In a thrilling encounter at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium, Pakistan Shaheens showcased a dominant performance, led by Arshad Iqbal’s brilliant five-wicket haul and impressive half-centuries from Omair Bin Yousuf and Mohammad Haris, to secure a convincing 60-run win over Sri Lanka A in the first semi-final of the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup.
After winning the toss, defending champions Shaheens opted to bat first, setting a formidable target of 323 runs for Sri Lanka A. Early on, the Sri Lankan bowlers posed a challenge, taking quick wickets to put pressure on the Shaheens’ batting lineup. However, Omair Bin Yousuf stood tall and anchored the innings with a magnificent knock of 88 runs off 79 balls, including 10 fours and a six. He was well-supported by Tayyab Tahir (26) and captain Mohammad Haris (52), as they stitched crucial partnerships to propel the Shaheens’ score to 322 runs.
In response, Sri Lanka A faced an early setback, losing three wickets in quick succession. Avishka Fernando (97) and Sahan Arachchige (97) showed great resilience and added a valuable 128-run partnership for the fourth wicket, keeping their team in the contest. However, the Shaheens’ bowling attack, led by Arshad Iqbal, struck back with crucial breakthroughs. Iqbal’s exceptional spell of 5/37 in 7.4 overs proved to be the turning point of the match, as Sri Lanka A lost wickets at regular intervals and were eventually bowled out for 262 runs in 45.4 overs.
Arshad Iqbal’s outstanding performance earned him the Player of the Match award, as he claimed his maiden List A five-wicket haul.
With this impressive victory, Pakistan Shaheens advanced to the final and will face the winners of the second semi-final between Bangladesh A and India A, which will take place at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The final is scheduled to be held on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium, with the first ball set to be bowled at 1400 local time.
Brief Scores:
Pakistan Shaheens: 322 all out in 50 overs (Omair Bin Yousuf 88, Mohammad Haris 52, Mubasir Khan 42; Lahiru Samarakoon 2-42, Chamika Karunaratne 2-55, Pramod Madushan 2-56)
Sri Lanka A: 262 all out in 45.4 overs (Avishka Fernando 97, Sahan Arachchige 97; Arshad Iqbal 5-37, Sufyan Muqeem 2-44, Mubasir Khan 2-45)
Result: Pakistan Shaheens won by 60 runs
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