WEST INDIES U19 TRI NATION SERIES

Sri Lanka will meet England in the final of the West Indies Under-19 Tri-Nation Series on December 21 Saturday at Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua on the basis of having won 3 of their 5 matches as against West Indies 2 despite losing to the host team by 7 runs on Tuesday in the eighth match of the tournament at the same venue. England too have won 3 of their matches.

Tuesday’s match against the West Indies was a close affair as Sri Lanka, chasing West Indies 207 for 9 having opted to field on winning the toss,was pushed back by the early loss of 3 wickets for 8 runs. Despite a 99-run fourth wicket alliance between opening batsman Kamil Mishara  who made 50 and skipper Nipun Dananjaya 74 and a further79-run sixth wicket partnership between Dananjaya and Sonal Dinusha who made 45 from that point Sri Lanka lost quick wickets falling back on the run rate totaling 200 for8 in 50 overs. Mishara’s 98-ball knock contained 4 boundaries and a six while Dananjaya’s 128-ball innings contained 2 boundaries. Dinusha struck 4 boundaries in his 40-ball innings.

Sri Lanka would be ruing having let the West Indies batsmen off the hook in the face of paceman Amshi de Silva’s haul of 5 for 44. The hosts struggled on 4 for 47 and when they were on 5 for 84 in 21.2 overs the Sri Lankans were in Control of the game before No.6 and 7 batsmen Matthew Patrick and Nyeem Young scored half centuries to wrest the initiative. Patrick’s 101-ball 57 contained 4 boundaries while Young made 55 off 74 with 2 sixes and boundaries apiece

CHIEF SCORES:

West Indies 207/9 (50 Overs)

(Mathew Patrick 57, Nyeem Young 55, Kelvon Anderson 17, Leonardo Julien 19, Kimani Melius 11, Amshi de Silva 5/44, Kavindu Nadeeshan 2/40)

Sri Lanka 200/8 (50 Overs)

(Kamil Mishara 50, Nipun Dananjaya 74,Sonal Dinusha 45, Matthew Forde 3/29, Nyeem Young 3/48)

By Srian Obeyesekere

-The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sri Lanka Cricket-