Remaining unbeaten in the last three matches, Bangladesh U23 finished the round robin fixture with a crushing 9-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka U23 of the ongoing South Asian Games men’s cricket competition at Kirtipur in Nepal yesterday.

With Bangladesh already secured the final berth after three consecutive wins in the tournament and keeping the importance of the final clash in mind, U23 regular skipper Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Soumya Sarker were dropped for this encounter. The Sri Lankans took full advantage of it and made the difference with a thumping nine-wicket victory over Saif Hasan led Bangladesh, who captained the side in this match replacing Shanto.

Put into bat, Bangladesh suffered three major blows after Mohammad Naim, Saif Hasan and Afif Hossain were all sent back to the pavilion inside first five overs of the match. From 21 for 3 when it wasn’t going easy for Bangladesh that moment, Mahidul Islam Ankon and Yasir Ali revived the innings with an 80-run stand for the fourth wicket. But, none of Ankon and Yasir Ali could stay at the crease till the very end. Ankon, who scored a well-made 44, chipped his wicket away at the crucial moment of the match while Yasir Ali, though smashed 51, surrendered before Asitha Fernando in the 18th over. Bangladesh finished their innings on 151 for 6 after their allocated 20 overs.

In reply, Sri Lanka had different ideas on their mind. Although they lost one of their openers in the second over, but Pathum Nissanka and Lasith Croospulle started demolishing the Bangladeshi bowlers and continued onslaught on them to chase down the target only in 16.1 overs with nine wickets in hand. The former scored 67 off 52 balls while the latter smashed 73 off just 41 deliveries with 7 fours and 4 sixes with a strike rate over 178. This was the first heavy defeat Bangladesh have conceded in the tournament.

The two sides will lock horn in the much important final clash at the same venue today.