BOGRA (Bangladesh), Feb 22: Bangladesh produced a superb team effort to score their maiden One-day International win over Sri Lanka in the second match on Wednesday.

Bangladesh’s four-wicket victory, their first in 16 matches against the former world champions, kept the three-match series alive after Sri Lanka had won the opening match by five wickets here on Monday.

The home side chased a modest target of 213 with two overs to spare as youngsters Mohammad Ashraful (51) and Aftab Ahmed (32 not out) played crucial roles in Bangladesh’s 11th win in 117 one-dayers.

Bangladesh, who have beaten Pakistan, India and Australia in the past, once again showed that they are capable of competing at the international level as they kept their nerves in a thrilling match.

It was one of their best triumphs as Bangladesh’s remaining wins have come against Zimbabwe (four times), Kenya, Scotland and Hong Kong.

Opener Javed Omar (40) laid the foundation with a solid knock and then a crucial stand of 63 runs for the fourth wicket between 21-year-old Ashraful and captain Habibul Bashar (33) kept them on track.

Aftab, 20, came up with a quickfire 22-ball knock in which he hit two boundaries and a six, adding 51 for the sixth wicket with Alok Kapali (18) to virtually seal the win.

Aftab got the winning runs in the company of Khaled Mashud (two) with the pair scampering a single as the other members of the team rushed on to the ground in celebration of a rare win.

Bangladesh earlier bowled out the visiting side for 212 in exactly 49 overs after a delayed start due to fog forced the match to be reduced by one over.

Opener Sanath Jayasuriya struck a valiant 96 but failed to find support from other batsmen.

New-ball bowler Syed Rasel struck the first two blows for Bangladesh before spinners Kapali and Mohammad Rafique tore through the middle-order with a couple of scalps each.

Left-armer Rasel, who bowled his 10 overs on the trot, had left-hander Jehan Mubarak (two) caught behind by Mashud in his second over.

Rasel then broke a crucial second wicket partnership when he had Kumar Sangakkara (23) caught down the leg side by Mashud in his last over to finish with 2-28.

Sri Lanka lost their way from a comfortable 72-1 in the 20th over when Sangakkara had added 67 for the second wicket with Jayasuriya.

Jayasuriya made a slow start scoring just eight runs off the first 26 deliveries faced by him but reached his 60th half-century off 61 deliveries.

He slammed eight fours and a six off left-armer Rafique during his 110-ball knock before falling lbw to the same bowler while trying to play a pull shot.

Farveez Maharoof (21), Malinga Bandara (18) and Dilhara Fernando (13) chipped in with useful knocks down the order to push the score past the 200-run mark.

Sri Lanka, who are without Marvan Atapattu, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas and Russel Arnold either because they are injured or have been rested, now need to win in Chittagong on Saturday to clinch the series.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA:

J. Mubarak c Khaled b Rasel 2

S.T. Jayasuriya lbw b Rafique 96

K.C. Sangakkara c Khaled b Rasel 23

M. Jayawardene c Habibul b Rafique 5

C.K. Kapugedera c Khaled b Kapali 13

T.M. Dilshan c and b Kapali 3

K.H.R.K. Fernando lbw b Aftab 3

M.F. Maharoof c Habibul b Mashrafe 21

C.M. Bandara run out 18

C.R.D. Fernando c Ashraful b Nazmul 13

P.D.R.L. Perera not out 4

EXTRAS (B-1, W-8, NB-2) 11

TOTAL (all out, 49 overs) 212

FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-72, 3-87, 4-116, 5-122, 6-132, 7-168, 8-187, 9-196.

BOWLING: Mashrafe Mortaza 10-2-31-1 (2w); Syed Rasel 10-2-28-2 (1nb, 1w); Nazmul Hossain 7-0-59-1 (1nb, 2w); Mohammad Rafique 10-0-40–2 (2w); Alok Kapali 6-0-29-2; Aftab Ahmed 6-0-24-1 (1w).

BANGLADESH:

Javed Omar lbw b Bandara 40

Shahriar Nafees c S’kkara b D. F’nando 17

Rajin Saleh lbw b Maharoof 6

M. Ashraful c Bandara b H. F’nando 51

Habibul Bashar c Kapugedera b J’suriya 33

Aftab Ahmed not out 32

Alok Kapali c H. F’nando b D. F’nando 18

Khaled Mashud not out 2

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-6, NB-7) 14

TOTAL (for six wkts, 47 overs) 213

FALL OF WKTS: 1-38, 2-45, 3-91, 4-154, 5-155, 6-206.

DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Rafique, Mashrafe Mortaza, Nazmul Hossain.

BOWLING: Perera 7-1-30-0 (2w); Maharoof 9-0-38-1 (1nb, 2w); C.R.D. Fernando 8-0-48-2 (6nb, 1w); Bandara 8-0-42-1; Jayasuriya 9-0-36-1; K.H.R.K. Fernando 6-0-18-1.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Aftab Ahmed.

THIRD MATCH: At Chittagong on Saturday.—AFP