Asalanka's century and Sri Lanka bowling down Bangladesh in first ODI

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka forced a spectacular Bangladesh collapse by taking seven wickets for five runs after captain Charith Asalanka's century to win the one-day international series opener by 77 runs Wednesday.

Asalanka, whose knock of 106 included four sixes, had won the toss and elected to bat first. His team was bowled out for 244 runs with four deliveries remaining in the final over at R. Premadasa Stadium.

Bangladesh was cruising at 100-1 in the 17th over when Milan Rathnayake's classy piece of fielding to run out Najmul Hossain Shanto on 23 shifted the momentum.

That fielding effort ended a 71-run partnership for the second wicket between Shanto and Tanzid Hasan that led eventually to Bangladesh being dismissed for 167 runs in the 36th over.

Shanto played a shot to deep square leg and called for two quick runs but Rathnayake picked up the ball and swung it right on top of the wicket in one motion catching a diving Shanto on the crease when wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis removed the bails.

Sri Lanka's leg spin bowler Wanindu Hasaranga (4-10), called to bowl the next over, took two wickets for two runs, trapping Litton Das (0) lbw and Hasan to a brilliant diving catch by Janith Liyanage. Hasan scored 62 runs off 61 deliveries.

Das' wicket was Hasaranga's 100th in 64 one-day internationals.

In the next over, spin bowler Kamindu Mendis bowled Towhid Hridoy (1). Hasaranga returned to bowl the next over and in the first ball trapped Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz (0) lbw, leaving Bangladesh 103-6.

Then Kamindu Mendis had Tanzim Hasan Sakib (1) caught by Maheesh Theekshana and trapped Taskin Ahmed (0) and Bangladesh was 105-8.

Bangladesh No. 7 Jaker Ali was determined to stretch the game and was out last, after scoring his third ODI half-century. He faced 64 deliveries for his 51 runs including four boundaries and four sixes.

Hasaranga returned best bowling figures for Sri Lanka taking four wickets for 10 runs, while Kamindu Mendis took a career-best 3-19.

Earlier, Bangladesh opening bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Tansim Hasan Sakib bowled tight lines and dried up runs forcing Sri Lankan opening batters into false shots.

Sakib dismissed Pathum Nissanka without scoring, forcing an edge off him to wicketkeeper Litton Das.

Sri Lanka's total was 5 when Nissanka was out in the fourth over of the innings.

Nissanka's opening partner Nishan Madushka (6) fell in the next over trying to chase a ball from Taskin outside the off stump and dragging it to the wicket.

Kamindu Mendis also failed to score hitting Taskin straight to captain Miraz at mid-off putting Sri Lanka in a perilous position at 29-3.

Asalanka joined Kusal Mendis at this stage and the pair added 60 runs off 77 deliveries for the fourth wicket.

Kusal Mendis survived a catch behind review at 45 but in the very next delivery adjudged lbw giving left-arm spin bowler Tanvir Islam his maiden ODI wicket.

Asalanka and Liyanage further strengthened the Sri Lankan innings adding 64 runs for the fifth wicket before part-time off spin bowler Shanto had Liyanage (29) caught at long-on by Sakib.

Asalanka brought up his fifth one-day century scoring 106 runs hitting four sixes and six boundaries off 123 balls.

Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed took 4-47 for Bangladesh.

The second match will be played in the same venue on Saturday.

Sri Lanka had earlier won the two-match test series 1-0.

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Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga and Bangladesh's Jaker Ali congratulate each others after the first ODI cricket match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Bangladesh's Jake Ali plays a shot during the first ODI cricket match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga celebrates the wicket of Bangladesh's Jaker Ali during the first ODI cricket match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Bangladesh's Jake Ali plays a shot during the first ODI cricket match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's captain Charith Asalanka and others celebrate their win in the first ODI cricket match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — First responders on Sunday entered a contested neighborhood in Syria’ s northern city of Aleppo after days of deadly clashes between government forces and Kurdish-led forces. Syrian state media said the military was deployed in large numbers.

The clashes broke out Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid after the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main Kurdish-led force in the country, failed to make progress on how to merge the SDF into the national army. Security forces captured Achrafieh and Bani Zaid.

The fighting between the two sides was the most intense since the fall of then-President Bashar Assad to insurgents in December 2024. At least 23 people were killed in five days of clashes and more than 140,000 were displaced amid shelling and drone strikes.

The U.S.-backed SDF, which have played a key role in combating the Islamic State group in large swaths of eastern Syria, are the largest force yet to be absorbed into Syria's national army. Some of the factions that make up the army, however, were previously Turkish-backed insurgent groups that have a long history of clashing with Kurdish forces.

The Kurdish fighters have now evacuated from the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to northeastern Syria, which is under the control of the SDF. However, they said in a statement they will continue to fight now that the wounded and civilians have been evacuated, in what they called a “partial ceasefire.”

The neighborhood appeared calm Sunday. The United Nations said it was trying to dispatch more convoys to the neighborhoods with food, fuel, blankets and other urgent supplies.

Government security forces brought journalists to tour the devastated area, showing them the damaged Khalid al-Fajer Hospital and a military position belonging to the SDF’s security forces that government forces had targeted.

The SDF statement accused the government of targeting the hospital “dozens of times” before patients were evacuated. Damascus accused the Kurdish-led group of using the hospital and other civilian facilities as military positions.

On one street, Syrian Red Crescent first responders spoke to a resident surrounded by charred cars and badly damaged residential buildings.

Some residents told The Associated Press that SDF forces did not allow their cars through checkpoints to leave.

“We lived a night of horror. I still cannot believe that I am right here standing on my own two feet,” said Ahmad Shaikho. “So far the situation has been calm. There hasn’t been any gunfire.”

Syrian Civil Defense first responders have been disarming improvised mines that they say were left by the Kurdish forces as booby traps.

Residents who fled are not being allowed back into the neighborhood until all the mines are cleared. Some were reminded of the displacement during Syria’s long civil war.

“I want to go back to my home, I beg you,” said Hoda Alnasiri.

Associated Press journalist Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report.

Sandbag barriers used as fighting positions by Kurdish fighters, left inside a destroyed mosque in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

People flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

A Syrian military police convoy enters the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles and ammunitions left at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)