LIVE BLOG - Sri Lanka look to make it two in two at the Asia Cup

He becomes the second Hong Kong player after Babar Hayat to get a fifty in the Asia Cup.

It's Nizakat's 12th overall, and perhaps his most valuable, as it is his first against a Full Member (ICC or ACC). On the back of his 52 not out off 38 balls, Hong Kong have clambered to 149 for 4 - a defendable total, if not quite an imposing one.

Dushmantha Chameera was one of Sri Lanka's best players on the tour of Zimbabwe, and he's begun well in the Asia Cup, following up his 1 for 17 against Bangladesh with a 2 for 30 against Hong Kong. He leaked 12 in his final over - Nizakat Clobbering a six down the ground. But it remains a creditable outing for a seamer that seems to be building to something.

Rath holes out to deep midwicket two runs short of a fifty, as Hong Kong know they need to find some boundaries now.

But next over Nizakat Khan, who is playing perhaps the innings of the day for Hong Kong so far, is dropped by Kusal Mendis third ball, who can't hold on at full stretch, before he's caught brilliantly at a fine third man by Kusal Perera, only for it to turn out that Nuwan Thushara had juuuuust overstepped.

Nizakat continues to lead Hong Kong in the death as wickets fall around him.

Hong Kong's Anshuman Rath is putting together one of the more interesting innings of this Asia Cup. Although Sri Lanka have bowled plenty of seam at him, Rath has scored only four of his runs behind square. Check out his wagon wheel on our live tab.

Kusal Mendis is not the most natural wicketkeeper on the planet, and had an infamously poor game at the IPL this year. But, generally, what he lacks for in technique, he usually tends to make up for in desperation. On a track that tends to skid low, he's had two moments of brilliance. In Theekshana's first over, when the bowler fired one way down leg, Kusal Mendis threw his left foot out and managed to save four wides.

Then, to dismiss Babar Hayat, he again managed to get his body behind a difficult bounce (the ball had kept low again, and taken a deflection off Hayat), gathered it quickly, and effected a stumping before the batter could get home.

He'd also taken the catch to dismiss Zeeshan, but that was a straightforward chance.

In the next four overs though, Hong Kong's advance has slowed. Wanindu Hasaranga is getting into some nice overs. Dushmantha Chameera took the opening wicket. Even Asalanka sneaks a cheap over in.

There have been plenty of edges, and some luck. But right now, Hong Kong's openers are giving the team a chance of putting up a competitive score.

Sri Lanka's dream scenario for this match is to blast Hong Kong out cheaply, then run down the total inside the powerplay, like India did against UAE. The Hong Kong openers have not only avoided that fate, they've put their team on track for something decent.

Zeeshan Ali sends a top edge off Chameera into the waiting gloves of Kusal Mendis late in the fifth over, but he's still made a contribution - 23 off 17.

Nuwan Thushara is straightening the ball in the air, as usual. He gets Zeeshan Ali in front with a swinging delivery fourth ball, and raises a huge lbw appeal. The umpire gives that out, only for Zeeshan to review, and be saved by a thin-under edge.

Next ball he gets a thick inside edge that skims past the keeper.

Then last ball, he is put down by Dushmantha Chameera at backward point. The ball comes off the edge of Zeeshan's bat as Thushara swings it again. It flies fast and low to the right of Chameera, who reaches down, but wrists it into the ground.

If you weren't aware, Hong Kong's coach at this Asia Cup is a Lankan cricketer of the last 10 years. Kaushal Silva was Sri Lanka's opening batter for 29 Tests, and having moved to Australia several years ago, has this year taken on the role with Hong Kong.

Shashank Kishore has the story.

It could be down to more spin-friendly conditions in Dubai. It could be because Sri Lanka have a history of running through Associate sides with mystery spinners. It could be because Matheesha Pathirana bowled himself out of a spot in the XI with a wide-laden 18-run over at the death against Bangladesh. It could be all three.

Either way, Sri Lanka have gone with two quicks and two frontline spinners for this game, which is a more familiar combination for a Lankan Asia Cup XI.