Bangladesh lost their second last-ball thriller in as many games as Sri Lanka swept the two-match Twenty20 series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Friday.
Sachithra Senanayake dispatched Farhad Reza’s last delivery for a boundary with Sri Lanka needing two runs to win as the visitors scored 123-7 after dismissing the hosts for 120 in 19.5 overs.
The Bangladeshi pacers nearly held off the Lankans at the end.
Mashrafee bin Murtaza (2-29) conceded just 5 runs in the 18th over, and Rubel Hossain gave up 11 in the 19th, leaving it up to Farhad Reza to bowl the 20th with Sri Lanka needing nine runs to win.
Farhad gave up just seven runs from the first five balls before Senanayake won the match off the last ball, pulling a short-pitched delivery after fine-leg came up.
Sri Lanka were in all sorts of trouble after losing Kumara Sangakkara (26) when Tamim Iqbal took a brilliant catch at short third man to reduce the visitors to 96-7 and bring the hosts back into the match, but some late Thisara Perera heroics helped them to cruise to victory.
Bangladeshi bowlers dominated proceedings for the most part until man-of-the-match Perera (35 not out) and Senanayake added a valuable 27 runs to win the match.
Bangladesh had a nightmarish start to their innings and were reeling at 3-2 before Sakib al Hasan and Anamul Haque briefly began to rebuild the innings in an aggressive manner, entertaining the crowd but not lasting long enough to give their side a platform for a respectable total.
Shamsur Rahman (1) tried to chip a Tillakaratne Dilshan delivery and found Dinesh Chandimal at mid-wicket in the first over.
Tamim (2) hardly fared any better, charging man-of-the-series Nuwan Kulusakera only to be caught at third man by Ajantha Mendis in the second over.
Bangladesh continued to attack, however, as Sakib al Hasan hit three fours from the next four deliveries to bring the crowd to their feet.
Anamul Haque, fresh off his maiden Twenty20 International half century, looked to be in sublime touch as he scored 20 runs in the next over with two sixes and two fours off Dilshan.
Sakib (12) was removed after facing just six balls when Kulasekara sprinted from mid-on to take a sensational catch on the run at long-on off Senanayake.
Anamul looked good on his way to 24 runs but could hardly believe his luck as he too was dismissed by a great catch off Senanayake, this time with Kusal Perera snaring a diving overhead catch at the mid-wicket boundary.
The only other batsmen to reach double figures were debutant Sabbir Rahman (26 off 36) and Mashrafee (17 off 10).
-With New Age input
