Sri Lanka, Pakistan qualify for final
Charith Asalanka got together with Sadeera Samarawickrama to steer Sri Lanka Under-23s to a convincing win against Bangladesh in the ACC Emerging Teams Under-23 semi-final
Sri Lanka and Pakistan qualified for the final of the Under 23 Asian Cricket Council Emerging Teams Cup team cricket tournament by securing easy wins against the Bangladesh U23 and Afghanistan U23 teams in the semi-final encounters played at the Zahur Ahmed Stadium and M.A. Aziz Stadium in Chittagong, Bangladesh yesterday.
Sri Lanka U23 thanks to match winning performances by Asitha Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka recorded a convincing eight wicket win over Bangladesh U23.
Asitha’s four wicket haul helped Sri Lanka U23 to restrict the host side for a score of 179 and later unbeaten knocks by Sadeera who cracked 88 with ten boundaries and Charith who made a 83 with eight boundaries and two sixes who together associated in an unbroken 165 runs for the third wicket helped the side to reach the target in the 39th over.
Pakistan U23 overcame Afghanistan U23 by 123 runs which came on the back of an unbeaten knock of 105 by Mohammad Rizwan and supported by a 68 by Haris Sohail 68 which helped them end their innings making a formidable score of 267 for 5. Afghanistan U23 in their run chase found right arm spinner Bilal Asif too hot to handle and succumbed to a score of 144 runs.
The final is slotted to be played Zahur Ahmed Stadium on April 3 which will be played under floodlights.
| Results: * At Zahur Ahmed Stadium: Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 8 wickets Bangladesh U23 179 in 49.3 overs (Mohammad Saifudeen 41, Nasir Hossain 38, Saif Hassan 32, Abdul Hasan 23, Mohammad Mithun 15: Asitha Fernando 4 for 33) Sri Lanka U23 180 for 2 in 38.5 overs (Sadeera Samarawickrama 88 n.o., Charith Asalanka 83 n.o.) * At M.A. Aziz Stadium: Pakistan beat Afghanistan by 123 runs Pakistan U23 267 for 5 in 50 overs (Haris Sohail 68, Hussain Talat 37, Hammad Azam 17, Mohammad Rizwan 105 n.o.: Gulbadin Naib 3 for 52) Afghanistan U23 144 in 31.4 overs (Najibullah Zadran 31, Munir Ahmad 29, Younas Ahmadzai 27, Samiullah Shenwari 25: Bilal Asif 5 for 40, Hussain Talat 2 for 19) |