Batting under lights, Sri Lanka failed to reach a modest target of 235 as England snatched a 65-run victory in the 2nd ODI at Dambulla.
After England, won the toss and elected to bat first, Sri Lanka’s pace trio Chaminda Vaas, Dilhara Fernando and Farveez Maharoof provided the early inroads by reducing the English side to 61/4. Then, it was left to Captain Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah to build up a partnership. This was done quite perfectly, with Shah leading the recovery with a brilliant 82 off only 92 balls. The two shared a valuable fifth wicket partnership of 78 runs. England’s cause was further boosted by Graeme Swann’s brisk 34 in a another important 7o run partnership. Although, the Sri Lankan bowlers tried their best to minimize the runs, particularly paceman, Lasith Malinga was attacked, as he went wicketless in his 10 overs. Maharoof was once again, the pick of the bowlers, with 3-30.
In reply, the Sri Lankan openers fell in quick succession after struggling against the seamers, Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad. Kumar Sangakkara, who is not quite settled in to an ODI rhythm these days, spent 37 balls before being out for 9. Captain, Mahela Jayawardena and Tillekeratne Dilshan gave the Sri Lankans some hope with a 52-run fifth wicket partnership, after Chamara Silva was caught by Broad, off Collingwood for a duck. Swann removed the well settled Dilshan for a 29. Thereafter, the batsmen collapsed one by one, exposing the failure of the middle order. England’s victory was in fact delayed, by a fighting partnership for the last wicket by Jehan Mubarak and Dilhara Fernando. Mubarak, who is indeed a bright prospect for the Sri Lankan team top scored for Sri Lanka with a 44 and Fernando assisted him well with a 20, before being run out, to seal England’s victory. The victory for the English side broke a 25 year jinx of not winning an ODI on Sri Lankan soil since the days of Ian Botham and David Gower in 1982.
Now, the series is wide open and both teams will look to take a lead, in their next match at the same stadium on Sunday.
In the virtual quarter final between the ODI World Cup finalists, Australia and Sri Lanka, winning the toss, Stand-in-Captain of the Australian side, Adam Gilchrist, invited Mahela Jayawardene’s team to bat first. Sri Lanka could not have a worst start, with Sanath Jayasuriya being trapped leg before by Brett Lee in just the third ball of the first over. The other opener, Upul Tharanga followed suit. Kumar Sangakkara, who had a rather disappointing tournament, sticked around to hit 22 off 23 balls. Jayawardene too was caught by Clark off a Lee delivery. Jehan Mubarak, the top scorer for Sri Lanka, who hit 28 off 26 balls, and Chaminda Vaas, who managed to get 21, helped the score go past 100. But, the Sri Lankans who had a terrible day, were all out for 101.
Batting under lights, the Sri Lankan top order struggled against the Bangladeshi spinners. Sanath Jayasuriya fell in the very first over to a Mashrafe Mortaza delivery. Upul Tharanga managed to find the rope, a couple of times, but Kumar Sangakkara, who did not have a very good time with the bat, all thoroughout the tournament, failed again. Surprisingly Captain Mahela Jayawardene, too, did not have a very pleasing day with the bat. Finally, it was the unbeaten partnership between Tillekeratne Dilshan and Jehan Mubarak, that lifted the total to a formidable, 147. Mubarak top scored with 31 off 19 balls.
reach, it was not to be with the Sri Lankan bowling attack. Experienced seamer, Chaminda Vaas removed Nazim Uddin in the very first over. Dilhara Fernando’s first over went for 15 runs, with three boundaries by Aftab Ahmed, but he struck back in his very next over, with two wickets and a maiden. Afterwards, it was all Sri Lanka’s as Vaas picked up the wicket of Mohamed Ashraful. Jayasuriya, who had a bad day with the bat, got two wickets, while Lasith Malinga, and Farvez Maharoof contributed with one each. On a slow pitch, that got even slower, 147 was more than enough for the Sri Lankan bowlers, as they wrapped up Bangladesh for a mere 83.
Fernando was the key bowler in the game today, as he picked up two important wickets, those of Brenden McCullum and Lou Vincent early in the game. With the introduction of newcomer, Gayan Wijekoon in to the attack, Peter Fulton and Ross Taylor steadied the innings. Then Wijekoon, himself removed Fulton and thereafter it was Lasith Malinga, who joined the fun. Troubling the batsmen with his yorkers, Malinga didn’t allow the Kiwi batsmen to ease themselves. Malinga ran out Craig McMillan, and later picked up the wicket of Ross Taylor, who was the sole NewZealand batsman, who offered some resistance to the Sri Lankan bowlers. This was after Scott Styris had departed for a 2 been trapped leg before by Jayasuriya. Then, allrounder, Jacob Oram accelerated the innings with some big hits, towards the latter part of the game, taking the Kiwi total to 164/7.
Jayasuriya, who led the way with a match-winning half century. Upul Tharanga too contributed with a useful 37, and Captain, Mahela Jayawardene finished things off with a 35 off 18 balls, after Jayasuriya was caught by Fulton, off Vettori.
Ashraful, who started off slowly, was unbeaten on 129, at the end of the game when he ran out of partners. The talented Right-hander, who became the only batman in Bangladesh history to hit 4 test centuries, made his maiden ton against Sri Lanka on his Test debut in 2001. Rahim(80), who recorded his maiden fifty in only his third Test match was caught by Muralitharan off his own balling, to give Sri Lanka the breakthrough that they desperately wanted. The duo added 191 for the sixth wicket, the highest for any wicket in Test Cricket for Bangladesh, after former skipper Habibul Bashar was clean bowled by Dilhara Fernando to reduce the side to 78/5. 
in which the Bangladeshi batsmen handled the Sri Lankan bowling attack on the third day will definitely give them a bag full of confidence. This will also make them realize the importance of being consistent as a Test Nation.
against Sri Lanka in 2005.
It really was all over for the Bangladeshis when Murali was introduced in to the attack. Sri Lanka’s most successful spinner, took his 100th four-wicket hall as he ended up with figures of 4-14. The renowned Murali is now only 21 short of equaling the World Record currently held by retired Australian spinner, Shane Warne.
41. Then, Malinda Warnapura and Kumar Sangakkara continued piling on runs. Warnapura, who was dismissed for a golden duck in the first ball of his debut at the SSC, in the first test last week, kept up to the faith, the selectors had bestowed upon him by making his maiden fifty in only the second Test Match of his career. The elegant left hander, who went on to make an unbeaten 79 at the end of Day 1, is the nephew of Sri Lanka’s first Test Captain, Bandula Warnapura.
Jayawardene and Mohammad Yousuf to carry on the attack against the African bowlers. Mahendra Singh Dhoni contributed with a useful 33 followed by the skipper Jayawardene. Then, a miscommunication between Ganguly and Jayawardene, led the skipper to fall just five runs short of a well-deserved half century. Despite Mahela’s dismissal, Ganguly sticked to his attack, to play a patient knock of 88. Afterwards, Yousuf continued his excellent form to record his second consecutive half century in the series. The innings was later accelerated to post a huge total of 338-7 by a 13-ball-30 from Yuvraj Singh.
In the bowling department, it was Dilhara Fernando who shone with a career best of 4-36 bagging his second consecutive Man of the Match Award. Apart from him, paceman Mohammed Asif and spinner Mohammed Rafique both picked up two wickets each while Yuvraj and Sehwag got one each.
== Sri Lanka Cricket == 