Thushara runs riot as Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 28 runs, clinch series  

A sensational hat-trick by pace bowler Nuwan Thushara rattled Bangladesh top order as the hosts were handed a defeat of 28 runs by Sri Lanka in the third and decisive match of the three-match T20 series in Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Chasing a target of 175, Bangladesh found themselves reeling at 24 for 5 inside fourth over, courtesy of a fiery hat-trick by pacer Nuwan Thushara who was only playing his eight T20 match. If not for a spectacular rearguard charge by Rishad Hossain and Taskin Ahmed, Bangladesh’s defeat was bound to be a massive one.

Thushara sent shockwaves through the Bangladeshi camp as he rattled the stumps of both Najmul Hossain Shanto and Tawhid Hridoy in fourth over and his first. He then dismissed the seasoned Mahmudullah plumb in front of the wicket, leaving Bangladesh in complete disarray, and picking up his hat-trick as the fifth Sri Lankan bowler in the T20 format.

Before Thushara came to the scene, Dhananjaya de Silva gave Sri Lanka the first breakthrough picking up opener Liton Das in the third over. Bangladesh lost the first wicket at 13 and soon became 15 for 4.

Thushara, who got chance by the happenstance in the match due to Matheesha Pathirana’s injury, continued his onslaught in the next over uprooting stumps of southpaw Soumya Sarkar who struck two boundaries off Binura Fernando’s previous over. Bangladesh lost half the side at 24 and were staring at a massive defeat within powerplay.

Failing to recover from the early blows, Bangladesh lost sixth wicket for 32 as Hasaranga got last match’s hero Jaker Ali for a struggling 13-ball 4.

Rishad Hossain and Mahedi Hasan gave some solace to the home crowd adding 44 runs in the seventh wicket partnership but chasing the massive target became too an uphill task by then. Rishad hit back to back sixes in the 11th over bowled by Hasaranga and again in the next over bowled by Maheesh Theekshana.

Mahedi Hasan fell to a tossed up delivery of Hasaranga leaving Bangaldesh 76 for 7 in the fourteenth over.

Mahedi’s departure could not deter Rishad as he hit three massive sixes over cow corner in the fifteenth over bowled by Theekshana and brought 100 for Bangladesh.

Rishad brought his fifty by hitting another massive six over deep square leg in the sixteenth over bowled by Fernando.

Rishad’s sensational cameo of 30-ball 53 came to an end in the seventeenth over by Theekshana that left Bangladesh 117 for eight. Rishad hit 7 sixes, the most by any Bangladeshi batter in a T20 match.

Rishad and Taskin added 41 runs from 21 balls in the eighth wicket partnership.

Taskin also played a cameo of 21-ball 31 before being out in the last over.

In a day meek surrender by top order batters, the late order batters Rishad and Taskin showed some mettle to decrease the margin of defeat of Bangladesh.

Earlier, Sri Lanka posted 174 for 7 as opener Kusal Mendis played a brilliant knock of 86.  

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss for the third time on the trot and asked the visitors to bat.

Taskin Ahmed give Bangladesh the first breakthrough in fourth over when Sri Lanka was in 18. Dhananjaya de Silva holed out in midwicket to Soumya Sarkar scoring 12-ball 8.

Sri Lanka scored 41 for 1 in the powerplay.

Kamindu Mendis top edged a Rishad Hossain delivery as Shoriful took a nice catch in the long on in the eighth over leaving Sri Lanka at 54 for 2.

Wanindu Hasaranga joined Kusal Mendis in third wicket. Mendis picked his second fifth in the series in balls but get dropped in backward point immediately afterwards. Mahmdullah Riyad dropped a tough catch from a delivery by Soumya Sarkar.

Mustafiz, who conceded 18 runs in the tenth over, broke the third wicket partnership removing Hasaranga. This partnership brought 59 runs off 31 balls.

Shoriful got Asalanka but Mendis was still dealing with flurry of boundaries threatening the hosts to post a challenging total on the board.

As Bangladesh were desperately trying to get rid of Kusal Mendis with death over approaching, Taskin was the man to bring it again. Kusal Mendis holed out a bouncer and Soumya took an easy catch in midwicket.

Kusal Mendis departed only after scoring 86 off 55 balls with the help of 6 boundaries and equal number of over boundaries.

In the next over, Rishad Hossain removed experienced campaigner Angelo Mathews after he played 7-ball 10.

Dasun Shanaka and Sadeera Samarawickrama added 22 runs from 13 balls in the seventh wicket partnership to take their team to 174 in 20 over.

Shanaka was run out in the ball after 8-ball 18, thanks to an excellent behind-the-back flick from wicketkeeper Liton Das.

In reply, Bangladesh were all out for 146, squandering their chance to beat Sri Lanka in a T20 series for the first time.

The match will be remembered for Thushara's hat-trick, but Rishad will also be remembered by Bangladesh fans for his late heroics.

Nuwan Thushara was adjudged player of the match picking 5 wickets for 20 runs.