Sri Lanka 257 for 9 (Samarawickrama 93, Kusal 50, Mahmud 3-57) beat Bangladesh 236 (Hridoy 82, Shanaka 3-28, Pathirana 3-58) by 21 runs

While Samarawickrama's innings will rightly accumulate all of the plaudits, this was simply as a lot a win propped up by Sri Lanka's ever extra spectacular bowling unit. By now, their damage travails are effectively documented; however with every passing sport, there appears to be somebody that steps as much as take up the mantle.

Dasun Shanaka stepped up with figures of three for 28•Getty Images

This, although, was a sport that might not have been received if not for Samarawickrama. It was that quintessential knock the place one batter merely appeared to be taking part in on a special floor altogether than his team-mates. It was an innings of precision and function; however Samarawickrama has toiled within the home circuit for a number of years to earn his likelihood, and after this outing, his place within the ODI aspect must be all however locked in.

Having come into bat within the twenty fourth over, Samarawickrama performed the sport state to perfection, knocking the ball round initially whereas dealing nearly solely in singles. In reality, up till the fortieth over, he had simply two fours to his identify. By the time he was dismissed off the ultimate ball of the innings, that quantity reached eight, alongside two sixes to go along with it. In the method, Sri Lanka racked up 81 runs within the ultimate ten overs in what would change into a match-winning whole of 257.

Not that it was apparent to anybody on the midway mark - besides Samarawickrama. After his innings, he proclaimed that it was an above-par rating, the boldness in his tone suggesting an unwavering belief in his personal appraisal of the floor, which in itself provides extra advantage to his knock.

Prior to Samarawickrama's intervention, this was a sport that had threatened to go the best way so many different Sri Lanka batting performances had - with a fizzle on the demise. A 34-run opening stand adopted by a 74-run partnership between Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka had laid a stable sufficient platform by taking Sri Lanka to 103 for 1 by the tip of the twenty second over.

Maheesh Theekshana was costly, but additionally obtained three wickets•Associated Press

But between overs 22 and 40, Sri Lanka scored simply 74 runs, as wickets fell at common intervals. While Kusal obtained a second successive fifty, he once more did not convert it into a giant rating, along with his fifty-to-hundred ratio studying 23:2.

During this era, Bangladesh diverse their bowling choices effectively, regularly pairing tempo with spin. This meant that whereas the spinners saved one finish quiet, the Sri Lanka batters had been compelled to tackle the seamers on the different finish. This would finish in a lopsided scorecard the place every of the three Bangladesh tempo bowlers went for over six runs an over, however picked up eight wickets between them. The three spinners, in contrast, went wicketless, however none value greater than 5 an over.

Bangladesh's innings adopted the same script, with Hridoy and Mushfiqur's stand taking the chase deep. In the tip, although, Samarawickrama's innings would show the distinction. After 39 overs, the rating for either side was 173 for five. By the fortieth over, Bangladesh wanted 81 to win, the precise quantity Sri Lanka had taken off their ultimate ten.

But an innings would not be particular if it was simply replicated. Mushfiqur fell making an attempt to hit out, whereas Hridoy ran out of batters earlier than falling prey to Theekshana. A few lusty blows by the tail threatened a late twist, however by then, Sri Lanka had performed sufficient.