U19 World Cup: Sri Lanka down England to reach semis

Pakistan take on West Indies in the last quarter-final today

Sri Lanka confirmed their spot in the semi-finals with a comfortable six-wicket win over England in their U19 World Cup quarter-final clash at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Bangladesh.

The win was delivered mainly in part by the bowlers, who ran through the England top-order, with Asitha Fernando dismissing openers Dan Lawrence and Max Holden to leave England 18-2 and Wanidu Hasaranga making it 47-3 not long after.





England were eventually dismissed in the 50th over to give Sri Lanka a simple target of 18, with Hasaranga claiming 3-34 and Asitha 2-16.

Opener Avishka Fernando then ensured there were to be no scares for his side as he scored a 96-ball 95 before being dismissed by Saqib Mahmood. Avishka’s innings, which included 11 fours and a six, seemed all the more impressive considering the way the other batsmen struggled on conditions that offered encouragement and assistance to the bowlers. No other player, for either side, managed to score a half-century, while Avishka’s strike-rate of nearly a hundred also stood out.



Sri Lanka will now face India in the first semi-final on Tuesday.

Pakistan, meanwhile, take on the West Indies in the last quarter-final on Monday at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah. The winner of the match will take on hosts Bangladesh in the second semi-final on Thursday.

Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka said he was delighted to see his team bounce back after losing to Pakistan in the last league match. “We had not batted well against Pakistan, so it was important to settle down and build big scores,” he said.



Asalanka further added that his team will test India with spin in the semi-final.

“We know India players are good facing spin, but spin is our strength and we will stick to that,” he said. “We are confident of doing well in the semi-final.” (with additional input from press release)

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th,  2016.

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