June 28, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 12, 1428

COLOMBO, June 27: Bangladesh's batsmen mounted a brave fightback against Sri Lanka but still faced a probable innings defeat as they closed the third day of the first Test on 233 for five on Wednesday.

Opener Javed Omar led Bangladesh's resistance with 62 as the tourists, bundled out for a feeble 89 in the first innings, forced Sri Lanka's bowlers to toil hard for their wickets on a docile pitch.

Bangladesh started the day on 3-0 in their second innings, facing a daunting task with 485 runs required to avert an innings defeat and finished still 255 runs in arrears with two days remaining.

The tourists prospered particularly well in the first two sessions, losing only Shahriar Nafees (38) during the morning and then Omar and Habibul Bashar (17) in the afternoon, but Sri Lanka's spinners hit back in the evening session.

Part-time spinner Tillekeratne Dilshan snared Rajin Saleh's (51) four-hour resistance with a flighted delivery that was edged to slip.

Captain Mohammad Ashraful (37) self-destructed just minutes before the close, lofting a catch straight to Chaminda Vaas at long on off Muttiah Muralitharan.

When play was called off early due to bad light Saqibul Hasan was four not out and wicket-keeper Khaled Mashud was on nought.

Javed Omar and Nafees started the fightback with a positive 86-run opening stand, a record for Bangladesh against Sri Lanka.

Muralitharan finally broke through shortly before lunch, holding on to a sharp return catch as Nafees used his feet and tried to loft straight down the ground.

Omar was solid in defence during his 118-ball rearguard and keen to score at every opportunity, as he showed with three boundaries in a Vaas over soon after the start of play.

After bringing up his eighth Test 50, the right-hander was trapped lbw by a vicious reverse-swinging yorker from Lasith Malinga.

Vaas also got the old ball to reverse swing and successfully found the outside edge of Habibul’s bat with a full-length delivery that tempted him into a cover drive.

Sri Lanka then had to wait 35.2 overs for their next breakthrough as Saleh and Ashraful added 67 runs in a slow-scoring partnership.

The hosts grew increasingly frustrated, especially star spinner Muralitharan who was forced to work unusually hard for his wickets, finishing with 2-82 from 34 overs.

Dilhara Fernando, although wicketless, was the pick of the fast bowlers, generating pace and getting the ball to swing during two fiery bursts.

Bangladesh have lost all seven of their previous Tests against Sri Lanka.

Scoreboard

BANGLADESH (1st innings) 89 (M. Muralitharan 5-15).

SRI LANKA (1st Innings) 577-6 declared (D.P.M.D. Jayawardene 127, H.A.P.W. Jayawardene 120 not out, M.G. Vandort 117; W.P.U.J.C. Vaas 100 not out, T.M. Dilshan 79).

BANGLADESH (2nd Innings, overnight 3-0):

Javed Omar lbw b Malinga 62

Shahriar Nafees c and b Murali 38

Rajin Saleh c M. Jayawardene b Dilshan 51

Habibul Bashar c P. Jayawardene b Vaas 17

Mohammad Ashraful c Vaas b Murali 37

Saqibul Hasan not out 4

Khaled Mashud not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-8, W-1, NB-15) 24

TOTAL (for five wkts, 82.3 overs) 233

FALL OF WKTS: 1-86, 2-126, 3-160, 4-227, 5-231.

BOWLING (to-date): Vaas 12-3-36-1 (5nb); Malinga 14.3-2-68-1 (9nb, 1w); Muralitharan 34-12-82-2; Fernando 15-5-28-0 (1nb); Dilshan 7-3-11-1.—Agencies