Sri Lanka pull off nail-biter against Afghanistan

Sri Lanka pulled off a nail-biting edge-of-the-seat two wicket win over a determined Afghanistan in their Under-19 Asia Cup match in Dubai yesterday as allrounder Chamika Heenatigala played a crucial role with both bat and ball.

Sri Lanka needed 15 runs off the last two overs with two wickets remaining and Heenatigala struck ensured his team wins the contest as he remained unbeaten on 51 with just four balls to spare after he took up position with the total at 138 for 4 chasing a 236 target.

Hailing from Mahanama College in Colombo, Heenatigala kept his cool while wickets fell at the other end after he struck two vital blows for Sri Lanka that put the brakes on Afghanistan when they batted.

Earlier Sri Lanka fast bowlers Sethmika Seneviratne and Dulnith Sigera combined effectively to restrict Afghanistan to 235 after spinner Heenatigala dealt two vital blows to turn the tide.

Afghanistan were sitting pretty and looked set for a bigger total placed at 84 for 1. But the tables were turned in the 22nd over when left arm spinner Heenatigala removed a well set batsman Osman Sadat for 52.

It was the opening that the Sri Lankans were looking for and with Sadat’s dismissal Afghanistan had to curtain their stroke-play.

Heenatigala also accounted for the scalp of Faisal Shinozada for 39 after he shared in a consolidating 75-run stand for the second wicket with Sadat that threatened to bat out Sri Lanka.

Seneviratne and Sigera then kept taking wickets at regular intervals to ensure there was no room for Afghanistan to re-enter the fray.
While Heenatigala had two scalps Seneviratne and Sigera had three wickets each.

Scores:

Afghanistan 235 in 50 overs (Osman Sadat 52, Faisal Shinozada 39, Uzairullah Naizai 25, Mahboob Khan 25, Azizullah Maikhil 31, Nooristani Omazai 29, Sethmika Seneviratne 3 for 40, Rasith Nimsara 2 for 42, Dulnith Sigera 3 for 33, Chamika Heenatigala 2 for 33)
Sri Lanka 238 for 8 in 49.2 overs (Dimantha Mahavithana 27, Viran Chamuditha 62, Kavija Gamage 34,  Vimath Dinsara 15, Dulnith Sigera 22, Chamika Heenatigala not out 51, Nooristani Omarzai 3 for 52)