In a thrilling World Cup encounter that had no bearing on the tournament’s knockout stage, Bangladesh secured their first-ever victory over Sri Lanka in a World Cup match. Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka’s century, an impressive display of middle-order batting, went in vain as Bangladesh chased down a target of 279, emerging victorious by three wickets.
Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bowl first.
Sri Lanka, batting first, put up a fighting total of 279 losing all their wickets in 49.3 overs. Asalanka’s magnificent 105-ball 108 was the highlight of their innings, while opener Pathum Nissanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama contributed identical scores of 41 runs each.
One of the standout moments of the match was the bizarre incident involving Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews. The experienced cricketer became the first international player to be ‘timed out’ after failing to be ready to face the ball within two minutes of the fall of a wicket. Mathews, who walked out to bat after Samarawickrama’s dismissal, faced helmet strap issues, and a request for a replacement prompted Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan to appeal for a ‘time out.’ Following an unsuccessful discussion with the umpires, Mathews was forced to leave the field.
For Bangladesh, Tanzim Hasan Sakib picked up three wickets, highest for by a Bangladeshi bowler today, while Shakib Al Hasan and Shoriful Islam picked up two each. Mehidy Hasan Miraz managed to take out Dhananjaya de Silva at 34.
Bangladesh’s innings
While Sri Lanka started with taking quick wickets, the partnership between Najmul Hossain Shanto (90) and skipper Shakib Al Hasan (82) turned the tide in Bangladesh’s favor. Their 161-run partnership for the third wicket laid the foundation for the historic win, with Bangladesh reaching 282 for 7 in 41.1 overs.
For Sri Lanka, Dilshan Madushanka took three wickets, while Angelo Mathews and Maheesh Theekshana took two each. Mathews was the one who picked up Shakib’s wicket.
This victory marked a historic moment in Bangladesh’s cricketing journey, as it was their first-ever win against Sri Lanka in a World Cup match. Both teams are now out of contention for the World Cup semifinals.