Sri Lanka complete clean sweep

Bangladesh v Sri Lanka
3rd ODI – September 4, 2005
Colombo, Sri Lanka

It was mere formality. Bangladesh looked far from the side that beat Australia earlier this year, as Sri Lanka pummeled them, to seal a 3-0 series clean sweep, in the final match today, at Colombo, by six wickets.

The hosts, without the likes of senior players like Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vass, needed just the 21.2 overs to knock off the paltry target of 106 off the stipulated 46 overs, reducing from 50 as a result of a rain delay.

Bangladesh got off to a promising start though, reaching 47 without loss, thanks to gritty batting by openers Javed Omar and Shahriar Nafees, against a relatively unexperienced pace trio of Farveez Maharoof, Dilhara Lokuhettige and Dilhara Fernando.

Maharoof and Fernando got the best of the openers then though, and also went to claim four more wickets between them, to reduce the visitors to 54/6 – losing six wickets for seven runs in a space of 26 balls.

The Bangladeshi batting never got going after that, and spinners Upul Chandana and Tilakratne Dilshan polished off the tail, and the innings closed at 108.

A brief spell of rain reduced a couple of overs time, and thus the target for Sri Lanka to 106. Avishka Gunawardene hit 52 off 61, as Tapash Baisya’s spirited effort to cause some trouble early on with a couple of wickets including that of Upul Tharanga, who was later named the Player of the Series, went in vain, and Sri Lanka reached the target quite comfortably.

Bangladesh: 108 all out in 38.2 overs (48)
MF Maharoof 3/25 (8), CRD Fernando 3/19 (8), UDU Chandana 2/15 (7), TM Dilshan 2/20 (9)
Sri Lanka: 106/4 in 21.2 overs (Target 106, 46)
DA Gunawardene 52 (61), Tapash Baisya 2/27 (7)
Man of the Match: CRD Fernando (SL)
Player of the Series: WU Tharanga (SL)

Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets, and wins the series 3-0.