Asalanka century in vain as Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka

Charith Asalanka celebrates his century

Angelo Mathews shows off his helmet

Shakib Al Hasan and Nadjmul Hossain Shanto 

celebrate their 169 run partnership

• Mathews becomes first cricketer to be Timed Out in international cricket

DELHI: Sri Lanka cricket plunged to new depths suffering their third straight defeat in the ongoing World Cup when Bangladesh beat them by three wickets in a crucial league match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Monday. The defeat for Sri Lanka comes on the back of losses to Afghanistan and India.

The match was vital for both teams to finish within the first eight of the standings to qualify for a place in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Following yesterday’s win Bangladesh drew level with Sri Lanka on two wins apiece and four points but on a better net run rate pushed themselves to seventh position relegating Sri Lanka to eighth. Both teams are out of the semi-finals of the World Cup but are fighting for a place in the Champions trophy.

Sri Lanka’s total of 279 was chased down by Bangladesh on a good batting surface reaching 282-7 off 41.1 overs with Najmul Hossain Shanto and skipper Shakib Al Hasan laying the foundation for the victory with a third wicket stand of 169 off 149 balls that took the sheen off the Sri Lankan bowling.

Both batsmen were dismissed by Angelo Mathews who was in the centre of controversy with Shakib during Sri Lanka’s innings. Mathews had the satisfaction of taking Shakib’s wicket for 82 (scored off 65 balls, 12 fours, 2 sixes) and Najmul’s for 90 (scored off 101 balls, 12 fours) as he led a late Sri Lanka fight back to wrest back the initiative. But Sri Lanka had let themselves down in their batting making an underpar score of 279 losing their last three wickets for one run with three balls unused.

Sri Lanka were at the receiving end with heavy dew impacting the bowling after Bangladesh won the toss and decided to bowl first. 

The match had plenty of drama with former Sri Lanka captain Mathews becoming the first cricketer in international cricket to be dismissed Timed Out.

It happened in the middle of the 25th over when Sadeera Samarawickrama was out for 41 off the bowling of Shakib and Mathews leisurely walked out to the middle, that in itself took some time. Then before he had faced a ball, Mathews had some problem with his helmet strap and called for a replacement. However, all this took time and Shakib appealed to the umpire for a time-out as the batsman had spent more than the time allowed to face a ball which is two minutes. The umpires had to go by the rules and gave Mathews out making him the first batsman in international cricket history to be Timed Out.

Mathews had an animated discussion with the two umpires arguing that something was wrong with his strap and pleaded with Shakib but the Bangladesh captain did not want to withdraw the appeal, much to the displeasure of the batsman who came back fuming to the dugout and flung his helmet onto the ground in frustration - an action which might find him in hot waters under the ICC Code of Conduct.

In this instance the ICC World Cup Playing Conditions supersede the MCC Laws of Cricket.

The Playing conditions for this World Cup is: “Incoming batters are expected to be ready within 120 seconds (2 minutes). If they are late, they will be out – Timed out.”

Law 40.1.1 states: “After the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batter, the incoming batter must, unless Time has been called, be ready to receive the ball, or for the other batter to be ready to receive the next ball within 2 minutes of the dismissal or retirement. If this requirement is not met, the incoming batter will be out, Timed out.”

There is no love lost between the two cricketing nations. One can argue whether it was in the spirit of the game for Shakib to withdraw the appeal. But he was within his rights and presence of mind to use the rule that was there to get rid of a dangerous batsman for nought.

West Indies commentator Ian Bishop on air said: “He (Mathews) said, they (umpires) approached Shakib Al Hasan twice, and asked him if he wanted to withdraw the appeal, because, he initiated it, and Shakib said ‘No’ twice.”

One has to spare a thought for Charith Asalanka because the rare dismissal of Mathews took all the limelight away from a special innings. Asalanka scored his second ODI hundred – 108 off 105 balls (6 fours, 5 sixes), but Sri Lanka still fell short at least by 30-40 runs as three of the batters who got starts Pathum Nissanka (41), Sadeera Samarawickrama (41) and Dhananjaya de Silva (34) threw away their wickets rather unnecessarily.

Shakib with 82 and the two crucial wickets that of Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama took the Player of the Match award.