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Rangana Herath stars in Lankan victory

Rangana Herath celebrated his 35th birthday with a career-best 7-89 as Sri Lanka clinched the series against Bangladesh with a comfortable seven-wicket win in the second and final Test on Tuesday. Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan (57) and left-handed Kumar Sangakkara (55) put on 94 for the second wicket before Sri Lanka achieved a 160-run target on the penultimate day in Colombo.

The opening Test ended in a draw in Galle. Former captain Sangakkara, who scored three successive centuries in the series, cracked eight fours in his 85-ball knock before being bowled by off-spinner Sohag Gazi. Dilshan, bowled by paceman Robiul Islam, hit six fours in his 73-ball knock.

Bangladesh, trailing by 106 runs, were earlier bowled out for 265 in their second innings after adding 107 to their overnight total of 158-4. Left-arm spinner Herath did the damage as he captured four of the remaining six Bangladeshi wickets in the morning.

He also completed his third haul of 10 or more wickets in a Test, after bagging 5-68 in the first innings. Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (40) offered some resistance before becoming Herath’s 200th Test victim, caught by Angelo Mathews at first slip after hitting one six and three fours in his 87-ball knock.

Tailender Abul Hasan cracked two sixes in his unbeaten 25 to help Bangladesh cross the 250 mark. Herath struck in his opening over of the morning, having Mominul Haque caught by Dimuth Karunaratne at short-leg with a delivery that turned and bounced. Mominul managed to add just one to his overnight score of 36. Herath, who struck three times on Monday, claimed his fifth wicket when he bowled Nasir Hossain for a duck in his third over to reduce Bangladesh to 171-6.
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