Rain spoils entertaining contest

Cricket365
March 28, 2017

A torrential downpour during the dinner break sadly washed out what was poised to be a thrilling chase in the second ODI between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

We may not have got a result but we were treated to plenty of entertainment as Sri Lanka posted 311 all out in 49.5 overs.

Upul Tharanga played an assured knock up front after losing opening partner Danushka Gunathilaka (9) early.

Tharanga (65) put on 111 with Kusal Mendis for the second wicket at a steady but unspectacular pace before he was run out in bizarre circumstances, Mustafizur Rahman bowled a high full toss which was called a no-ball, wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim deflected the ball to short fine leg and Mahmudullah ran out Tharanga at the bowler’s end as they attempted to steal a single.

Mendis would make amends for calling Tharanga through by registering his maiden ODI ton.

Dinesh Chandimal (24) got a start but he walked across his stumps trying to flick the ball to leg and was trapped in front, he opted for the review perhaps thinking he had got outside the line of off-stump but replays showed the ball struck him in line with the ball set to hit middle and leg.

Bangladesh put in a shambolic display in the field but there were also a few bizarre incidents, like the drive that Mendis (102) thundered back at Taskin Ahmed only to see the ball fly high in the air enabling the bowler to catch the rebound.

Asela Gunaratne (39) and Milinda Siriwardana looked to get on with things but the two could not have looked more different doing it, the former played some glorious strokes while the latter dealt primarily in ugly agricultural mows.

Siriwardana (30) perished swinging wildly at a straight one from Mehedi Hasan before a wild ending to the innings unfolded.

First both Perera’s, Thisara (9) and Dilruwan (9) were run out attempting singles to wicketkeeper Mushfiqur who scored two direct hits to send them packing, then Taskin Ahmed claimed a final over hat-trick with Sri Lanka deciding everything had to go.

Speaking of hat-tricks we put together the latest Cricket365 quiz and it is all about the bowling feat.

In the end we will never know if Bangladesh could have chased down the score as persistent rain denied us further entertainment.