Mendis, Liyanage fifties push Sri Lanka to 255

Fifties from Janith Liyanage and captain Kusal Mendis held Sri Lanka together after they collapsed in the middle overs in the first ODI against Bangladesh. Liyanage top-scored with 67 as the visitors finished on 255 runs in 48.5 overs. Tanzim Hasan Sakib was the pick of the bowlers, with 3 for 44, but he couldn’t finish hiss full quota due to an injury.

Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam also took three wickets while Mehidy Hasan Miraz took the other wicket to fall. They combined well to keep Sri Lanka to a moderate total on the flat Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium pitch, where big scores batting first have been the norm in white-ball cricket.

The visitors looked rampant in the first powerplay after they were put to bat. Openers Avishka Fernando and Pathum Nissanka, who had stands of 182 and 173 against Afghanistan last month, continued from where they left off in Pallekele. Their boundary barrage left the Bangladesh bowlers clueless, each hitting five fours and a six. Nissanka lofted two of his boundaries over mid-off, and struck his six off Taijul Islam over wide long-on.

Fernando looked the more ominous of the two, timing the ball sweetly for four boundaries through the square off-side field. He swung Shoriful Islam over the square-leg fencing, and into the stands. So when Tanzim had Fernando caught behind in the tenth over, Bangladesh’s wild celebrations were expected.

Two boundaries in his first over didn’t deter Tanzim from bowling a fullish length that dragged out both Nissanka and Fernando. The latter tried to force one through the off-side, which resulted in his dismissal for a run-a-ball 33. Next over, Tanzim had Nissanka caught at slip for 36, although it was not the conventional route.

Nissanka toed the his pull shot to a bewildered Soumya Sarkar, who was just moved to third slip by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto before that ball. After completing the easy catch, Soumya’s finger pointing to one side of the ground suggested that he struggled to pick up the ball.

Tanzim wasn’t done though. In his next over, Mushfiqur Rahim took a wonderful diving catch from Sadeera Samarawickrama’s outside edge. Tanzim took 20 balls to turn Sri Lanka’s comfort of 71 for no loss, to 84 for three.

Sri Lanka consolidated from this crash with captain Mendis holding things together. He first added 44 runs with his deputy Charith Asalanka, who fell to a Mehidy beauty, a delivery pitching on off and middle and turning enough to hit off-stump. Mendis found Liyanage a more able partner, adding 69 runs with the newcomer.

Mendis fell on 59 but Liyanage pressed on with the innings’ top score. He struck identical sixes off Taijul through wide long-on, but struck three more fours in his 67 off 69 balls.

Taskin beat Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana with pace, getting them caught at third-man and slip respectively. Shoriful then took the last three wickets. Liyanage was caught behind in the 47th over, before Pramod Madushan and Dilshan Madushanka both gave catches in the in-field.

Scores:
Sri Lanka 255 in 48.5 overs (Pathum Nissanka 36, Avishka Fernando 33,  Janith Liyanage 67, Kusal Mendis 56;  Tanzim Hasan Sakib 3-44, Shoriful Islam 3-51, Taskin Ahmed 3-60) vs Bangladesh