HASARANGA, MENDIS GUIDE SRI LANKA TO 1-0 LEAD

The first session of play belonged to Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka who cracked a century for his side to make a modest 244 and in the second sesion spin duo Wanindu Hasaranga and Kamindu Mendis combined to wreck Bangladesh in pursuit of 245 runs to bundle them out for 167 runs to guide Sri Lanka record a comfortable 77 runs win in the first of the three ODI's played at the R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday for the host side to take a 1-0 lead.

- By M. SHAMIL AMIT

Bangladesh with top scorer Tanzid Hasan who made a 61 ball 62 and Najmul Hossain Shanto at the wicket was cruising and sitting pretty going at the rate of over six runs an over.

But the separation of the pair with the run out of Shanto who together with Hasan shared 71 runs in 69 balls turned the tables as from there on they underwent a major collapse by losing six wickets for the addition of just five runs as from a healthy 100 for 2 they slid to 105 for 8.

It was spin pair Hasaranga and Mendis who together combined to send them reeling which began with Hasaranga taking two wickets in his first over and then Mendis doing the same in his second over.

Bangladesh reeling with the score on 125 for 9 though the last pair of Jaker Ali and Mustafizur Rahman putting in some resistance they were able to muster only 42 runs between them as Hasaranga who bagged four scalps ended Bangladesh's innings with the last wicket that of Jaker Ali who made 51.