Bangladesh Scrape Through in Nervy T20 World Cup Clash Against Sri Lanka
In a closely fought Group D encounter of the ongoing T20 World Cup in USA, Bangladesh emerged victorious against their South Asian rivals Sri Lanka in a nail-biting finish at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Saturday. Chasing a moderate total of 125, the Tigers triumphed by two wickets with an over to spare in what was a memorable win for them against the Islanders.
After opting to field first, Bangladesh were made to work hard by Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka who got his team off to a flying start. Using his nimble footwork to perfection, Nissanka struck seven boundaries and a couple of maximums in his brisk 47-run knock. However, tight bowling from Bangladesh halted Sri Lanka’s momentum as they lost wickets at regular intervals to finish on 125. Leg-spinner Rishad Hossain was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/20.
In reply, Bangladesh’s chase got off to a stuttering start losing their top three cheaply. But a vital fourth-wicket stand of 50 between Litton Das (24) and Towhid Hridoy (32*) steadied the innings. Hridoy’s fearless hitting was a vital contribution as he smashed three consecutive sixes. Some late drama ensued as Sri Lanka bagged two quick wickets but Mahmudullah (11*) saw his team home in the end.
The win gives Bangladesh an ideal start to their campaign and dumps Sri Lanka to the bottom of the group. The two teams will now aim to build on from this close encounter, with plenty more matches awaited in the competition.
