Bowlers guide Sri Lanka youth team to U-19 Asia Cup final 

After being bowled out for 147 runs, Sri Lanka Under 19s fought back to pull off a 22 runs victory over their Pakistan counterparts to reach the final of the Asian Cricket Council Under-19s Asia Cup in Dubai on Thursday.

In a bowlers’ battle, Sri Lanka’s spinners emerged victorious as they bowled out Pakistan for 125 runs to set a final date with India, who won the second semi-final against Bangladesh in Sharjah. The team captained by Dunith Wellalage will advance to today’s final in Dubai as the only unbeaten team in the tournament.

Deciding to bat first Sri Lanka’s top order crumbled against Pakistan’s pace attack and were eight wickets down for 70 runs at one stage before pacemen Yasiru Rodrigo and Matheesha Pathirana gave them respite putting on 47 runs for the ninth wicket.

Pakistan too displayed similar late order heroics with number seven batsman Ahmed Khan anchoring the tail with a 74-ball knock. But spinners played a crucial role in containing the run flow to keep the required run rate beyond the reach of late order batsmen. They were 70 for six wickets at one stage but Khan kept fighting until he was trapped leg before wicket by Wellalage in the 48th over. The St. Joseph’s spinner took three wickets.

However, the initial pressure was brought on by St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota spinner Treveen Mathew, whose first spell derailed Pakistain’s plans. He took the first three wickets cheaply and was on a hat trick when they lost their third wicket for 10 runs.

Mathew gave away just 14 runs in his ten overs (10-4-14-4) which yielded him four wickets. Raveen de Silva, Shevon Daniel and Matheesha Pathirana took one wicket each.

The ninth and tenth wicket stands proved crucial for Sri Lanka when they batted first as they added vital runs for the spinners to launch a fightback later. Rodrigo played the anchor role scoring an unbeaten 31 runs in 81 balls. Pathirana took the fight onto Pakistan hammering 31 runs in 33 balls. His knock included five fours. The entire Pakistan innings had only three boundaries.

The tenth wicket stand between Rodrigo and Mathew was worth 30 runs as the duo batted together for almost nine overs. Mathew’s contribution was 12 runs (in 22 balls) but it made a huge difference as Sri Lanka posed 147 runs.

Scores:

Sri Lanka U19s

147 all out in 44.5 overs (Anjala Bandara 13, Yasiru Rodrigo 31n.o., Matheesha Pathirana 31, Treveen Mathew 12, Extras 15; Zeeshan Zameer 4/32, Ahmed Khan 2/26, Awais Ali 2/27) 

Pakistan U19s

125 all out in 49.3 overs (Muhammad Shehzad 30, Qasim Akram 19, Irfan Khan 13, Ahmed Khan 36; Treveen Mathew 4/14, Dunith Wellalage 3/31)