Road Safety World Series 2020/21, Match 10: Bangladesh Legends vs Sri Lanka Legends - Sri Lanka Legends Become First Team To Secure Semi-Final Spot

Sri Lanka Legends have secured their spot for the semi-final of the Road Safety World Series 2020/21 after securing a comfortable 42-run victory against Bangladesh Legends on Wednesday (10th March) night.

After winning the toss, Sri Lanka Legends skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan chose to bat first. While they scored 180/6 (20 overs), Bangladesh Legends replied with 138/6 in 20 overs.

Road Safety World Series 2020/21, Match 10: Bangladesh Legends vs Sri Lanka Legends

2nd innings (Bangladesh Legends): Sri Lankan bowlers totally controlled the game after the first breakthrough

Openers Nazimuddin and Mehrab Hossain provided a strong start with the 57 runs partnership for the opening wicket in 7.2 overs. But once that partnership was broken as Mehrab Hossain was dismissed after scoring 27 runs off 26 balls (3 fours and only six) by Sri Lanka Legends captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, the Sri Lankan team totally controlled the game.

Opener Nazimuddin tried really hard as he scored 54 runs off 41 balls with the help of 5 fours and 2 sixes, but it couldn’t change the fate of them due to lack of supports from the other batsmen. Wicket-keeper batsman Khaled Mashud was their only other batsman to reach the double-digit marks in that innings as he was not out of 28 runs off 22 balls (only four and only six).

Tillakaratne Dilshan had bowling figures of 4-0-21-3. Also, Dhammika Prasad ended the game with bowling figures of 4-0-22-2.

1st innings (Sri Lanka Legends): Unlucky Upul Tharanga just missed to become the first batsman to score a century in this tournament

Captain Tillakaratne Dilshan scored 33 runs off 23 balls (6 fours) before Rajin Saleh provided the first breakthrough of the match by dismissing this opener. Soon after that opening wicket of the match, another Sri Lanka Legends opener Sanath Jayasuriya was retired hurt after scoring 4 off 11 balls due to his hamstring injury during taking a quick single.

While Chamara Silva joined in the crease after Jayasuriya’s return to the dressing room, Upul Tharanga and Chamara Silva put the 53 runs partnership for that new second wicket. Though Silva lost his wicket after scoring run-a-ball 24 runs (2 fours), Tharanga continued his impressive batting. With time progress, Tharanga batted powerfully while the other batsmen just provided their best support in a little way.

Breaking the 96-run record of Australia Legends’ cricketer Nathan Reardon (against Sri Lanka Legends at Mumbai on 8th March 2020), Tharanga recorded the highest individual score in Road Safety World Series history by scoring 99 not out off 47 balls with the help of 11 fours and 5 sixes. Unlucky Tharanga only managed to score one run on the last ball of that innings while Nuwan Kulasekara was run-out during their desperate attempt for the second run.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka Legends – 180/6 in 20 overs (Upul Tharanga 99*, Tillakaratne Dilshan 33; Mohammad Rafique 1/24)

Bangladesh Legends – 138/6 in 20 overs (Nazimuddin 54, Khaled Mashud 28*; Tillakaratne Dilshan 3/21)

Result – Sri Lanka Legends won by 42 runs