Youth Asia Cup tournament:

Sri Lanka Under-19 in unimpressive win

Sri Lanka registered an unimpressive four-wicket win over Afghanistan in their Under-19 Asia Cup tournament Group ‘B’ match played at Royal Selangor Club grounds in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Sri Lanka U-19 team did well to restrict their opponents for 129 all out in 34.5 overs with off spinner Tharindu Kaushal capturing four wickets for 19 runs. Ranitha Liyanarachchi and Amila Aponso too shared five wickets between them.

However, Sri Lanka batsmen struggled against Afghan bowlers and were reduced to 22 for 2 in the eighth over. A couple of more blows to their middle order saw Sri Lanka U-19 struggling at 77 for 5 in the 26th over. But Sandun Weerakkody made a valuable 42 off 78 balls – a knock which included four boundaries to keep the Lankan innings together. Sri Lanka U-19 managed to reach the target in the 37th over with four wickets in hand.

In the other matches of the Under-19 Asian Cup played yesterday, India beat the hosts Malaysia by eight wickets at Kinrara Academy Oval while Pakistan too had a similar eight-wicket win over Nepal at Bayuemas Oval.

At Selangor Turf Club grounds, also in Kuala Lumpur, Bangladesh had a smashing 328-run win over Qatar with their opener Samuya Sarkar hitting a magnificent double century. He struck eight sixers and 27 fours to score 209 runs in just 135 balls.

Afghanistan Under-19: 129 all out in 34.5 overs (Shabir Noori 25, Ranitha Liyanarachchi 3 for 44, Amila Aponso 2 for 15, Tharindu Kaushal 4 for 19).

Sri Lanka Under-19:

131 for 6 in 36.4 overs (Sandun Weerakkody 42, Lahiru Madusanka 23 n.o, Angelo Jayasinghe 19, Nimantha Fernando 18, Aftab Alam 2 for 30, Shabir Noori 2 for 29).