BOGRA (Bangladesh), Feb 20: Sri Lankan pacemen Ruchira Perera and Farveez Maharoof starred in a five-wicket win over Bangladesh in the first One-day International on Monday.

Left-armer Perera returned career-best figures of 3-23 and Maharoof bagged 3-30 to help skittle Bangladesh for a meagre 118 in 35.5 overs after the home side had elected to bat on a good batting pitch.

Sri Lanka reached their target with 25.5 overs to spare. Captain Mahela Jayawardene (37 not out) and his deputy Kumar Sangakkara (50) made the task easy before some quick wickets fell towards the end.

For Bangladesh, former skipper Khaled Mahmud was the only batsman to offer resistance, making 36 in his last international appearance.

Only two other batsmen, Aftab Ahmed (21) and Alok Kapali (19 not out), reached double-figures to leave home fans at the new international venue disappointed.

Bangladesh, who have lost all of their 15 one-dayers against Sri Lanka, were rattled by Maharoof and Perera with the new ball.

Maharoof had opener Shahriar Nafees and Mohammad Ashraful caught behind and trapped Rajin Saleh leg-before with one that came in sharply.

Aftab jumped out and missed the line of the ball to gift the first wicket to Perera who then dismissed Khaled Mashud as Bangladesh were reduced to 37-5 and in danger of falling below their lowest total of 76.

Dilhara Fernando removed captain Habibul Bashar to make it 51-6 before Mahmud and veteran Mohammad Rafique figured in a 31-run stand for the seventh wicket.

Perera later came on to dismiss tailender Mashrafe Mortaza (six) to better his previous best of 3-55 on debut against England in 1999.

Fernando and left-arm spinner Sanath Jayasuriya finished with two wickets each.

Jayasuriya, who has not been named in the squad for an upcoming two-Test series, managed just 13 runs with the bat as he played a delivery from paceman Mortaza on to the stumps.

His opening partner Jehan Mubarak (four) too fell early to Syed Rasel.

Sangakkara and Jayawardene then added 70 for the third wicket before Sangakkara was caught at deep mid-off off leg-spinner Alok Kapali after striking seven fours and a six.

But his wicket was followed by those of Chamara Kapugedera and Tillekeratne Dilshan, both victims of left-arm spinner Rafique, as Sri Lanka fell from 111-2 to 117-5 in the space of 20 deliveries.

Sri Lanka, who earlier this month made the finals of the tri-series in Australia also featuring South Africa, rested ace spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, seamer Chaminda Vaas and all-rounder Russel Arnold for the one-dayers.

The second match will be played here on Wednesday and the final one-dayer will be held in Chittagong on Saturday. The one-day series will be followed by Tests in Chittagong and Bogra.

Scoreboard

BANGLADESH:

Rajin Saleh lbw b Maharoof 7

Shahriar Nafees c S’kkara b Maharoof 0

Aftab Ahmed b Perera 21

M. Ashraful c S’kkara b Maharoof 4

Habibul Bashar c J’dene b D. Fernando 2

Khaled Mashud c S’kkara b Perera 0

Khaled Mahmud lbw b Jayasuriya 36

M. Rafique c J’suriya b D. Fernando 6

Alok Kapali not out 19

Mashrafe Mortaza b Perera 6

Syed Rasel c Perera b J’suriya 7

EXTRAS (W-8, NB-2) 10

TOTAL (all out, 35.5 overs) 118

FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-31, 3-35, 4-36, 5-37, 6-51, 7-82, 8-98, 9-109.

BOWLING: Perera 7-1-23-3; Maharoof 8-1-30-3 (3w); C.R.D. Fernando 6-0-23-2 (1nb, 2w); K.H.R.K. Fernando 5-0-23-0 (1nb, 1w); Bandara 5-0-9-0; Jayasuriya 4.5-0-10-2.

SRI LANKA:

J. Mubarak b Rasel 4

S.T. Jayasuriya b Mortaza 13

K.C. Sangakkara c Mortaza b Kapali 50

D.P.M.D. Jayawardene not out 37

C.K. Kapugedera c Kapali b Rafique 0

T.M. Dilshan b Rafique 2

K.H.R.K. Fernando not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-7, NB-5) 13

TOTAL (for five wkts, 24.1 overs) 119

FALL OF WKTS: 1-11, 2-41, 3-111, 4-111, 5-117.

DID NOT BAT: M.F. Maharoof, P.D.R.L. Perera, C.R.D. Fernando, C.M. Bandara.

BOWLING: Mashrafe Mortaza 7-0-30-1 (3w); Syed Rasel 7-0-35-1 (5nb, 2w); Abdur Razzak 3-0-20-0; Khaled Mahmud 2-0-15-0 (1w); Mohammad Rafique 3-1-10-2; Alok Kapali 2.1-0-8-1.

UMPIRES: Mahbubur Rahman (Bangladesh) and K. Hariharan (India).

TV UMPIRE: Nadir Shah (Bangladesh).

MATCH REFEREE: A.G. Hurst (Australia).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Ruchira Perera.

NEXT MATCH: At Bogra on Wednesday.

—AFP

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