Sports

Sports

Under-19 Cricket World Cup
Weak-kneed batting by Lanka give Australia victory
By M. Shamil Amit
The Australia under 19 team recorded a comprehensive nine wicket win over the Sri Lanka under 19 team in a quarterfinal encounter in the ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup played at the SSC grounds yesterday. The Aussie chasing a modest target of 178 saw skipper Mosies Henriques and Tom Cooper having things their own way to give them victory in just 26.1 overs. Henriques who bagged the man of the match award for his unbeaten knock and the four wickets he captured, was terrific during his knock of 84 which took him only 60 balls that included eight boundaries and half a dozen sixes with one of these sailing over the four storied media enclosure. Though they lost the first wicket in the first ball of the sixth over the Sri Lankan bowlers were put to the sword with the duo having no mercy. They carried the bat to ensure victory by putting on an unbroken 146 runs partnership in only 126 balls.

The Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews being unable to bowl due to an injury used eight bowlers without success as the Australians chasing the target showed that it was nothing but peanuts for them. Cooper also in no uncertain way contributed and supported his partner by smacking a 93 ball 79 inclusive of 13 boundaries.

Earlier in the day the hosts won the toss and elected to bat. They however fell into deep trouble as they lost their openers Dimuth Karunaratne for one and Sameera Soysa for a ‘duck’ in the third over with the score on four. They never recovered from this setback. They lost two more wickets in 18 overs for 62. Skipper Angelo Mathews and Dilhan Cooray stemmed the collapse somewhat as they added 62 runs before the dismissal of their skipper who was clean bowled by his counterpart.

But that was all the Sri Lankans could do as the late order batsmen threw away their wickets with some rash batting. None of them were able to settle down and make useful contributions to uplift the scoring except for Shalika Karunanayake who remained unbeaten on 37.

Top