…The spin twins pick five wickets between them as hosts eye series win on final day

BAD light cut short Sri Lanka’s charge to a series win on the fourth evening of the second Test in Pallekele. Bangladesh were tottering at 177 for 5 when play was called off an hour before the scheduled close. Despite losing three wickets before tea, Bangladesh continued to bat aggressively in the final session, perhaps mindful of the pitch continuing to offer sharp turn and bounce to the spinners. Ramesh Mendis, the offspinner, took three wickets while Praveen Jayawickrama, the debutant left-arm spinner, picked two to take his match tally to eight wickets. He is now the third Sri Lankan after Akila Dhananjaya and Ajantha Mendis to take so many wickets on Test debut, eight wickets on Test debut. Jayawickrama struck to remove Saif Hassan and Najmul Hossain Shanto before tea. Hassan struck five fours and a six in his 34, before holing out to cover point off an ungainly shot. Shanto, who made 163 followed by two ducks, survived an early lbw appeal, but had his forward press breached when Jayawickrama got the ball to spin through his defence on 26.
Five overs into the final session, Bangladesh lost their captain, Mominul Haque, when he inside edged an innocuous Mendis delivery onto his stumps on 32. Mushfiqur Rahim hung around to make 40, but his was a chancy knock.

First, Lahiru Thirimanne dropped him on 6. Then, Niroshan Dickwella missed a stumping chance when a Mendis delivery slipped through his legs as Mushfiqur, bizarrely, left the ball through his legs after stepping out. But his end came soon, when Mendis got one to jump on him, taking his glove to be an easy catch for Dhananjaya de Silva at short leg. Bangladesh’s 437-run target was set up by Sri Lanka, who declared on 194 for 9 shortly after lunch. They added 177 runs 35.2 overs, with Dimuth Karunaratne’s 66 being the top score. It took his series tally to 428 runs, which made him the second Sri Lankan to score 400-plus runs in a Test series against Bangladesh. Karunaratne added 73 for the fourth wicket with Dhananjaya de Silva, who chipped in with 41. Sri Lanka lost most of their wickets on the fourth day trying to bat aggressively, helping Taijul Islam to a five-wicket haul, his second on foreign soil.
But that may prove to only be academic with the hosts having every chance to wrap up the game on the final day.(Cricinfo).

SRI LANKA 1st innings 493 for 7decl
Bangladesh 1st innings 251
Sri Lanka 2nd innings 0/n 17 for 2
Lahiru Thirimanne c Nazmul Hossain Shanto b Mehidy Hasan 2
Dimuth Karunaratne c (Sub) b Saif Hassan 66
Oshada Fernando st Liton Das b Taijul Islam 1
Angelo Mathews c (Sub) b Taijul Islam 12
Dhananjaya de Silva c Nazmul Hossain Shanto b Mehidy Hasan 41
Pathum Nissanka c Shoriful Islam b Taijul Islam 24
Niroshan Dickwella c Taijul Islam b Taskin Ahmed 24
Ramesh Mendis c Tamim Iqbal b Taijul Islam 8
Suranga Lakmal b Taijul Islam 12
Praveen Jayawickrama Not Out 3
Extras 0b 0lb 1nb 0pen 0w 1
Total (42.2 overs) 194 for 9 decl
Fall of Wickets : 1-14 Thirimanne, 2-15 Fernando, 3-39 Mathews, 4-112 Karunaratne, 5-124 de Silva, 6-162 Nissanka, 7-178 Dickwella, 8-180 Wanigamuni, 9-194 Lakmal
Did Not Bat : Fernando
Bowling : Mehidy Hasan 14 – 3 – 66 – 2, Taijul Islam 19.2 – 2 – 72 – 5 (1nb)
Taskin Ahmed 4 – 0 – 26 – 1, Saif Hassan 4 – 0 – 22 – 1.

……………………………………………………………
BANGLADESH 2nd innings
Tamim Iqbal c Niroshan Dickwella b Ramesh Mendis 24
Saif Hassan c Suranga Lakmal b Praveen Jayawickrama 34
Nazmul Hossain Shanto b Praveen Jayawickrama 26
Mominul Haque b Ramesh Mendis 32
Mushfiqur Rahim c Dhananjaya de Silva b Ramesh Mendis 40
Liton Das Not Out 14
Mehidy Hasan Not Out 4
Extras 3b 0lb 0nb 0pen 0w 3
Total (48.0 overs) 177-5
Fall of Wickets : 1-31 Iqbal, 2-73 Hassan, 3-104 Shanto, 4-134 Haque, 5-171 Rahim
To Bat : Islam, Ahmed, Islam, Chowdhury
Bowling : Suranga Lakmal 4 – 2 – 14 – 0, Ramesh Mendis 20 – 0 – 86 – 3, Praveen Jayawickrama 20 – 5 – 58 – 2, Dhananjaya de Silva 4 – 0 – 16 – 0 .