Sri Lanka take 1-0 lead in T20I Series

Touring Sri Lanka took a 1-0 lead in the two-match T20I series beating hosts Bangladesh by six wickets in the first match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Thursday, denying Tigers ever-highest T201 total 193 for 5, reports UNB.

The second and last T20 match between two teams will be held on Sunday at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

With the day's feat, Sri Lanka poised for another series victory after beating Bangladesh in the Tri-nation series and also in the two-match Test series.

The islanders won the first T20I with the frustration of youthful Tigers with a record of chasing to break their previous chasing record of 174 runs.

Chasing challenging total of 194 runs, Islanders Sri Lanka made a flying start scoring 90 runs for 2 in just 7.5 overs losing two top wickets of Danushka Gunathilaka and Kusal Mendis and finally reached their target scoring match-winner 194 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in 16.4 overs.

Opener Kusal Mendis quick-fired 27 ball 53 runs featuring eight fours and two sixes, was adjudged the man of the match.

Number four batsman Dasun Shanaka scored an unbeaten 42 runs off 24 balls hitting three fours and three sixes, number six Thisara Perera quick-fired not out 39 runs off just 18 balls including four boundaries and three overboundaries while opener Gunathilaka made 15-ball 30 runs with help of six boundaries.

Debutant spinner Nazmul Islam Apu made the first breakthrough in the Sri Lankan innings dismissing Gunathilaka, who went back to the pavilion, stumped by wicket keeper Mushfiqur Rahim, scoring 15-ball 30 runs leaving team total 53 for 1 in just 4.5 overs.

Another opener Kusal Mendis quick-fired 53 runs off just 27 balls hitting eight fours and two sixes before he caught by Soumya Sarker, off delivery of debutant Afif Hossain with scoreboard showing 90 for 2 in 7.5 overs.

Upal Tharanga victim of soft dismissal, caught by Afif Hossain off a Nazmul Islam ball scoring seven ball four runs leaving team total 92 for 3 in 8.3 over while wicket keeper N Dickwella also back to the pavilion scoring nine-ball 11 runs with two boundaries when their score stuck at 129 runs for 4 in 11.4 overs.

Debutant left arm orthodox bowler Nazmul Islam Apu grabbed two wickets for 25 runs while another debutant Afif Hossain and pacer Rubel Hossain took one wicket each conceding 26 and 52 runs respectively.

Earlier, youthful Bangladesh team scored their ever-highest in T20I cricket making 193 for 5 in 20 overs against Sri Lanka in the first match of the two-match T201 series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Thursday, featuring two half centuries and career best score by Mushfiqur Rahim (66) and Soumya Sarkar (51).

The previous highest score of Bangladesh was 190 for 5 against Ireland in Belfast on July 18 in 2012.

After the dismissal three top order batsmen for 100 runs in 10.3 overs, Tigers Captain Mahmudullah pairing with former Test Captain Mushfiqur Rahim guided the team toward a challenging total contributing 73 runs in the 4th wicket stand.

Mushfiqur Rahim hammered his career best unconquered 66 runs off just 44 balls featuring seven fours and one six while Mahmudullah scored a polished 43 runs in 31-ball with two four and two sixes, before he was caught by Akila Dananjaya off a Isuru Udana delivery, leaving the team total 173 for 4 in 18.2 overs.

Sabbir Rahman scored two-ball one run before he was bowled by Thisara Perera while debutant Ariful Haque remained not out on one run.

Tigers made a flying start scoring 100 for 1 in 10 overs losing the wicket of debutant opener Zakir Hasan for 49 runs in four overs. But they lost two quick wickets of national opener Soumya Sarker and debutant all-rounder Afif Hossain in span of only two balls without adding any run.

Lankan leg break bowler Jeevan Mendis made the major damage in Bangladesh innings grabbing the wicket of set batsman Soumya Sarkar in the first ball of eleven over and he again dismissed Afif Hossain in the 3rd ball of the same over to restrict Bangladesh to 100 for 3 from 100 for 1.

Opener Soumya Sarkar fell victim of lbw scoring his maiden T20 fifty with 51 runs off 32 balls featuring six fours and two sixes leaving team total 100/2 in 10.1 overs while Afif Hossain went back to the pavilion with duck playing two balls with scorecard showing 100 for 3 in 10.3 overs.

But, Left arm off break bowler Danushka Gunathilaka made the first breakthrough in Bangladesh innings bowling out debutant Zakir Hasan for 49 runs in in four overs. Zakir scored 10 runs off nine balls with a boundary.

Mendis grabbed two wickets for 21 runs while Gunathilaka, Perera and Udana took one wicket each conceding 16, 36 and 45 runs respectively.

Earlier Bangladesh stand-in captain Mahmudullah opted to bat first after winning the toss against the Islanders recruiting four debutants cricketers - all rounders Ariful Haque and Afif Hossain, batsman cum wicket keeper Zakir Hasan and left arm spinner Nazmul Islam.

Former Test captain cum wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim, who was suffering from light injury, was included in the day's squad while injury grabbed reliable opening batsman Tamim Iqbal excluded from the day's final line-up in absence of regular captain Sakib Al Hasan.

Dadushanka makes his T20I debut for Sri Lanka in the day's match.