Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya celebrates as he takes the final wicket to win their Super Eight match against Bangladesh at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg yesterday. - AP
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters):
SRI LANKA restricted Bangladesh to 83 all out to win their Twenty20 World Cup Super Eights match by 64 runs in Johannesburg yesterday.
Chasing 148 for victory, Bangladesh's batsmen froze on a sluggish pitch and were swept away in 15.5 overs in the Group F match.
Dilhara Fernando took two for 21 in a fast and furious display with the new ball and Chaminda Vaas two for 14 in four tight overs for Sri Lanka.
Aftab Ahmed and Shakib al-Hasan were joint top scorers for Bangladesh with 18 runs apiece but the rest of the batting order was exposed for a lack of skills under pressure.
Slow left-armer Sanath Jayasuriya picked up the last two wickets as he joined the attack in the 14th over.
Bangladesh had earlier called on their quartet of slow bowlers to frustrate Sri Lanka and limit them to 147 for five in their 20 overs.
Sri Lanka struggled
Sri Lanka, sent in to bat, struggled throughout their innings to score at more than a run-a-ball and lost regular wickets hitting out rashly.
Jayasuriya, the leading runscorer in the tournament thus far, cut his first delivery, from paceman Mashrafe Mortaza, straight to deep point.
Seamer Syed Rasel bowled a brilliant opening spell in which he conceded just nine runs in three overs, including a maiden, and he dismissed Upul Tharanga (23) when wicketkeeper Mushfiqir Rahim, standing up to the stumps, caught a bottom-edged pull between his legs.
Kumar Sangakkara, bowled by off-spinner Mohammad Mahmudullah for 20, and Mahela Jayawardene, bowled by left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak for 30, also played themselves in before getting out.
Jehan Mubarak stroked 31 not out off 19 balls in the closing overs to boost Sri Lanka's total.
Mahmudullah was the best of the Bangladesh bowlers, conceding just 19 runs in his four overs.
Sri Lanka will play Australia in Cape Town tomorrow to decide which of the two teams will make the semi-finals from their group, Pakistan being sure of their place.
