Dhaka: Bangladesh fell three runs short of their mammoth chase of 355 runs against Sri Lanka Board President’s XI in the thrilling limited-over tour match at Colombo Cricket Club Ground on Wednesday. 

Bangladesh needed eight runs from the last three balls when Mahmudullah was at the batting end to face Thisara Perera. But he wasted the first ball before hammering a boundary in the penultimate ball when the Tigers needed four runs from the last ball. But Mahmudullah managed a single in the end. 

Despite the Tigers’ loss, Sabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah, skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and 21-year-old Mosaddek Hossain warmed up well with bat hammering quick fifties in their team total collection of 352 for 8 in 50 overs.  

Sabbir Rahman stayed for top-scoring 72 off 63 balls, including 11 boundaries and one six, while Mahmudullah played unbeaten innings of 71 off 68 balls, witnessing four boundaries and one over boundary.

Mashrafe fired four fours and four sixes off 35 balls for 58 and Mosaddek added 53 off 50 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes.

After suffering a jolt in the innings’ very first ball off Binura Fernando without any collection when opener Imrul Kayes was out with duck, Sabbir built a partnership of 116 in 17.1 overs in the 2nd wicket with Soumya Sarkar who departed from the crease scoring 47 off         43 balls with five fours and two sixes.

Sabbir was caught by Thisara Perera off Chaturanga de Silva’s bowling at 124/3 in 18.3 overs.

Mushfiqur Rahim (20) failed to stay long with Mosaddek Hossain in the 4th wicket, but experienced Mahmudullah held nerves with Mosaddek in the 5th pair of 66 in 10.1overs to carry the team collection to 218/5 in 34.3 overs from 152/4 in 24.2 overs before Mosaddek was caught by Lahiru Madushanka off Akila Dananjaya’s bowling.  

Bangladesh batting line collapsed after moving past 200 as Shuvagata Hom (2) and Sunzamul Islam (5) departed within a span of 14 balls for 15 runs from 223/6 in 36.3 overs to 239/7 in 38.5 overs.

Mahmudullah and Mashrafe reduced the gap with their 8th pair stand of 101 runs in 9.4 overs, carrying the team total to 340/8 in 48.3 overs before Mashrafe was caught by Thisara Perera off Lahiru Madushanka’s bowling when Bangladesh needed 15 runs more to win. 

Mahmudullah and Mohammad Saifuddin collected 12 runs in the last nine balls to fall short by three runs.   

Akila Dananjaya captured three wickets for 61 runs in eight overs while Chaturanga de Silva bagged two wickets for 53 runs in nine overs, Lahiru Madushanka, Binura Fernando and Milinda Siriwardana took one wicket each for 39, 46 and 53 runs in 10, 6 and 6 overs respectively. 

Sent in to bat first, President’s XI scored a mammoth 354/7 in 50 overs spurred by the 2nd wicket stand of 114 in 17 overs between lefthander Sandun Weerakkody and wicketkeeper batsman Kusal Perera.

Starting from 36/1 in 5.3 overs, the 2nd pair ended at 150/2 in 22.3 overs as Sandun Weerakkody was out for 67 off 54 balls, including eight boundaries and two sixes.

Kusal Perera retired out after scoring 64 off 78 balls with four boundaries at 188/3 in 29 overs.

Dhananjaya de Silva was run out for 52 runs while Thisara Perera added 42. Milinda Siriwardana who captained in the match scored 32 runs while Chaturanga de Silva (28), Dasun Shanaka (26*) and opener Dilshan Munaweera (24) were the other double digit scorers for the side.  

Taskin Ahmed made the first breakthrough bagging Dilshan Munaweera by lbw. He conceded 51 runs for one in six overs. Sunzamul Islam, Abul Hasan and captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza took one wicket each for 27, 35 and 66 runs respectively in 6,5 and 9 overs.

The Tigers played the only one-day tour-match ahead of their limited-over series, involving three ODIs and two T20Is against Sri Lanka.

The two day-night ODIs of the series are scheduled to be held at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla on March 25 and 28 while the 3rd match will be played at Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on April 1.

The two T20 matches between the two teams will be held on April 4 and 6, both at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.