PALLEKELE - Bangladesh fought back on the second day against Sri Lanka, but half-centuries from Oshada Fernando and Niroshan Dickwella helped the hosts post 469/6.
After resuming on the second morning at 307/3, Lahiru Thirimanne, the overnight centurion, and Fernando extended their partnership to 104, with Fernando bringing up his half-century. The well-settled duo looked good to boost the total to mammoth proportions, but the Bangladesh bowlers, who managed just the solitary wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne on opening day, had more going for them on Friday. 
The pacer Taskin Ahmed was the pick of the lot. He provided the much-needed breakthrough in the morning, dismissing Thirimanne, who could add only nine more runs to his overnight total. The visitors missed an opportunity to dismiss Angelo Mathews, failing to appeal despite Ultra Edge later revealing an edge. However, it didn’t prove a costly miss, with Taskin inducing an edge to dismiss Mathews for five.
Taijul Islam got into the act, picking up the prized wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva (2), and by lunch, Sri Lanka were restricted to 43 runs for three wickets in the session. Sri Lanka enjoyed a positive start in the second session thanks to Fernando and Pathum Nissanka. The duo amassed 54 runs for the fifth wicket, edging Sri Lanka closer to the 400-run mark. However, the duo fell in quick succession. 
Taskin, in his first over after the break, snared Nissanka for 30, and Mehidy Hasan ended Fernando’s superb knock in the very next over, the batsman edging one through to Liton Das behind the stumps. Unfortunately for Bangladesh, they couldn’t wrap up the Sri Lanka lower order. Niroshan Dickwella played a fine counterattacking knock alongside Ramesh Mendis. 
Rain and subsequent bad light then interrupted proceedings, but in a brief period of resumption, Dickwella continued taking the attack to the bowlers. He brought up his half-century at quicker than a run-a-ball, and his 87-run unbeaten stand with Mendis (22*) helped arrest Sri Lanka’s slide. Bad light forced play to be called off thereafter, but Sri Lanka will hope the partnership can continue on the third morning.
BRIEF SCORES
SRI LANKA 469 for 6 (Thirimanne 140, Oshada 81, Dickwella 64*, Taskin 3-119) vs 
BANGLADESH.