews 2-0-9-0, Mendis 4-0-21-1 (w1).

Sri Lanka innings:

K. Perera lbw Shakib 21

T. Dilshan b Sunny 3

D. Chandimal lbw b Mahmudullah 3

K. Sangakkara c Tamim b Rubel 37

A. Perera b Mortaza 4

A. Mathews c Anamul b Mortaza 2

N. Kulasekara run out 2

T. Perera not out 35

S. Senanayake not out 12

Extras: 4

Total: (for 7 wkts, 20 overs) 123

Fall of wkts: 1-23, 2-25, 3-32, 4-42, 5-46, 6-50, 7-96.

Bowling: Sunny 2-0-8-1, Mortaza 4-0-29-2, Rubel 4-0-34-1 (nb1), Shakib 2-0-8-1, Mahmudullah 4-0-16-1 (w1), Nasir 2-0-11-0 (w1), Reza 2-0-16-0.