Pakistan U19 showcased their cricket prowess as they defeated Sri Lanka U19 by nine wickets on the third day of the one-off four-day game at National Bank Stadium, Karachi. The victory was built upon their commanding first-innings performance and a strong follow-up effort.
Sri Lanka U19 struggled to reply to Pakistan U19’s first-innings total of 433-9, managing just 204 runs. Pakistan enforced the follow-on and, once again, Sri Lanka found it challenging to face the Pakistani bowlers, setting a target of just eight runs. Pakistan U19 swiftly chased down the target in 1.4 overs, securing a comprehensive victory.
Sri Lanka U19, resuming from an overnight score of 155-6, managed to add 49 runs before losing their final four wickets. Pulindu Perera was the standout performer with an impressive half-century, contributing 65 runs. Captain Sineth Jayawardene also made a significant contribution with 38 runs.
Aimal Khan and Mohammad Ibtisam shone with the ball, taking three wickets each. Spinner Arafat Minhas captured two scalps, and Ali Asfand and Naveed Ahmed Khan chipped in with one wicket each.
In their second innings, Sri Lanka U19 posted a total of 236 runs, with Sineth and Pulindu once again leading the way with scores of 52 and 50, respectively. Vishwa Lahiru played an unbeaten knock of 29 runs. The Pakistani bowlers, including Ali Asfand, Mohammad Ibtisam, Naveed Ahmed Khan, and Mohammad Ismail, shared the wickets, taking two each.
Pakistan U19’s Azan Awais was the only wicket to fall in the second innings, courtesy of Vishwa Lahiru’s bowling. Pakistan U19 swiftly reached the target of eight runs in just 10 deliveries.
Pakistan U19’s impressive performance in the four-day game sets the stage for an exciting five-match one-day series against Sri Lanka U19, which will be played at the National Bank Stadium from 22 to 31 October.
Scores in Brief:
- Pakistan U19 433-9 decl, 121.3 overs (Shahzaib Khan 161, Azan Awais 104, Saad Baig 68; Malsha Tharupathi 3-75, Ruvishan Perera 2-44, Vihas Thewmika 2-105)
- Sri Lanka U19 204 all out, 67.2 overs (Pulindu Perera 65, Sineth Jayawardane 38; Mohammad Ibtisam 3-37, Aimal Khan 3-47, Arafat Minhas 2-31)
- Sri Lanka U19 236 all out in 60.2 overs (Sineth Jayawardene 52, Pulindu Perera 50, Vishwa Lahiru 29 not out; Mohammad Ismail 2-18, Mohammad Ibtisam 2-20, Ali Asfand 2-54, Naveed Ahmed Khan 2-60)
Player of the Match: Shahzaib Khan (Pakistan U19)
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