Sri Lanka (228 for 5; Jayasuriya 40, Atapattu 83) beat Bangladesh (226 for 8; Tushar Imran 61, Khaled Masud 54) by 5 wickets
scorecard

Sri Lanka took a 1-0 lead in their three-match ODI series, but Bangladesh at least made a game of it, by posting a competitive total of 226 for 8 at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. The more experienced Sri Lankans eased home with 5.2 overs to spare, but it was a contest, unlike most of Bangladesh's early Test matches. Nonetheless it was Bangladesh's 48th defeat in 51 official one-day internationals.

At 203 for 3, with Marvan Atapattu playing the anchor role to perfection, it looked like a routine victory was on the cards. But then Atapattu was run out – his 83 took 101 balls, and included eight fours and a six – before Aravinda de Silva touched his third ball, from the left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafiq, to the keeper.

It was too little too late – Sri Lanka only needed 20 more runs by then – but it did show that Bangladesh weren't going to roll over too easily.

Earlier Sanath Jayasuriya had threatened to make it an even shorter contest, racing to 40 off 32 balls before skying to square leg off medium-pacer Tapash Baisya. Jayasuriya and Atapattu had piled on 56 for the first wicket – and it was still only the eighth over. Kumar Sangakkara chimed in with 29 from 23 balls – he stroked six fours – before he popped one up off pint-sized medium-pacer Khaled Mahmud just after the 15-over fielding restrictions were lifted.

After that Atapattu quietened down a little, and seemed likely to anchor his team to victory before that late clatter of wickets. In the end it was Russel Arnold (29 not out) who stayed there till the formalities were concluded.

When they batted, Bangladesh were indebted to contrasting half-centuries from their captain, Khaled Masud, and 18-year-old Tushar Imran. Bangladesh got off to a quick start after winning the toss: Mohammad Ashraful pulled Dilhara Fernando and Chamila Gamage for sixes on his way to 36 in 53 balls. 53-ball knock. But then Bangladesh slumped to 86 for 4, before Imran and Masud rescued the innings with a 90-run partnership.

The precocious Imran reached his second half-century in five matches with a lofted drive over mid-off for four off de Silva, whose return, after a year in the one-day wilderness, was one of the main pre-match talking-points. de Silva is hoping to make it to his fifth World Cup, in South Africa early next year.

Imran struck six fours during his 85-ball knock before sweeping Muttiah Muralitharan straight to deep square leg in the 42nd over. With that wicket Muralitharan equalled Shane Warne's haul of 278 in ODIs. Only Wasim Akram (463), Waqar Younis (377) and Anil Kumble (295) lie ahead.

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