SRI Lanka narrowly avoided an upset in an underwhelming 14-run win over United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Asia Cup yesterday.Dinesh Chandimal (50) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (27) were the only Sri Lanka players to emerge with any real credit from an undignified stay at the crease for the World Twenty20 holders at Sher-e Bangla National Stadium.
Just two others, Shehan Jayasuriya and Chamara Kapugedera (both 10), reached double figures as Graham Ford’s men limped to 129-8 in Mirpur.
Although UAE’s specialists comprehensively failed – opener Rohan Mustafa departed for a golden duck – Sri Lanka were nearly punished by the underdogs’ tail, wicketkeeper Swapnil Patil, batting at six, scoring 37 off 36 balls before he was caught and bowled by Lasith Malinga, who was playing in his first competitive match since November.
Skipper Malinga (4-26), Nuwan Kulasekara (3-10) and Rangana Herath (2-22), the latter in international short-form action for the first time since Sri Lanka won the World T20 in April 2014, spared their team’s blushes, as Shaiman Anwar (13), Amjad Javed (13) and Mohammad Naveed (10) mounted a lower-order resistance alongside Patil that ultimately proved to be in vain.
UAE skipper Javed (3-25) had earlier proved the danger man with the ball, removing Chandimal, Dilshan and Milinda Siriwardana to account for Sri Lanka’s top three.
It was not to be for the associate nation, though, as Sri Lanka, who play hosts to Bangladesh on Sunday, join India on two points with one win from one match played.
The two top-ranked sides in the five-team tournament advance to the final of the competition, which is serving as a warm-up for the World T20 in India.