Cricket: Mathews’s century highlights day-01 against Bangladesh

Ex-skipper Angelo Mathew’s majestic and unbeaten 114, starred on the opening day of the first test against Bangladesh, prompting his side to finish day-01 decently today at Chattogram, Bangladesh.

Mathews, a veteran of the side, which decided to bat first, joined Kusal Mendis in a rescue mission, taking the team away from a spot-of-bother, when the Lankans were reduced to 66 for two.

During that phase of navigating from early trouble, the right-handed duo also starred in a 92-run stand. Mendis made use of that partnership to register his 50. However, though, he too, failed to last-long, falling quickly after his 50.  

But the day’s best part came off from the all-rounder’s blade, cracking a responsible – 11^th hundred – and making his present felt. His 114 was aided through 14 boundaries’ and a six.  

Captain Dimuth Karunaratne, in his first test after his county cricket debut with Yorkshire, was the first to fall, and that too cheaply only for nine.

After Karunaratne gifted his wicket to right-arm spinner Nayeem Hasan, the latter removed the other opener, Oshada Fernando, before Fernando could settle.

The two-tests series against the Bengali tigers, is the first assignment of newly-appointed head coach and assistant coach – Chris Silverwood and Naveed Nawaz, a past Sri Lankan cricketer himself.

Chief scores:

Sri Lanka: 258 for four (90) (Angelo Mathews 114 n.o., Kusal Mendis 54, Oshada Fernando 36, Dinesh Chandimal 34*, Nayeem Hasan 2/71)