Thrilling Victory by Sri Lankan U-19 Team Against Bangladesh

In a nail-biting encounter, the Sri Lankan U-19 team defeated Bangladesh by 7 runs in the group stage of the U-19 Asia Cup, marking their third consecutive victory. Despite the loss, Bangladesh secured a semifinal spot as the runner-up of Group B. In their third and final group match, the Junior Tigers fell short in what seemed to be an easy chase.

With this win, Sri Lanka emerged as the unbeaten champions of Group B and advanced to the semifinals. The defending champions began the tournament with a 45-run victory over Afghanistan and followed it up with a commanding 5-wicket win against Nepal. Today, they completed the group stage by narrowly defeating Bangladesh in Dubai.

At the Dubai International Stadium, Sri Lanka opted to bat first after winning the toss. However, their innings folded before the full 50 overs, thanks to a brilliant display of pace bowling by Al Fahad and Rizan Hossain. Despite the early setbacks, Vimath Dinsara held the innings together with a stellar century. His 106 runs helped Sri Lanka post a competitive total of 228. Al Fahad was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh, taking 4 wickets for 50 runs, while Rizan Hossain claimed 3 wickets.

Chasing 229, the Bangladeshi openers gave the team a flying start. However, the opening partnership ended at 52 runs when Jawad Abrar was run out for 24 runs off 22 balls, a knock that included 2 fours and 2 sixes. Captain Azizul Hakim Tamim joined opener Kalam Siddique Allen but was run out for just 8, breaking a 32-run stand.

Middle-order contributions kept Bangladesh in the hunt. Debashish Deva scored 31, Samiun Basir added 14, and wicketkeeper-batter Farid Hasan remained unbeaten on 24. Despite their efforts, the team fell short of the target, unable to capitalize on their strong start.

The semifinals of the U-19 Asia Cup are scheduled for December 6. Bangladesh, the runner-up of Group B, will face the yet-to-be-determined Group A champion after tomorrow’s matches.

This thrilling contest highlighted the intense competition in the tournament, setting the stage for an exciting semifinal round.