Nishin, October 3 (Daily Kiran) : Sri Lanka’s men’s cricket team celebrated a significant victory on Saturday, defeating Bangladesh by 63 runs to secure the bronze medal at the Asian Games, held at Kōrogi Sports Park. After suffering a loss to India in the semifinals, Sri Lanka bounced back with a strong performance in both batting and bowling.
Winning the toss, Sri Lanka opted to bat first but faced early setbacks. The team lost four wickets for just 18 runs, and their fifth wicket fell at a mere 54 runs, leaving them in a precarious position. However, Tharindu Ratnayake, who came in at number seven, turned the game around with an explosive innings.
Ratnayake scored 65 runs off just 32 balls, hitting five sixes and seven fours. He formed a crucial partnership of 93 runs for the sixth wicket with captain Sahan Arachiage, which came off only 44 balls and was pivotal for Sri Lanka’s comeback. The partnership ended when Ratnayake was dismissed.
Captain Sahan contributed 33 runs from 37 balls, while Ashen Bandara added 18 runs. Sri Lanka finished their innings at 165 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs.
For Bangladesh, Mehidy Hasan, Saif Hasan, and Mustafizur Rahman each took two wickets, while Alis Al Islam and Rishad Hossain claimed one wicket apiece.
Chasing a target of 166 runs, Bangladesh’s batting faltered once again, collapsing to 102 runs in just 17.3 overs. Four players failed to score, with Nasum Ahmed being the top scorer at 26 runs, batting at number nine. Yasir Ali and Parvez Hossain Emon scored 21 and 20 runs, respectively.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers excelled, with Nuwan Thushara, Tharindu Ratnayake, Vijayakanth Viyaskant, and Wanuka Sahan each taking two wickets. Captain Sahan Arachiage and Dushan Hemanta contributed with one wicket each.
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