Sri Lanka thrash Bangladesh by 92 runs

Sri Lanka veterans Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara smashed imperious centuries to punish a wasteful Bangladesh and set up an emphatic 92-run win in their World Cup clash in Melbourne on Thursday. Dilshan blasted 161 and Sangakkara 105 as the evergreen pair combined for an unbeaten 210-run stand to fire Sri Lanka to an imposing 332-1 in front of a boisterous crowd of 30,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Appalling in the field, Bangladesh's middle and lower order grafted hard but were set a mission impossible after a top order collapse that saw them slump to 100-5 after 20 overs. Sri Lanka paceman Lasith Malinga captured the final two wickets in consecutive balls as Bangladesh were dismissed for 240 with three overs to spare. Though master batsman Sangakkara was dropped twice in his aggressive 76-ball knock, 38-year-old Dilshan was virtually flawless as he enjoyed a welcome return to form after scoring 24 and a duck in the team's opening matches against New Zealand and Afghanistan respectively. He belted 22 fours to all corners of the ground to notch his highest score in ODIs and muttered thanks to the heavens after completing his 21st ton in the format off a streaky inside edge. He later returned to take 2-35 with his part-time offspin, dismissing all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan for 46 and having Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza stumped by wicketkeeper Sangakkara for seven to walk away with the man-of-the-match award. Conditions had begged for a big total on the MCG's benign drop-in wicket and Bangladesh made Sri Lanka's task easier from the start. Opening batsman Lahiru Thirimanne was dropped at slip by Anamul Haque on the fourth ball - an easy, waist-high chance off paceman Mortaza. That set the tone for a dreary afternoon of grassed catches, missed run-out opportunities and leaked runs from sloppy fielding that made Bangladesh's place at the global showpiece seem an embarrassing anomaly. Thirimanne would be reprieved three times before finally dismissed on 52 when attempting an ill-conceived ramp shot off paceman Rubel Hossain that flew straight to Taskin Ahmed at third man. He had earlier been the beneficiary of a missed stumping and another lost chance when wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim failed to move for a nick that flew between the stumper and slip early on. Completing a forgettable afternoon, Mushfiqur later failed to back up a throw at the stumps that would have almost certainly captured Dilshan's wicket. Playing his 400th ODI, Sangakkara could have been out for 23 had paceman Taskin clutched a difficult caught-and-bowled chance. He was dropped again on 60 when cutting straight to point where Mominul Haque put down a sitter at chest height. The fielder's petulant response, throwing the ball at the bowler's end in frustration, caused three runs from an over-throw. Though Dilshan hogged the strike for much of the closing overs, Sangakkara completed his 22nd ODI century with a single to long-off in the final. Bangladesh innings Centuries by skipper Kumar Sangakkara, playing in his 400th ODI, and Tillakaratne Dilshan guded Sri Lanka to a 92-run win against Bangladesh in their Pool A match of the 2015 Cricket World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, on Thursday. Batting first, Sangakkara and Dilshan added 210 runs for the second wicket after Dilshan and Lahiru Thirimanne gave Sri Lanka a solid start with a 122-run opening wicket partnership. Thirimanne was lucky on a couple of occasions on his way to 52. Sangakkara too was lucky but ended up unbeaten on 105 while Dilshan scored the bulk of the runs with 161 as he too returned to the pavilion unbeaten. Bangladesh's batting was similar to their fielding -- sloppy and erratic. Only Shakib Al Hassan and Shabbir Rahman took on the challenge. Malinga led from the front with three wickets, while Lakmal and Dilshan chipped in with two wickets each. Taskin Ahmed lbw b Malinga 0 (1m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00 Sabbir Rahman c Sangakkara b Malinga 53 (62b 7x4 0x6) SR: 85.48 Mashrafe Mortaza st Sangakkara b Dilshan 7 (7b 1x4 0x6) SR: 100.00 Mushfiqur Rahim b Lakmal 36 (39b 2x4 1x6) SR: 92.30 Shakib Al Hasan c Malinga b Dilshan 46 (59b 4x4 1x6) SR: 77.9 SIX ! Mishfiqur pulls Mathews and at one stage it looked like Malinga got his hand to it but the ball pops out and goes for a maximum. Bangladesh's two most experienced batsmen Shakib and Mushfiqur have started to play more attackingly scoring 30 runs in last 5 overs and also their 50-run partnership. Bangladesh 145-5, 30 overs. SIX AND TWO FOURS! Shakib lofts Herath. Chandimal goes for a catch on the boundary gets his fingertips to it but the ball goes over the ropes. Shakib pulls Herath twice after that to the ropes. 16 runs from the over. Bangladesh 134-5, 29 overs. Bangladesh are 115-5 after 25 overs while SL were 122-1 at the same stage. It looks like an uphill task for Bangladesh as Mahmudullah skies one to Herath. Bangladesh 101-5, 21 overs. Mahmudullah c Herath b Perera 28 (46b 3x4 0x6) SR: 60.86 Runs