Sri Lanka provided further evidence that they are genuine contenders with a convincing victory over Bangladesh at the ICC Cricket World Cup.
The 1996 winners impressed with bat and ball as they secured a 92-run success in their Pool A clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
After choosing to bat first the Sri Lankans powered their way to an imperious 332-1 from their 50 overs, with two of their elder statesmen both making hundreds.
Tillakaratne Dilshan scored 161 not out from 146 balls and Kumar Sangakkara, playing his 400th One Day International, celebrated by making an undefeated 105.
After a poor start Bangladesh were always off the pace and could only muster 240 before being bowled out in 47 overs with Sabbir Rahman making 53 before becoming one of Lasith Malinga’s three victims.
Lahiru Thirimanne was the only wicket to fall during the Sri Lankan innings. The left-hander made 52 out of an opening stand of 122 and faced 78 balls, with 3 fours.
The Bangladeshi’s were partly culpable for allowing the Sri Lankan openers to remain together by spilling three chances before Taskin Ahmed caught Thirimanne in the deep off Rubel Hossain.
Dilshan reached his hundred from 115 balls, with 10 fours and moved to his 150 from 143 with 21 boundaries.
Sangakkara provided the necessary impetus to ensure a score of over 300 and he brought up his own century from just 73 balls as the pair added an unbroken 210 for the second wicket.
Bangladesh’s hopes of a fast start lay in tatters as Malinga knocked back Tamim Iqbal’s off stump with just the second ball of the innings.
It should have been 6-2 but Dilshan showed he was human by dropping a simple skier on the edge of the circle, to reprieve Anamul from the bowling of Lakmal.
From then on it became a predictable procession, with a huge gulf in class being very evident.
Soumya Sarkar played some aggressive shots before nicking Mathews behind for 25 and then Mominul Haque was superbly caught at slip by Jayawardene off Lakmal.
Anamul Haque made 29 but then backed up too far and was run out by a direct hit from Mathews.
Bangladesh brought their 100 up but lost their fifth wicket four balls later as Mahmudullah (28) hoiked out to deep square leg.
With the required run-rate escalating out of control Shakib-al-Hasan made a brave 46 trying to keep his side in contention but he then checked a drive off Dilshan and picked out Malinga at long on.
Mushfiqur and Sabbir successfully negotiated the batting powerplay but an unrealistic 129 were still required from the final 10 overs.
A slower delivery from Lakmal bowled Mushfiqur (36) and Dilshan had Mortaza (7) stumped as the match slumped towards a predictable conclusion but there was some consolation for Sabbir as he flicked Malinga fine to bring up his first 50 in ODI cricket.
The only blot on the Sri Lankan copybook was some indifferent fielding. At least three catches went down, several run out opportunities were spurned and some of the work in the deep will need improving.
After losing to New Zealand in their opener, the Sri Lankans have now picked up a couple of wins and face England next, in Wellington on Sunday.
The defeat was Bangladesh’s first after a win over Afghanistan and a point from the wash-out with Australia. They play Scotland in their next fixture, next Thursday in Nelson.