Herath stars for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka 160 for 3 (Jayasuriya 46) trail Bangladesh 188 (Bashar 84, Herath 4-38) by 28 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Rangana Herath triggered a middle order collapse and Muttiah Muralitharan mopped up the tail to skittle Bangladesh out for 188 after Habibul Bashar had played a fine innings of 84 to take Bangladesh to 155 for 2. In reply, Sri Lanka, powered by Sanath Jayasuriya, motored along to 160 for 3.

The turning point of the day was the dismissal of Mohammad Ashraful. Bashar had added 59 with Javed Omar after the early loss of Shariar Nafees, bowled by a peach of an inswinger from Lasith Malinga, and another 92 in 120 balls with Ashraful, who was batting with great restraint, occupying the crease for 74 minutes for his 17. Ashraful was intelligently playing second fiddle to Bashar, who was scoring freely and regularly finding the boundary.

But Ashraful's natural urge to dominate could not be quelled forever and eventually, and fatefully, he danced down the track and tried to loft Herath straight down the ground. Defeated by Herath's loop through the air, he failed to get the pitch of the ball and swung ambitiously through the line. Dilhara Fernando, running around to his left at deep mid-off, pouched a fine swirling catch.

Ashraful's dismissal left his captain grim-faced - and probably Dav Whatmore seething in the dressing room - but the situation soon became far worse. First, Tushar Imran was bowled off his pad while trying to defend and then, next over, Tillakaratne Dilshan produced the killer blow, running out Bashar with a reflex pick-up and throw at short leg. Bashar was convinced he was safe, but the television replays showed his bat, although over the line, had bounced up in the air while he dived home.

Bangladesh slipped into freefall, sliding from a comfortable 153 for 2 to a very uncomfortable 158 for 7 in the space of just 3.2 overs. The spin bowling of Muralitharan and Herath was tight and both found some turn on the Premadasa track, but Bangladesh could only blame themselves for their downfall. After Ashraful's rush of blood and Bashar's misfortune, the middle and lower order panicked.

Thilan Samaraweera played his part with two sharp low catches at slip. Khaled Mahmud lost his first battle to Muralitharan after their war of words in the one-day series, failing to pick his doosra and edging to the left of Samaraweera, who scooped up the chance with his left hand. Next over, Aftab Ahmed fell in similar fashion as he prodded forward stiffly to an orthodox leg break from Herath.

Herath, under pressure for his place in the side after Sanjeewa Weerakoon's continued prolific wicket-taking for the A team, ended up the most successful of the bowlers, finishing with 4 for 38 from 12 overs. Muralitharan chipped in with 3 for 42 from 14 overs.

Jayasuriya then played a typically belligerent 46 from 54 balls, adding 56 with Kumar Sangakkara after Marvan Atapattu was given a rotten lbw decision just after tea. Bangladesh did break through, courtesy of an acrobatic catch by Aftab Ahmed off a stinging cover drive from Jayasuriya. They also grabbed the prize scalp of an out-of-sorts Sangakkara (30 from 82 balls) to give them some hope.

Sri Lanka finished the opening day of the series on top, trailing by just 28 runs with Samaraweeera bedded down on 33 not out and Mahela Jayawardene unbeaten on 17. With the pitch now starting to turn more sharply - Mohammad Rafique spun a couple viciously just before stumps - even a small lead will be precious and a lead of over 100 would be mountainous.

Bangladesh

Shariar Nafees b Malinga 3 (4 for 1)
Caught on crease and bowled through the gate

Javed Omar c Sangakkara b Fernando 30 (63 for 2)
Wafted at wide delivery and brilliantly caught in front of first slip

Mohammad Ashraful c Fernando b Herath 17 (153 for 3)
Danced down the track and tried loft over the top

Tushar Imran b Herath 0 (156 for 4)
Ball squeezes between bat and pad

Habibul Bashar run out (Dilshan) 84 (156 for 5)
Fails to beat flicked throw from short leg

Khaled Mashud c Samaraweera b Muralitharan 2 (158 for 6)
Edged doosra low to first slip

Aftab Ahmed c Samaraweera b Herath 0 (158 for 7)
Edges low to first slip

Mohammad Rafique lbw Muralitharan 9 (170 for 8)
Misses attempted sweep and is hit on back leg

Shahadat Hossain lbw Muralitharan 2 (176 for 9)
Pads away doosra

Syed Rasel st Sangakkara b Herath 19 (188 for 10)
Charges down pitch and misses

Marvan Atapattu lbw Rasel 18 (41 for 1)
Edged onto his pad - poor decision

Sanath Jayasuriya c Ahmed b Hossain 46 (97 for 2)
Brilliant diving catch at extra cover off full-blooded drive

Kumar Sangakkara c Ashraful b Rafique 30 (130 for 3)
Miscued pull-stroke to mid on