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ABU DHABI, Dec 23: Raza Ali Dar and Salman Akbar set the platform for Pakistan’s facile 46-run triumph over Sri Lanka to claim the Khaleej Times Under-15 Asia Cup cricket final at Zayed Stadium on Sunday.
Raza lifted his team with a sparkling 76 off 55 deliveries when the chips seemed to be down on Pakistan after taking first lease of the wicket.
The allrounder, named Man-of-the-Match later, joined Salman with his team struggling at four for 63 and departed with a job well done.
His top score of the day contained four sixes and three fours.
Pakistan closed the innings with a challenging total of 233 for seven in the allotted 40 overs after winning the toss and taking first lease of the wicket.
Salman played the anchor role fell one short of a well-deserved half century.
His valuable knock when his team needed him most contained five hits to the fence.
He was dismissed three runs after the departure of Raza to leave Pakistan at 186 for six.
Owais Ahmed hit a quick-fire 22 not out and Mansoor Amjad picked up a run-a-ball dozen to lift the total towards the end. Nawaz Sardar hit a six from the three balls he faced and was the last Pakistani wicket to fall at 201.
“We were quite confident of defending the total because we had a lot of variety in the side,” said Aqib Javed, former Pakistani paceman and now the bowling coach of the team.
“It has been a good tournament for us and I think we won all our games quite convincingly to lay claim for this important title.
There was also some splendid individual performances throughout the league rounds and obviously we are delighted after today’s final,” added Javed.
Sri Lanka were in the game until losing the third wicket at 91. Opener Sachitra Serasinghe and Thulanidu Thirimanne set a brisk run-rate after the fall of the first wicket of Samira Soysa (7) with the total at 26.
The writing was on the wall for the Sri Lankans who were 134 for seven, and only a late flourish from Prabuda Perera gave the total a bit more respectability. He remained 43 not out with a couple of boundaries to his score.
Sri Lankan team manager Jayantha Seneviratne said he was pleased with his team and the better side on the day won at the end.
“We played clean cricket. I am quite happy with the overall effort of the team that showed improvement with every outing. “We quietly fancied our chances of reaching the final and it has been a satisfying tournament,” said former the Test cricketer and one of the coaches of the Sri Lankan cricket board.
Scoreboard
PAKISTAN:
Fayyaz Ahmed c Mathew b K’nayake 9
Suleman Ali b Fernando 24
Fazal M. Khan c Mathew b K’nayake 3
Adnan Raza b Rajeev 15
Salman Akbar c Pieris b Sachitra 49
Raza Ali Dar c and b Pushpakumara 76
Nawaz Sardar run out 8
Owais Ahmed not out 22
Mansoor Amjad not out 12
EXTRAS (LB-11, w-3, nb-1) 15
TOTAL (for seven wkts, 40 overs) 233
FALL OF WKTS: 1-15 2-25 3-38 4-63 5-183 6-186 7-201
DID NOT BAT: Nasir Ahmed, Mohammad Jamshed.
BOWLING: Mathew 8-0-39-0; Karunanayake 8-1-47-2; Fernando 4-0-14-1; Weerasinghe 8-0-18-1; Pushpakumara 4-0-45-1; Serasinghe 7-0-52-1; Muditha Kaushalya 1-0-7-0.
SRI LANKA:
Samira Soysa c Owais b Nawaz 7
Sachitra Serasinghe c Fayyaz b Jamshed 40
Thulanidu Thirimanne b Dar 27
Angelo Mathew run out 16
Lahiru Pieris C Suleman b Mansoor 15
Shalika Karunanayake c Fazal b Dar 1
Prabuda Perera not out 43
Sudesh Fernando c Owais b Fayyaz 1
Muditha Kaushalya c Owais b Fayyaz 13
Rajeev Weerasinghe run out 0
M Pushpakumara c Owais b Fayyaz 6
EXTRAS (LB-11, W-7) 18
TOTAL (all out, 35 overs) 187
FALL OF WKTS: 1-26 2-57 3-91 4-105 5-112 6-132 7-134 8-172 9-175 10-187
BOWLING: Nasir Ahmed 4-0-22-0; Sardar Nawaz 6-0-36-1; Mohammad Jamshed 3-0-15-1; Raza Ali Dar 8-0-30-2; Suleman Ali 4-0-30-1; Fayyaz Ahmed 8-0-30-3.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Raza Ali Dar.
—Dawn-KT Service
