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Jayasuriya spurs SL to 10-wicket win
Openers Sanath Jayasuriya (107) and Avishka Gunawardene (64) slammed a record opening stand as Lanka stormed to victory in 33.3 overs.
Sri Lanka stormed to a 10-wicket victory against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup's second-round cricket match on Friday, as openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Avishka Gunawardene slammed a record opening partnership.
Replying to Bangladesh's modest score of 190 for nine from 50 overs, Sri Lanka raced to 191 for no loss in 33.3 overs as Jayasuriya and Gunawardene's unconquered partnership set a new mark for an opening stand in eight Asia Cup tournaments.
Jayasuriya, 35, coasted to his 17th century in 319 one-dayers as he remained unbeaten on 107, hitting 11 fours off 101 deliveries. Gunawardene scored 64 not out with four boundaries 100 balls faced.
Jayasuriya had also featured in the previous Asia Cup mark for the highest opening of 171 which he set in partnership with Marvan Atapattu against Bangladesh in 1998.
The only previous instance of a 10-wicket victory in the Asia's Cup's two-decade history was in 1984 when India overcame Sri Lanka's score without losing a single wicket at Sharjah.
Sri Lanka, which defeated Pakistan by seven wickets Wednesday, heads the league table with 12 points, including one bonus point from both games.
Bangladesh lost its first match to India by eight wickets on Wednesday. They have won only five out of 93 One-Day Internationals.
Bangladesh, who elected to bat first after skipper Habibul Basher won the toss, was saved the blushes by opener Mohammad Ashraful's valiant 66 after a top-order slump.
Bangladesh lost four top batsmen for 31 runs before Ashraful stopped the slide through a 100-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Manjurul Islam Rana, who compiled 43.
The 20-year-old Ashraful survived a dropped catch during his composed 121-ball innings that contained five boundaries. His only ambitious stroke was a massive blow for six against medium-pacer Ferveez Maharoof.
A resolute Ashraful saw wickets tumble at the other end of the wicket. His opening partner Rajin Saleh perished in the second over, chasing an outswinger from pacer Lasith Malinga to be caught behind by Kumar Sangakkara for five.
Bashar contributed seven runs before emulating Saleh in chasing an outswinging ball from left-arm pace bowler Chaminda Vaas and wicketkeeper Sangakkara gleefully snapped the edged shot.
Alok Kapali and Faisal Hossain fell after scoring just one run each.
Kapali was run out after he tripped when taking off for a single and Mahela Jayawardena broke the stumps, and Hossain dragged a Mahroof delivery on to his stumps.
Rana's defiant innings gave Ashraful the support he needed to shape Bangladesh's recovery. The pair put on a century stand off 155 balls.
Ashraful, given a life on 25 when Vaas dropped a catch off Mahroof at mid-on, completed his half-century by flicking the same bowler to the fence.
Rana was also looking good for his half-century, but was stumped by Sangakkara off ace offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan as he stepped out to have a wild swipe. Rana hit three boundaries from 84 balls.
Ashraful was run out when he drove leg-spinner Upul Chandana to Tillekeratne Dilshan at mid-on and set off for a single. Dilshan broke the stumps at the non-striker's end with a direct hit, leaving the Bangladesh opener stranded outside the crease.
Vaas (3 for 30) returned to the attack and dismissed Khaled Mashud (19) and Abdur Razzaq (10) as Bangladeshi tailenders failed to make good use of the final overs.
