SL U19 vs Pakistan U19: Captain’s knock crosses the line in a thriller

By Pranavesh Sivakumar

Overcoming a bumpy ride with sporadic scares, it was visiting skipper Rohail Nazir’s patient 87 (98), that edged their rivals’ Sri Lanka, in down-to-the-wire thriller, on Tuesday, at the second one-day, in Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium (MRICS), Hambantota.

Chasing a 221, after their tidy bowling limited Lankans to a moderate score, Pakistan had to cross obstacles now-and-then. The biggest obstacle, aside a mini-collapse was, losing their gloveman cum captain, when he was about to pull-off the victory himself.

A 60-run, as well as, a 62-run stands, in both, where the captain was a mainstay, saw Pakistan stood above jittery phases. The hosts fielding, costed them the match, particularly, in the climax, with misfielding and spilling tough chances.

Earlier, Nipun Dananjaya’s, top-to-middle-order, fell prey to a Pakistanis potent bowling attack, that even before the midway mark, saw half the side was back in the hut.

Sri Lankans seeking to extend from the last win, let their opponents make merry of their fragile batting line-up, winning the toss and taking first lease of the wicket.

At six down for sixty-nine, all hell had broken and bulldozed Lankans, threatening to repeat their senior’s (SL “A”) thumping defeat. Nonetheless, St. Anthony’s Wattala’s, Avishka Tharindu, rose and reported to a rescue scoring his maiden half-century, at a time that mattered the most.

He made his team, breathe further sigh of life, combining 74-run stand with Chamindu Wijesinghe. Pakistani bowlers, returned with the prize scalp of the maiden half-centurion.

But, the best was yet to come, with a target defining stand between Rohan Sanjaya (45) and Ashian Daniel collecting a superb 63-runs, that giving a reasonable target to chase.

Brief scores:

Sri Lanka U-19: 220-8. 50 overs. (A Tharindu 54, R Sanjaya 45, J Khan 2-39, A Shah 2-32)

Pakistan U-19: 221-7. 49.5 overs. (R Nazir 87, H Ali 56, D Madushanka 2-27, S Thilakaratne 2-35)

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