Sri Lanka toss out Bangladesh in cricket semis

INCHEON: Sri Lanka dumped defending champions Bangladesh from the Asian Games cricket through the luck of the toss after their semi-final was rained out Thursday.
Bangladesh, sent in to bat in overcast conditions, recovered from 6-3 to reach 59 without further loss in 11 overs when rain hit the Yeonhui cricket field to ruin the rest of the Twenty20 game.
Match referee Venkatapathu Raju, the former India spinner, took the two captains out for a toss where Sri Lanka´s Lahiru Thirimanne called ´tails´ correctly and knocked Bangladesh out.
Sri Lanka will meet Afghanistan in Friday´s gold medal clash, while Bangladesh were left to play Hong Kong for the bronze earlier in the day -- weather permitting.
Afghanistan, silver medallists four years ago, took advantage of fielding first after winning the toss to brush aside Hong Kong by eight wickets in the first semi-final.
Hong Kong found batting difficult under gloomy weather and managed just 88-8 in their 20 overs against steady Afghan bowling. Irfan Ahmed and Roy Lamsam top-scored with 17 each.
Nasim Baras, skipper Mohammad Nabi and Karim Sadiq grabbed two wickets each.Rain during the innings break reduced Afghanistan´s Duckworth-Lewis target to 72 off 15 overs, which they achieved easily in the 12th over after Mohammad Shahzad smashed 41 off 28 balls with three fours and two sixes.
What was expected to be the key game of the competition between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh -- both India and Pakistan refused to send teams -- turned into a damp squib.
Bangladesh, fielding their top side led by Mashrafe Mortaza, recovered from a disastrous start through a 53-run stand between Sabbir Rahman and Tamim Iqbal. But a heavy downpour which did not leave time for even the Super Over tie-breaker, forced the match to be decided by the toss and saw the Sri Lankans through to the final.
Mortaza, who earlier this week was appointed Bangladesh´s one-day captain in place of Mushfiqur Rahim, took the exit sportingly. (AFP)