A defiant innings of 76 by veteran batsman Kumar Sangakkara and a breezy knock of 45 not out by captain Angelo Mathew steered Sri Lanka to 253 for six in the 50 overs against Afghanistan here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Monday.

Winning the toss, Sri Lanka captain decided to bat first but could not make any big score against the accurate bowling from minnows Afghanistan and could set a target of 254.

However, two significant partnerships – 74 between Sangakkara and Dinesh Chandimal for the fourth wicket and later an unbeaten 69 between Mathews and Chaturanga de Silva - helped Sri Lanka reach a respectable total.

For Afghanistan, pacer Mirwais Ashraf was the most successful bowler among the eight bowlers tried by their captain Mohammad Nabi.

Both teams have so far played two matches each in the tournament: Sri Lanka won both their matches while Afghanistan won one match and lost one.