By Srian Obeyesekere

Sri Lanka U19 swept to an easy 7-wicket win over Japan making light of a 76-run target off 12.2 overs having bowled out their opponents for 75 with skipper Sineth Jayawardena leading from the front with an unbeaten 26 off 24 balls inclusive of 3 boundaries and a six in their opening Group B fixture of the 2023 Asia Cup and fourth game of the tournament played at the ICC Academy Ground No.2 in Dubai yesterday.

Sri Lanka’s star performer with the ball was Malsha Tharupathi who claimed 3 wickets for 26 with Garuka Sanketh taking 2 for 18.

Put into bat, Japan floundered losing 3 wickets for 8 runs in 4.4 overs with both openers sent back for ducks with Duvindu Ranatunga clean bowling Nihar Parmar off the seventh ball of the innings and his very first ball while Garuka Sanketh bowled Aditya Phadke off his fifth delivery of his second over and the third in the innings as Japan sunk to 2 for 2. They plummeted to 8 for 35 after 17.4 overs before No. 6 Charles Hinza played a defiant knock of 36 off 52 hitting 4 boundaries before falling with the score 72 in 29 overs. He put on 37 for he ninth wicket with Kiefer Lake who remained unbeaten on a sedate 10 off 44 with just the boundary.

Sri Lanka, in their turn got off to an inauspicious start losing 2 wickets for 22 runs before skipper Jayawardena steadied the innings putting on a run a ball 21 for the third wicket with Rusanda Gamage 18 off 15 with 2 boundaries, and an unfinished 33 for the fourth wicket off 26 with Dinura Kalupahana 6

CHIEF SCORES:

Japan U19 75 (30.3 Overs)

(Charles Hinze 36, Koji Abe 19, Kiefer Lake n.o. 10, Malsha Tharupathi 3/26, Garuka Sanketh 2/18, Vishwa Lahiru ½, Duvindu Ranatunga 1/12, Dinura Kalupahana 1/9)

Japan’s Kiefer Lake took 2 wickets for 27 and Kazuma Kato Stafford 1 for 21.

Sri Lanka U19 76/3 (12.2 Overs)

(Sineth Jayawardena n.o. 26, Rusanda Gamage 18, Pulindu Perera 132,

Dinura Kalupahana n.o. 6, Kiefer Lake 2/27, Kazuma Kato Stafford 1/21)