Chameera and KJP star in 97 run win

Kusal Janith Perera smashed a match winning hundred while Dushmantha Chameera took career best figures of five for 16 as Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh in the third ODI in Dhaka on Friday.

Dushmantha Chameera claimed a five wicket haul while captain Kusal Janith Perera smashed his sixth ODI hundred as Sri Lanka completed a comprehensive 97 run win in the dead rubber against Bangladesh in Dhaka yesterday.

The game was of little interest after Sri Lanka had already lost the series with a game to spare but the win helped the tourists lift their moods after two disappointing performances that saw them handing the series to the hosts with a game to spare.

The win helped Sri Lanka to collect ten points in the ICC World Cup Super League but their 12th position has not changed as they stand on eight points. Sri Lanka were penalized two points for slow over rate during their tour of West Indies.

The toss proved to be crucial as Sri Lanka’s openers added 82 runs for the first wicket. Captain Perera has a reputation for throwing caution to the wind but now with the leadership on his shoulders he was more watchful as he batted through the innings having occupied the crease for 40 overs.

That left the lower middle order with an opportunity to push the total towards the 300 run mark and Sri Lanka ended up on 286 for six.

Perera was involved in a 115 run stand with Dhananjaya de Silva who made an unbeaten 55 off 70 deliveries with four boundaries.

Perera was dropped on three occasions and he finished on 120 off 122 balls with 11 fours and a six.

Taskin Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers finished with four wickets.

Chameera, the standout performer for Sri Lanka on the tour, bowled with fire to trouble the batsmen. He tested Shakib Al Hasan with a short ball and Bangladesh’s star player attempting a pull shot was cramped for room and was caught at short leg.

Chameera accounted for the top three Bangladeshi batsmen and then came for a second spell to polish off the tail to finish with career best figures of five for 16. It was his maiden five wicket haul.

Sri Lanka handed debuts to three players – Ramesh Mendis, Chamika Karunaratne and Binura  Fernando. Mendis was the most impressive of all coming into the attack with Mushfiqur Rahim in the middle.

Mushfiqur was in good form having scored more than 200 runs in the first two ODIs. Mendis won the battle as he claimed the wicket that Sri Lankans had been so desperate to have in the series.

The writing was on the wall for Bangladesh at that stage but Mossadek Hossain and Mahmudullah Riyad delayed the inevitable posting half-centuries.

Mendis and Hasaranga finished with two wickets apiece.