Chittagong, February 25:

Kumar Sangakkara struck an impressive century as Sri Lanka scored a comfortable 78-run victory over Bangladesh to win their one day series 2-1.

The vice-captain’s solid 109 helped bury the home side under an avalanche of runs and they succumbed under the pressure of a huge target of 310.

Debutant seamer Dammika Prasad and spinners Kaushal Lokuarachchi and Tillekaratne Dilshan bagged two wickets each as Bangladesh managed 231-9 with Mohammad Ashraful (64) waging a lone battle.

Sri Lanka’s massive total of 309-7 was largely thanks to Sangakkara, who struck 11 fours in his fifth one-day ton. Sangakkara was associated in two partnerships with captain Mahela Jayawardene (51) and Kaushal Lokuarachchi (69).

After paceman Mashrafe Mortaza had removed openers Upul Tharanga (zero) and Sanath Jayasuriya (four), Sangakkara and Jayawardene added 75 runs to steady the innings from 17-2.

Jayawardene struck eight fours in a brisk knock before giving a return catch to left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique, who also dismissed the Lokuarachchi and Sangakkara to finish with 3-61.

Sangakkara’s partnership with Lokuarachchi put the visiting side in control as the latter showed his aggressive intentions from early on. The pair added 104 for the fourth wicket as Lokuarachchi produced an entertaining 57-ball knock during which he struck four fours and three sixes. Farveez Maharoof then slammed three sixes and a four in a cameo 27 off nine balls while Chamara Kapugedera got run-a-ball 16.

Bangladesh were never in the chase even though Ashraful came up with his second successive half-century and added 86 for the fourth wicket with captain Habibul Bashar (31).

Ashraful slammed 11 fours during his 67-ball knock.

Sri Lanka had scored a five-wicket win in the first match but the home side registered their maiden international win over Sri Lanka in the second.

SCOREBOARD

SRI LANKA

U Tharanga c Nafees b Mortaza 0

S Jayasuriya c Baisya b Mortaza 4

K Sangakkara b Rafique 109

M Jayawardene c & b Rafique 51

K Lokuarachchi b Rafique 69

T Dilshan c Ashraful b Rasel 22

C Kapugedera c Bashar b Rasel 16

F Maharoof not out 27

M Bandara not out 3

Extras: 8 (lb1, w6, nb1)

Total: 309/7 (50 overs)

FoW: 1-0, 2-17, 3-92, 4-196, 5-258, 6-263, 7-282

Bangladesh bowling: Mortaza 10-2-71-2, Rasel 10-1-46-2, Baisya 5-0-43-0, Rafique 10-0-61-3, Kapali 10-1-50-0, Rana 2-0-15-0, Ahmed 3-0-22-0

Man of the match/Series: Kumar Sangakkara (SRI)

BANGLADESH

J Omar c Sangakkara b Perera 24

S Nafees c Dilshan b Prasad 13

A Ahmed c Jayawardene b Prasad 0

M Ashraful c Bandara b Dilshan 64

H Bashar c Jayawardene b Jayasuriya 31

A Kapali lbw b Dilshan 5

M Rafique c Tharanga b Lokuarachchi 22

M Rana lbw b Lokuarachchi 23

K Mashud not out 19

M Mortaza c Mubarak b Bandara 19

S Rasel not out 2

Extras: 9 (b4, lb2, w3)

Total: 231/9 (50 overs)

FoW: 1-29, 2-29, 3-44, 4-130, 5-144, 6-146, 7-185, 8-195, 9-219

Sri Lanka bowling: Perera 7-1-23-1, Maharoof 7-0-23-0, Prasad 6-1-30-2, Jayasuriya 7-0-31-1, Bandara 10-0-52-1, Lokuarachchi 8-0-52-2, Dilshan 5-1-14-2