Bangladesh’s men’s cricket team will return home from the Asian Games without a medal after a 63 run defeat to Sri Lanka in the bronze medal match.
Chasing 166 at Korogi Sports Park, Bangladesh made a disastrous start. They lost both openers without a run on the board.
Saif Hassan fell for a six ball duck from the final delivery of the first over. Tanzid Hasan Tamim also failed to score. Captain Litton Das had a chance to return to form but could not take it. He also fell for a duck, leaving Bangladesh at four for three.
Towhid Hridoy showed some promise with 11 from six balls. But his dismissal put Bangladesh under further pressure. Parvez Hossain Emon made 22 from 26 balls, while Yasir Ali scored 21 from 16. Nasum Ahmed tried to add some late runs with 26 from 28 balls.
None of them could build an innings big enough to keep Bangladesh in the chase. They were eventually bowled out for 102 in 17.3 overs. The defeat ended Bangladesh’s hopes of winning bronze. After the women’s team missed out on a medal, the men’s side also finished their Asian Games campaign empty handed.
Earlier, Sri Lanka chose to bat first but found themselves in serious trouble. They lost four wickets for 21 runs and five for 54. Their top four batters scored only 2, 3, 6 and 1. Debutant Aliss Al Islam and Mahedi Hasan troubled the Sri Lankan top order.
Ashen Bandara tried to steady the innings with 18 from 24 balls before his dismissal. Captain Sahan Arachchige and Tharindu Ratnayake then led Sri Lanka’s recovery.
Mustafizur Rahman came on to bowl in the 14th over, but Sri Lanka took 25 runs from it. Extras added to Bangladesh’s problems as Mustafizur had to bowl 11 deliveries in the over.
He returned with a better spell later. Mustafizur finally broke the Arachchige and Ratnayake partnership in the 19th over and took another wicket in the same over. He ended up with a bowling figure of 3-0-43-2.
Ratnayake played the key innings for Sri Lanka. He struck 65 from just 32 balls with seven fours and five sixes.
Saif took two wickets in the final over as Sri Lanka finished on 165 for nine from their 20 overs. Mustafizur, Mahedi Hasan and Saif picked up two wickets each. Aliss, who was on debut, displayed his mystery spin and conceded just 18 runs in 4 overs, picking up one wicket.
Bangladesh then failed badly in the chase and suffered a 63 run defeat, bringing their Asian Games campaign to an end without a medal.
