Mon | Dec 16, 2024

Sri Lanka staring at exit after Bangladesh defeat

Published:Sunday | June 9, 2024 | 12:12 AM
Bangladesh’s Tawhid Hridoy runs to make his ground during the men’s T20 World Cup cricket match against Sri Lanka at Grand Prairie Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas, on Friday.
AP
Bangladesh’s Tawhid Hridoy runs to make his ground during the men’s T20 World Cup cricket match against Sri Lanka at Grand Prairie Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas, on Friday.

DALLAS, Texas (CMC):

BANGLADESH DEALT Sri Lanka their second straight defeat of the Twenty20 World Cup, to leave the 2014 champions staring at an early exit from the ICC showpiece.

Experienced left-arm spinner Mustafizur Rahman (3-17) and 21-year-old leg-spinner Rishad Hossain (3-22) picked up three-wicket hauls to limit Sri Lanka to an inadequate 124 for nine off their 20 overs at Grand Prairie Stadium, opener Pathum Nissanka top-scoring with a 28-ball 47.

Bangladesh then recovered from six for two in the second over to overhaul their target with two wickets and an over to spare to make a winning start to their campaign on Friday.

Towhid Hridoy led with a 20-ball 40 while Lit Das chipped in with a patient 36 from 38 balls, the pair posting a precious 63 for the fourth wicket.

Sri Lanka lost their opener to South Africa when they mustered only 77 in New York and will now look to their remaining games against minnows Nepal and the Netherlands for redemption.

“I am sure the team at the moment obviously with this loss they were very disappointed, and I can see their mood in the dressing room now,” said Sri Lanka’s team manager Mahinda Halangoda.

“But I’m sure after we get back, the coaches and everyone will be talking to them, and we will come back strong.

“I’m sure we will do much better in Florida because the Florida wicket is also quite good. Not that this wicket was bad.

“I think it was much better than the New York wicket, and we are hopeful that we will do much better against Nepal and Netherlands.”

Nissanka blasted seven fours and a six to provide Sri Lanka’s early momentum and when he departed in the ninth over – the second of Mustafizur’s wickets – Dhananjaya de Silva (21) and Charith Asalanka (19) put on a further 30 for the fourth wicket to get their side past the 100-run mark.

Openers Soumya Sarkar (0) and Tanzid Hasan (3) then perished cheaply to give Sri Lanka hope in the chase and when captain Najmul Hossain (7) followed, Bangladesh’s innings lay in strife at 28 for three in the sixth over.

But Towhid clobbered a four and four sixes and Liton, a brace of fours and a six, to defy new ball seamer Nuwan Thushara’s four for 18 to see their side over the line.