For the first 15 overs of both innings, it was Nepal’s match, but for the rest, it was Sri Lanka’s and that made them deserving winner at the Penang Sports Club Ground on Monday.
Sagar Khadka bowls to Sri Lankan batsman. Photo Courtesy: MalaysiaCricket.com
Left-arm pacer Amrit Bhattarai reduced Sri Lanka to 58/4 in 15th over but the Test nation recovered from the blow and went on to score 236/9 in allotted 50 overs. Nepal was 60/0 in 15 overs but then failed to convert the good start into a winning one and were bowled out for 175 in 48.5 overs for a 61-run defeat.
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first. Amrit, who did not attend training yesterday due to minor injury, was at his best taking first four wickets to fall and giving Sri Lanka more than a few uneasy moments.
“Nepal bowled very well in the beginning but our middle order made a great fight back,” Sri Lanka’s consultant coach Arvinda De Silva said.
The fight-back was led by captain Ashan Subasinghe and Sachith Pathirana who then stabilized the innings with 72-run partnership. Subashinghe scored 46 off 83 balls and was stumped by Mahesh Chhetri off Rahul Biswokarma. Parthirana stayed five overs more and become the second victim to Rahul. But before than he scored 62 off 60 balls with 7 fours.
Pathirana fell at 160, but then the Lankans had a solid platform to go for shots and No 9 Thisara Perera utilized it the most. He scored 41 not out off 27 balls with two fours and two sixes. Roshane Silva (20) and No 10 Chathura Peiris (15) added some runs at last as they finished at a good total.
Rahul finished with two wickets while Paras Khadka, Raj Shrestha and Sagar Khadka each claimed a wicket. “The margin may be big but the match was close and we were in trouble” – De Silva, added.
“I am pleased with the fear the boys gave to Lankans. I am pleased with bowling,” Nepal’s coach Roy Dias commented after the match. “But I am not very pleased with the performance.”
Nepal began well with Mahesh and Anil Mandal batting patiently. They added 60 runs in 15 overs without any loss, but then after the batting lineup could do nothing good. Anil was first to go at 25 off 42. Gyanendra (7) stayed short – both being undone by Pathirana.
Mahesh got wrong shot at 82/2 and was out for 39 off 69 balls. Captain Paras Khadka (25) and Akash Gupta (24) added 46 runs but they fell in space of five balls as Nepal went down to 131/5 in 35th over.
The tailenders could do nothing more than adding a few runs as Nepal lost the final five wickets for 44 runs with only Rahul reaching the double figure. For Sri Lanka, man of the match Pathirana finished with 3/32 while Umesh Karunarathna, Angelo Perera and Navin Kavikara each took two wickets.
With the result, Sri Lanka and Australia are on top two positions in Group C while Nepal and Namibia had lost a match each. Nepal plays Australia on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka U-19 Innings
D. Chandimal c M.Chhetri b A.Bhattarai 1 (7)
L. Thirimanne c P.Khadka b A.Bhattarai 17 (29)
K. Perera b A.Bhattarai 3 (9)
A. Subasinghe st M.Chhetri b R.Vishwakarma 46 (83)
A. Perera c P.Khadka b A.Bhattarai 8 (9)
S. Pathirana c P.Thapa b R.Vishwakarma 62 (60)
R. Silva lbw b P.Khadka 20 (47)
U. Karunarathna b S.Khadka 6 (10)
T. Perera not out 41 (27)
C. Peiris st M.Chhetri b R.Shrestha 15 (16)
N. Kavikara not out 2 (3)
Extras (lb6 w9) 15
Total (for 9 wickets in 50 overs) 236
FoW: 9, 13, 37, 58, 130, 161, 171, 188, 228
Nepal Bowling: A. Bhattarai 10-0-42-4, P. Khadka 8-0-32-1, A. Rana 3-0-14-0, R. Shrestha 9-0-45-1, S. Khadka 10-0-44-1, R. Vishwakarma 10-0-53-2
Nepal U-19 Innings
M. Chhetri c D.Chandimal b U.Karunarathna 39 (69)
A.Mandal c A.Perera b S.Pathirana 25 (42)
G.Malla c & b S.Pathirana 7 (10)
P.Khadka b A.Perera 25 (42)
A.Gupta b N.Kavikara 24 (44)
P.Thapa st D.Chandimal b N.Kavikara 2 (8)
S.Khadka st D.Chandimal b A.Perera 8 (29)
R.Vishwakarma st D.Chandimal b S.Pathirana 10 (20)
R.Shrestha b U.Karunarathna 6 (15)
A.Rana run out 9 (10)
A.Bhattarai not out 3 (9)
Extras (b2 lb2 w8 nb5) 17
Total (all out in 48.5 overs) 175
FoW: 61, 78, 82, 128, 131, 134, 153, 153, 169, 175
Sri Lanka Bowling: T. Perera 4-1-16-0, C. Peiris 4-0-20-0, S. Pathirana 10-1-32-3, L. Thirimanne 3-0-13-0, U. Karunarathna 9.5-0-43-2, N. Kavikara 10-0-22-2, R. Silva 2-0-8-0, A. Perera 6-0-17-2
BY PREM DHAKAL, Penang, Malaysia
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nepal cud not utilize the start they got in both the department of the game.we controlled first 15 overs of both the batting and bowling but got loose afterwards.especially we cud not took fifth wicket in time n that proved crucial in the.had we restricted them to about 200 the match was for us in taking.
Here comes a new quote from manager Tarak Mani Dixit:
“If we had taken the catch offered by Sachith Pathirana early in his innings, things might have been different.”
How cud we let 58/4 be turned into 236 and how did we slip from 60/0 in 15 to all out for 175! Poor performance…I m sure we can do much better than this. Well I know it wasnt an easy game for SL, but again i think it shud have been much more tighter than it has been made to seem. We need to learn to build upon the starts we get!
Well…Here is a disappointed nepali..
But,it was a tough day for the lankans.
lets see now..if we can put a fight against the australians..
i am sure nepal is capable of it..
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Oh no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nepal come back
Cricket is not so short
U can’t win after such a briliant start
Shame on u
But no problem
I’m sure u will change good begining into good ending in upcoming match.
Welcome and thanks team nepal. Playing very well from bowlling side little have to improve bating side i hope will be successful on oncoming matches. And they have to play confidently they are capable to to win matches.
Best of luck.