Sri Lanka on verge of 2-0 series sweep

Prabath Jayasuriya celebrates with team mates after achieving the initial breakthrough with the wicket of Hasan Joy   

Mominul Haque cuts a dejected figure after being dismissed for a counter-attacking 50 off 56 balls 

• Bangladesh need 243 more with three wickets left

Sri Lanka finished day four of the second cricket Test on the verge of a 2-0 series sweep after capturing seven Bangladesh wickets for 268 runs having set the hosts a massive target of 511 to chase at Chattogram Tuesday.

Bangladesh’s batting that have failed to top 200 in the first three innings of the series finally showed more resolve than they have managed at any point to go into the fifth and final day tomorrow on 268-7, still requiring 243 runs more to win with only three wickets standing.

Bangladesh’s eighth wicket pair Mehidy Hasan Miraz (44*) and Taijul Islam (10*) stuck it out for five overs to deny Sri Lanka a victory inside four days.

Sri Lanka’s bowling was disciplined throughout and along with some moments of brilliance achieved timely breakthroughs. Bangladesh batsmen tried their hardest to survive but kept losing wickets at regular intervals, unable to conjure up big runs and falling prey to the pressure applied by the Lankan bowlers.

The surprise package was part time spinner Kamindu Mendis who not only picked up his first Test wicket but ended the obdurate resistance of Shakib Al Hasan for 36. He returned later to trap Shahadat Hossain lbw for 15 to finish the day with figures of 2/22. Mendis generated turn that surprised Shakib who tried to carve the ball through point but it turned more than he expected and the resulting thick edge was held by Nishan Madushka at second slip who showed sharp reflexes as the ball was travelling. That dismissal ended a defiant partnership of 61 with Litton Das, the only noteworthy sign of fight in the innings.

Sri Lanka’s quicks were once again genuinely good, capturing four wickets in the afternoon session to have Bangladesh on 132-4. Lahiru Kumara probably bowled the delivery of the innings to clean up the Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain for 20 and Vishwa Fernando sent back Zakir Hasan. Prabath Jayasuriya initiated the breakthrough by getting through the defences of Hasan Joy and also added the wicket of in-form batter Mominul Haque who batted aggressively for 50 off 56 balls (8 fours, 1 six).

When Sri Lanka resumed at 102-6, Angelo Mathews who held the second innings together completed a tough half-century (56 off 74 balls, 5 fours) with wickets going down at the other end. Jayasuriya contributed a valuable 28* towards the end equaling his highest Test score. Although Sri Lanka didn’t have a great second innings they ensured they had done enough to get a lead beyond 500.