The pair added 59 for the first wicket, but never really got off the mark, and when Pradeep Jayaprakashdaran dismissed Omar and Aftab Ahmed in quick succession things started to look tricky.

Aftab Ahmed, the batsman used as an all-rounder with his medium pace in ODIs, got a bit of movement in the conditions, and that helped him to take two wickets - those of Tharanga and Kumar Sangakkara.

Arnold was run out at the end of the 43rd over, though, and Manjural Islam Rana got a wicket with his last delivery of the day, as the new batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan swept a top edge to Syed Rasel down the leg side.

Dilhara Fernando started the procession, deceiving Tushar Imran and Mohammad Ashraful to send them back for single-figure scores, and joint top-scorer Shahriar Nafees was fourth to fall, giving a return catch to Dilshan.

The left-hander, who had a disappointing run in the Indian Oil Cup a month earlier, now hit plenty of boundaries into the off side, as he and Sanath Jayasuriya flayed the Bangladeshi pacers Tapash Baisya, Syed Rasel and Nazmul Hossain.

Sangakkara eventually fell to Rafique, and in the next over Syed Rasel got rid of pinch hitter Dilhara Lokuhettige for 2, only to see Mahela Jayawardene, the man of the last match, come in to partner Atapattu.

Cricinfo scorecard Bangladesh failed to convert a promising start into a competitive total in the third and final ODI of the series, as Maharoof and Lokuhettige conceded 46 runs off the eight opening overs, despite bowling in friendly conditions with plenty of clouds.

The chase of 106 - again cut down due to rain - was led by Avishka Gunawardene, who saw off the opening bowlers with relative ease, taking Rasel for runs while defending more against the experienced Baisya - who dug out two wickets, those of Tharanga and pinch-hitter Lokuhettige.

After four overs without boundaries, Gunawardene brought up his fifty with one edged through third man, before pulling a short ball straight to Tushar Imran who held the catch comfortably.

In the 21st over, Sangakkara levelled the scores with two big leg side shots that went for four, before calling a risky single that had Thilan Samaraweera run out for 18.

Bangladesh then put in a lacklustre bowling effort, conceding 48 extras - 25 in no-balls - while Shantha Kalavitigoda, wicket-keeper Gihan de Silva and left-hander Jeewan Mendis made fifties.

[1] Bangladesh were given their eighth innings defeat in ten Test matches by Sri Lanka, losing after seven sessions of play in Colombo, despite a promising start.

A throw from close in ran out Habibul Bashar - he had managed to get his bat over the line, but it bounced up and did not touch the ground when the ball hit the stumps.

In return, Sri Lanka played a bit more sedately, and none of their batsmen passed fifty in the 44 overs in their innings on day one, yet they only trailed 28 runs with seven wickets in hand.

Sri Lanka continued on their merry path in the second innings, as Mohammad Rafique and Enamul Haque toiled for the better part of the morning and afternoon sessions to little reward.

Fifties also came from Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan - the latter was last out, missing an attempted pull shot as the ball from Rasel clattered into his stumps, bowled for 86.

Rafique had cleaned up the lower order earlier, removing Chaminda Vaas, Herath and Muralitharan en route to his sixth five-wicket-haul of his career, but Dilhara Fernando had lasted for 30 minutes with Dilshan when Rasel broke through.

Bangladesh were sent in to bat, and Lasith Malinga took one wicket in three expensive opening overs, but Shahriar Nafees and Habibul Bashar took the fight to the Sri Lankan seam bowlers.

Habibul Bashar started the procession with the ninth delivery of the day, which he edged to wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara, and from then on, only Khaled Mashud lasted for more than half an hour.

It was Sri Lanka who had chosen to bat, but the Bangladeshis got some movement with the ball early on, and after Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya had added 28 for the first wicket, Shahadat struck in the sixth over.

Jayasuriya was nearly run out in the next over, before perishing lbw, and Rasel and Shahadat then got two balls to nip back in and crash into the batsmen's stumps.

Samaraweera was out four short of his highest Test score, making 138, as Bangladesh got two wickets with the new ball - yet Sri Lanka had turned 48 for 4 to 449 for 7 in the space of two and a half sessions.

Chaminda Vaas added insult to injury, smacking ten fours and a six to bring up 61 before the close of play, and he would begin the second day 13 short of his highest Test score.

He recorded 21 runs in the evening session, at an unusually slow pace, while Shahriar Nafees were left to hit the big shots, taking eight fours off the Sri Lankan bowlers as he moved to 51.