ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023 kicked off on Thursday (July 13) and witnessed two exciting clashes. The doubleheader saw Sri Lanka edge past Bangladesh in Match 1 at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, and Afghanistan defeat Oman in Match 2 at the Colombo Cricket Club Ground.
Speaking of the match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the Islanders were asked to bat first in the contest, and they started their innings on a good note. Opener Avishka Fernando was the star of the Sri Lankan innings, playing a scintillating knock of 133 runs off 124 deliveries and powering his team to a mammoth total of 349/8. Fernando’s innings included thirteen fours and three sixes, providing a solid foundation for the team. Other notable contributions came from Minod Bhanuka (57 runs off 55 balls) and Pasindu Sooriyabandara (43 runs off 32 balls). Although Ripon Mondol and Soumya Sarkar claimed three wickets each for Bangladesh, their efforts were not enough to contain the Sri Lankan batting onslaught.
In reply to Sri Lanka’s daunting total, Bangladesh put up a valiant fight but ultimately fell short and were bowled out for 301 runs in 48.3 overs. Tanzid Hasan (51 ) and Saif Hassan (53) provided solid starts for Bangladesh, while Sarkar (42) and Rakibul Hasan (40) contributed with vital runs in the middle order. Among Sri Lankan bowlers, Dushan Hemantha and Pramod Madushan bagged three scalps each, ensuring that the Sri Lankan bowlers maintained control throughout the innings.
In the end, Sri Lanka A’s total proved too much for Bangladesh A, and they fell short by 48 runs. Fernando’s exceptional century earned him the well-deserved ‘Player of the Match’ award.
On the other hand, Afghanistan elected to bat first upon winning the toss in Match 2 against Bangladesh. Afghanistan started their innings on a positive note and accumulated a total of 267 runs for the loss of eigh wickets in the rain-reduced 49 allotted overs. Zubaid Akbari emerged as the star performer for Afghanistan, contributing an impressive knock of 79 runs off 84 deliveries. Riaz Hassan (27), Noor Ali Zadran (35), and Shahidullah Kamal (45) also made notable contributions to the team’s total.
Oman’s bowlers tried their best to contain the opposition’s scoring rate, with Kaleemullah and Aqib Ilyas picking two wickets each for their side. However, their efforts were not enough to restrict Afghanistan from posting a challenging total.
Chasing a target of 268 runs, Oman struggled to build partnerships and lost wickets at regular intervals. They were eventually bundled out for 195 runs in 40.3 overs, falling short of the target by 72 runs. Ilyas (39) and Ayaan Khan (47) showed resilience with the bat, but their efforts were in vain. Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai and Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar were the standout bowlers for Afghanistan, bagging three scalps each for their team and helping the Afghan side claim a 72-run win over Oman.
Akbari‘s exceptional batting performance earned him the well-deserved Player of the Match award for his crucial knock of 79 runs, which laid the foundation for Afghanistan’s competitive total.
