Mathews leads Sri Lanka to series sweep against Bangladesh

Published August 1, 2019
COLOMBO: Sri Lankan paceman Dasun Shanaka (second R) celebrates with team-mates after dismissing Bangladesh batsman Mushfiqur Rahim during the third One-day International on Wednesday.—AP
COLOMBO: Sri Lankan paceman Dasun Shanaka (second R) celebrates with team-mates after dismissing Bangladesh batsman Mushfiqur Rahim during the third One-day International on Wednesday.—AP

COLOMBO: Angelo Mathews scored 87 runs Wednesday to inspire Sri Lanka to their first One-day International series sweep in more than three years, defeating Bangladesh by 122 runs in the third and final match.

Sri Lanka’s last sweep was a 2-0 series win at in Ireland in June 2016.

Choosing to bat after winning the toss, Sri Lanka made 294 for eight in 50 overs, riding on the innings of Mathews. He was well backed by Kusal Mendis who made 54. Captain Dimuth Karunaratne (46) and Kusal Perera (42) also made useful contributions.

Fast-medium bowler Soumya Sarkar took three for 56 while Shafiul Islam had three for 68 for Bangladesh.

Sarkar also shone with the bat, top scoring with 69 runs, but a dismal show from the other batsmen resulted in Bangladesh being dismissed for 172 runs with 14 overs to spare.

Dimuth Karunaratne and Avishka Fernando opened batting for Sri Lanka but their stand did not last long when Fernando, who top scored with 82 runs in the second match, was out for six runs, trapped lbw by seamer Shafiul Islam.

Karunaratne and Kusal Perera shared 83 runs for the second wicket in 95 balls before Karunaratne (46) was caught by wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim trying to scoop left-arm spinet Tailjul Islam.

Perera departed soon caught behind by Rahim off pace bowler Rubel Hossain, leaving Sri Lanka 98-3.

Mathews joined Mendis and the pair steadied the Sri Lankan innings sharing 101 runs for the fourth wicket off 121 balls. Mendis mistimed a slow ball from Sarkar and was caught near the boundary by Sabbir Rahman.

Mathews hit eight fours and a six in his 90-ball innings and Sri Lanka scored 106 runs in the last 10 overs with Dasun Shanaka scoring 30 off 14 deliveries including two sixes and two boundaries.

Bangladesh started their chase poorly, losing captain Tamim Iqbal with just four runs on the board in the second over. Tamim, who had scored zero and 19 in the previous two matches of the series, departed for two runs caught behind by Perera off fast bowler Kasun Rajitha.

Anamul Haq and Sarkar added 25 runs for the second wicket before Anamul, who hit two consecutive fours against Rajitha, skied a third for a catch to Fernando.

In-form Mushfiqur, who made two half-centuries in the series including an unbeaten 98 in the second match, was out for 10 caught at slip by Mendis off seamer Shanaka.

With wickets falling regularly, Bangladesh were never in the game thereafter.

Shanaka took three for 27 while Lahiru Kumara and Rajitha took two wickets apiece.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA:

W.I.A. Fernando lbw b Shafiul 6
F.D.M. Karunaratne c Mushfiqur b Taijul 46
M.D.K.J. Perera c Mushfiqur b Rubel 42
B.K.G. Mendis c Sabbir b Soumya 54
A.D. Mathews c Mushfiqur b Soumya 87
M.D. Shanaka c Sabbir b Shafiul 30
G.S.N.F.G. Jayasuriya c Tamim b Shafiul 13
P.W.H. de Silva not out 12
A. Dananjaya c Sabbir b Soumya 0
C.A.K. Rajitha not out 0

EXTRAS (W-4) 4

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 50 overs) 294

FALL OF WKTS: 1-13, 2-96, 3-98, 4-199, 5-251, 6-280, 7-284, 8-284.

DID NOT BAT: C.B.R.L.S. Kumara.

BOWLING: Shafiul Islam 10-2-68-3 (1w); Rubel Hossain 9-1-55-1 (1w); Taijul Islam 10-1-34-1; Mehidy Hasan 9-0-59-0; Soumya Sarkar 9-0-56-3 (1w); Mahmudullah 3-0-22-0 (1w).

BANGLADESH:

Anamul Haque c Fernando b Rajitha 14
Tamim Iqbal c Perera b Rajitha 2
Soumya Sarkar b Dananjaya 69
Mushfiqur Rahim c Mendis b Shanaka 10
Mohammad Mithun c Kumara b Shanaka 4
Mahmudullah c Perera b Shanaka 9
Sabbir Rahman c sub b Kumara 7
Mehidy Hasan c sub b Kumara 8
Taijul Islam not out 39
Shafiul Islam st Perera b de Silva 1
Rubel Hossain run out 2

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-5) 7

TOTAL (all out, 36 overs) 172

FALL OF WKTS: 1-4, 2-29, 3-46, 4-60, 5-83, 6-105, 7-117, 8-143, 9-149.

BOWLING: Jayasuriya 6-0-40-0; Rajitha 5-0-17-2 (3w); Dananjaya 10-0-44-1; Shanaka 6-0-27-3 (2w); de Silva 4-1-16-1; Kumara 5-0-26-2.

RESULT: Sri Lanka won by 122 runs to win three-match series 3-0.

UMPIRES: R.R. Wimalasiri (Sri Lanka) and N.N. Menon (India).

TV UMPIRE: M. Erasmus (South Africa).

MATCH REFEREE: B.C. Broad (England).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Angelo Mathews.

MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Angelo Mathews.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2019

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