Date-stamped : 23 Jul97 - 09:34 Sri Lanka beat B`desh by 103 runs By SA`ADI THAWFEEQ Sri Lanka` master blaster Sanath Jayasuriya slammed a century off 83 balls to enable his team beat Bangladesh by 103 runs and com- plete the league phase of the Pepsi Asia Cup tournament with an unbeaten record at the SSC grounds yesterday. Jayasuriya smacked three sixes and 14 fours as he put on a record-breaking 171-run opening partnership with Marvan Atap- attu to see Sri Lanka set Bangladesh an imposing total of 296 for 4 off 46 overs. PROMISING Despite a promising beginning when openers Athar Ali Khan (42) and Naimur Rahman (47) added 76 off 17 overs, Bangladesh lost wickets regularly to finish on 193 or 8 when the overs ran out. The Jayasuriya-Atapattu partnership beat the Asia Cup record of 161 by Indian pair Manoj Prabhakar and Sachin Tendulkar against Sri Lanka at Sharjah in 1995. It also improved on Sri Lanka`s best for that wicket in one-day internationals held by the same pair when they put on 148 against Pakistan in the first final of the Independence Cup tournament in Mohali this year. Jayasuriya completed his fifty off 44 balls with 10 off an over from Bangladesh captain Akram Khan, who had decided to in- sert Sri Lanka in first after winning the toss. The game began 75 minutes late due to the surrounding areas around the pitch be- ing wet as a result of overnight rain. After Atapattu had taken a single off the first ball of Akram`s second over, Jayasuriya sent the next five balls for 6, 6, 4, 4, 6. He was finally out caught at deep mid-wicket sweeping upishly at off-spinner Shaikh Salahuddin for 108 - his fifth century in the abbreviated version of the game. UNHAPPY Atapattu`s 60 was scored off 74 balls (7 fours) and after Ar- avinda de Silva had been given out caught behind for 15 - a decision which he was unhappy with, skipper Arjuna Ranatunga banged a run-a-ball fifty with six fours, to push the run rate well beyond Bangladesh`s reach. During his innings Ranatunga passed 6000 runs in one-day internationals. Jayasuriya easily picked up `the man of the Match` award. FINAL GAME Pakistan are lying second with three points also having com- pleted their quota of matches. The final league game between India and Bangladesh at the SSC on Thursday will decide who will meet Sri Lanka in Saturday`s fi- nal. India are currently lying third with one point and need not only to beat Bangladesh, but also improve on their net run rate vastly, if they are to displace Pakistan from the runner- up spot. Source :: The Daily News ( http://www.lanka.net ) Contributed by Vishwa Gaddamanugu ( vg@cricinfo.com )