U-19 Cricket: Sri Lanka beat England by 1 wicket to wrap up Youth ODI series

Anchored by knocks from opener Avishka Fernando and allrounder Sammu Ashan, Sri Lanka Under-19s recorded an inspiring 1-wicket win against England Under-19s in the second Youth ODI played at the County ground in Chelmsford, England on Saturday (13). 

Electing to bat first England piled up 315-8 while Sri Lanka reached the winning target losing nine wickets and with five deliveries to spare. 

Opener Fernando paved the initiative in chasing the challenging total with an entertaining knock of 117 which came off just 96 deliveries inclusive of 15 fours and a six as he anchored the Sri Lankan top order, which faced regular hiccups. 

Soon after Fernanado's dismissal at 229 as Sri Lanka's fourth wicket, Ashan pulled the gun to score an unbeaten knock of 77 off 75 deliveries to see his team through and clinch the three-match series 2-0 with a game to go. 

Ashan hit eight boundaries. 

England had three good knocks coming off from the bats of George Hankins, George Bartlett and opener Tom Moores while fast Lahiru Kumara continued his good form capturing four scalps. 

Hankins hit 98 off 144 deliveries inclusive of six fours while Bartlett hit a contrasting knock of 85 off 68 balls hitting eight fours and two sixes. 

Moores faced 68 deliveries for his 70 which had nine fours and a six. Sri Lanka won the two-match Youth Test series 1-0 and have already won the three-match Youth ODI series 2-0 making the ongoing tour one of the most successful in the recent years. 

The final Youth ODI, a dead rubber game, will be played on Tuesday at Canterbury. 

England Under-19s 315 for 8 wickets (50) (Tom Moores 70, George Hankins 98, George Bartlett 85, Zen Malik 18, Lahiru Kumara 4/56, Jehan Daniel 2/70)

Sri Lanka Under-19s 318 for 9 wickets (49.1) (Dilan Jayalath 41, Avishka Fernando 117, Charith Asalanka 27, Sammu Ashan 77n.o, Ben Green 3/77, Ben Twohig 2/55)