KARACHI: Muttiah Muralitharan spun out Bangladesh to get Sri Lanka an easy 158-run victory in the Super-4 match of the ninth Asia Cup here at the National Stadium on Monday.Chasing an improbable target of 333 runs, Bangladesh could not resist the guiles of the magician off-spinner and were all out for 174 runs in 38.3 overs.

Muralitharan finished five for 31 runs in 10 overs with one over maiden. This was his ninth five-wicket haul in his 309th One-day International.The main scorers for Bangladesh were Raqibul Hasan (52) and Nazimuddin (47) while among others, only captain Mohammad Ashraful could enter into double-figures.

Earlier, Sanath Jayasuriya celebrated his 39th birthday with a spectacular century while Kumar Sangakkara also hit a hundred as Sri Lanka piled up a mammoth 332-8. Jayasuriya hit an 88-ball 130 and Sangakkara notched 121 for his third century in the tournament as the duo punished a hapless Bangladesh during their 201-run opening stand in the Super League match at National Stadium.Jayasuriya was ruthless from the outset, hitting shots with power and precision. He took just 31 balls to reach his half-century.

He continued in the same vein to reach his 26th one-day hundred off 55 balls — the sixth-fastest hundred in one-day cricket — with 14 boundaries and five sixes.

Jayasuriya became the second oldest batsman to score a one-day hundred behind Englands Geoff Boycott who made a century against Australia at Sydney in 1979 when he was 39 years and 51 days old.Jayasuriya miscued a drive off leg-spinner Alok Kapali and was caught in the 28th over. In all he hit 16 boundaries and six sixes during his devastating knock.Sangakkara was steadier as he batted around Jayasuriya and took runs when ever he got the opportunity. He reached his hundred off 117 balls before he was bowled by left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak in the 44th over.

The 30-year-old left-hander hit 16 boundaries and a six off 128 balls.Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 64 runs in the opening match of the Super League on Sunday. India, the fourth team in the second round, beat Bangladesh on Saturday.The top two teams from the Super League will compete in the July 6 final. geo tv

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