No series win for Tigers

In the series-deciding third ODI at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo yesterday, there were two moments when the match could have gone away from Bangladesh. In the first instance, with Sri Lanka going great guns at 76 for no loss in 10 overs after being asked to bat first on a green pitch with rain in the air, Bangladesh turned the match around and restricted Sri Lanka to 280 for nine. In the second instance, being reduced to 11 for three, Bangladesh had run out of gas and succumbed to a 70-run loss that meant that the series was shared 1-1, courtesy of a 90-run win by the visitors in the first ODI and a washout in the second game after Sri Lanka had piled on 311.

Even with the batting setback, a quickfire 77-run fourth-wicket partnership between opener Soumya Sarkar and Shakib Al Hasan had raised hopes of an unlikely win, but those were dashed when Soumya was stumped off Dilruwan Perera for 38 in the 16th over, after having punished the off-spinner for 20 runs in the 10th over.

Mosaddek Hossain then stuck around with Shakib for a 23-run partnership, but Sri Lanka's superb fielding -- a huge improvement upon the hosts' displays so far in the tour -- choked the life out of the youngster, who was bowled by leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna trying to cut a ball off the stumps in the 23rd over. Shakib scored a fifty, but his dismissal for a 62-ball 54 seven runs later, trying to clear short cover but only managing to his it straight to Danushka Gunathilaka, snuffed out any outside hope of a win.

Mahmudullah Riyad's dismissal, a familiar catch by the keeper off an attempted hook down the leg side off Suranga Lakmal, to leave the score at 127 for seven raised fears of a debilitating loss, but then Mehedi Hasan Miraz, who scored a maiden ODI 50, along with skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and tailender Taskin Ahmed, took the score to a semblance of respectability before being all out for 210 in 44.3 overs.

In chase of 280, Bangladesh were struck a major blow in the first over, when Tamim Iqbal -- who a ball before had been fortunate not to be caught behind as an edge flew between wicketkeeper and first slip -- was caught and bowled by Nuwan Kulasekara off the fifth ball of the innings off as the left-hander tried to check an on drive. Kulasekara spilled the ball as he was about to throw it up in celebration, much like the famous reprieve of Australia's Steve Waugh by South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs, but this time the umpires on the field and behind the television decided that the catch was completed.

Number three Sabbir Rahman played a rash shot off Kulasekara's next over, chasing a wide ball to be caught behind. Mushfiqure Rahim's bad series continued as he fell for a first-ball duck when Lakmal trapped him in front in the fourth over of the chase.

Earlier, Sri Lanka openers Upul Tharanga and Danushka Gunathilaka went after Bangladesh's opening pair of Mashrafe and Mustafizur Rahman. A poor series in terms of control seemed to continue for Mustafizur, with a wide and three boundaries in his third over prompting Mashrafe to replace him with Taskin Ahmed. Off-spinner Miraz, who replaced Mashrafe, conceded three boundaries and a six before floating one up and enticing Dunathilaka to hit uppishly to cover fielder Riyad in the 11th over to walk back 34.

Taskin, the pick of the bowlers, then produced a moment of inspiration. He produced a perfect pacer's wicket, hitting Upul Tharanga's middle stump with one that came in off the pitch and defeated the left-hander with pace. The Sri Lanka skipper departed for a 34-ball 35, with his team on 87 for two in 13.4 overs. Bangladesh pulled things back substantially after that. Through a combination of good bowling, consistently good fielding and proactive captaincy, only 116 runs were conceded in the following 26.2 overs for three wickets.

Two of those fell to run-outs -- an unlucky one for Dinesh Chandimal when he failed to keep his bat and feet grounded at the exact moment that Mushfiqur Rahim whipped off the bails, and a brilliant gather on the run by Mushfiqur that got rid of Milinda Siriwardene in the 31st over. Kusal Mendis, meanwhile, motored his way to his second 50-pluus score in the series, having hit a century in the abandoned match. But in the 37th over, he fell for 54, edging Mustafizur to the keeper trying to glide down to third man.

From 203 for five after 40, Thisara Perera's 40-ball 52 propelled Sri Lanka to 280 for nine in 50 overs. Mashrafe picked up Asela Gunaratne, Thisara and Dilruwan Perera off slogs, while Mustafizur Rahman picked up Prasanna off a skied edge to Riyad at point.