Sri Lanka take command in ATC match

Sri Lanka easily bowled out Bangladesh for 90 and then piled on 246 runs on the first day of their Asian Test Championship match on Thursday.

Sri Lanka moved into a comfortable 156-run lead for the loss of just one wicket with Marvan Atapattu hitting a carefree 99 and Kumar Sangakkara on 49 after captain Sanath Jayasuriya scored 89 before being out leg before.

Atapattu and Jayasuriya raced through their partnership, with the captain hitting 11 fours and 4 sixes to score his 89 runs off just 56 balls before being out to opposing skipper Naimur Rahman.

Atapattu slowed down later in the day and finished with 14 fours from 157 balls.

Bangladesh, in their first ever Test against Sri Lanka, were all out shortly after lunch as spinner Muttiah Muralitharan took five for 13 off 9.4 overs.

The previous lowest score for Bangladesh, the newest Test-playing nation, was 91 against India in November.

After Sri Lanka won the toss and put Bangladesh in to bat, pace bowler Chaminda Vaas had opener Javed Omar caught in the slips by Jayasuriya in the fifth over and followed that by bowling Habibul Bashar two overs later.

Aminul Islam was caught by Ravindra Pushpakumara off Ruchira Perera and the visitors slumped to 57 for four as off-spinner Muralitharan entered the fray, having Al Sahariar caught by wicketkeeper Sangakkara.

Mehrab Hossain was run out for 27 - his side's highest score - before Muralitharan bowled Rahman for a duck and two balls later did the same to Khaled Mashud.

Bangladesh, 61 for seven at lunch, dissolved soon after the break with Muralitharan bowling Hasibul Hossain for two and mopping up the tail.

Bangladesh lost to Pakistan by an innings and 264 runs in the opening match of the championship.

The championship is being contested by only three teams after India pulled out over its government's refusal to allow the team to play arch-rivals Pakistan in Lahore.

Mail Cricket Editor