SL vs BAN | Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka star as Sri Lanka win third ODI to seal series

‌Brief score: SL 285/7 (50) [Kusal Mendis 124(114), Charith Asalanka 58(68); Mehidy Hasan Miraz 2/48(10)] beat BAN 186/10 (39.4) [Towhid Hridoy 51(78); Asitha Fernando 3/33(7), Dushmantha Chameera 3/51(8)] by 99 runs.

Sri Lanka pocketed the three-match ODI series with a clinical 99-run win over Bangladesh in Pallekele on Tuesday. Kusal Mendis did the star turn for the hosts with his sixth hundred in ODIs, powering them to a formidable 285/7 before Asitha Fernando and Dushmantha Chameera scuttled the visitors’ chase, picking up three wickets each.

Opting to bat first at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Mendis came into the middle in just the fourth over as Sri Lanka lost opener Nishan Madushka cheaply. He joined Pathum Nissanka (35) to stabilise the hosts’ innings with a 56-run stand for the second wicket. Just as the Lankans looked in a bit of bother at 100/3 after 21 overs, the wicketkeeper-batter was in action again, this time with skipper Charith Asalanka (58). The duo completed their hundred and fifty, respectively, in the 38th over before the skipper departed after a 124-run stand. Mendis continued his stay for five more overs before being dismissed for a 114-ball 124, an innings which included 18 fours. Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz and pacer Taskin Ahmed picked up 2/48 and 2/51, respectively, from their 10-over spells.

In return, Bangladesh were never in the chase as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Middle-order batter Towhid Hridoy was the lone half-centurion for the visitors, scoring three fours and a six during his knock of 51 off 78 balls. Mehidy (28) and wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali (27) could not convert their promising starts into big scores as the Tigers folded out for 186 runs with more than 10 overs to spare. Pacers Asitha Fernando and Dushmantha Chameera were the picks among the home side’s bowlers with spells of 3/33 and 3/51, respectively. Meanwhile, spinners Dunith Wellalage and Wanindu Hasaranga had two wickets to their names.

With that win, Sri Lanka ended the ODI series 2-1 with the action shifting to the three-match T20I series starting at the same venue on Thursday. Mendis, who won the Player of the Match for his match-winning century, was also adjudged the Player of the Series with a tally of 225 runs at an impressive average of 75.00 and a strike rate of 119.68.