Bangladesh Qualify For Asia Cup Final By Beating Sri Lanka

Bangladesh Qualify For Asia Cup Final By Beating Sri Lanka

Bangladesh have qualified for their first Asia Cup final

©REUTERS / Action Images

Bangladesh 212-5 (Tamim Iqbal 59, Shakib Al Hasan 56) beat
Sri Lanka 232 (Kapugedera 62) by 5 wickets
Asia Cup, Mirpur
Scorecard

Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the final group game of the Asia Cup 2012 to secure their place in the final against Pakistan.

Sri Lanka were bowled out for 232 and after Bangladesh were set a target of 212 in 40 overs after a rain break, they reached 212 for five in 37.1 overs.

Chamara Kapudera top scored for Sri Lanka with 62 as they struggled to recover from losing early wickets to slip to 32 for three.

Nazmul Hossain returned three for 32 by bowling Mahela Jayawardene (5) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (19) and then having Kumar Sangakkara caught by Nazimuddin for six.

Kapugedera, in the side for the unwell Dinesh Chandimal, hit four fours in his patient 92-ball innings before twin innings of 48 from Lahiru Thirimanne and Upul Tharanga helped continue the rebuilding process.

However, after their dismissals, another collapse ensued and Sri Lanka lost their last six wickets for 63 runs, left-arm spinners Abdur Razzak and Shakib Al Hasan grabbing a brace of wickets apiece.

Bangladesh, like Sri Lanka, lost three early wickets as Nazimuddin (6), Jahurul Islam (2) and Mushfiqur Rahim (1) fell cheaply to Nuwan Kulasekara and Suranga Lakmal.

Tamim Iqbal stood firm at the other end, blasting 59 in 57 balls with nine fours while Shakib made 56 in 46 balls to get Bangladesh back on track.

Sachithra Senanayake dismissed both men but Bangladesh were not to be denied, and composed knocks of 36 not out from Mahmudullah and 32 not out from Nasir Hossain helped them secure an historic win.

They take on Pakistan on Thursday 22nd March.

© Cricket World 2012